I'm somebody who has never really jumped on the bandwagon and waved the flag in rapturous praise of From. They're undoubtedly one of the most adored developers in the biz today, but while I've certainly enjoyed the likes of Demon's Souls OG, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, I've never really held them in the same esteemed regard that your average gaming enthusiast does.
That's all changed with Sekiro. I get it now. I get why people love From and go stir crazy whenever a new game by them is announced. Sekiro is a certified masterpiece. It's From's best game. Their magnum opus. It has maybe the best combat I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing in a video game. The boss battles are an exhilarating thrill. It's a punishing game, but rarely unfair, and the mechanics are so tight that you always aspire to improve and be better whenever you take a beating. Deflecting feels fantastic. Pulling off a Mikiri counter is pure dopamine. Going on the offensive and smacking an enemy around so much that you wear them down and remove all their health with a single deathblow is rewarding as fuck. It just feels so fabulous to play.
I also appreciate that Sekiro has a more conventional storytelling approach than the usual From fare. If there's one thing I can't stand about the likes of Bloodborne and Elden Ring, it's the cryptic nonsense that passes as a 'plot'. No, I'm not going to watch Youtube videos to study up on the lore. I'm not going to read item descriptions in order to get a clearer idea of what's going on in your game. Sekiro does away with that for the most part. It's hardly Grim Fandango-levels of narrative intrigue, but it's a heck of a lot more engaging than what has come before and since. You play as someone not scrambled together in a character creator screen. He has a personality. He actually talks and interacts with other characters. He's an honourable gentleman and it feels good when he perseveres and takes down a big baddie! More of this please From!
It's a looker too. Graphical fidelity has never been From's forte, but Sekiro has plenty of occasions where one is tempted to take a breather and soak in all the pretty scenery. After Elden Ring, I was surprised by how much better this is visually, despite coming out a few years prior.
So why did it take me so long to play this winning showcase of the medium? Because for some reason it never got a discount in the UK. It's actually quite rare these days, and extremely hard to obtain a brand new copy. I had to buy the game used on eBay, and it wasn't cheap. But bought it I have, and played it to completion I did, and now it's going straight into my top 50 favourites list. RIP in peace whichever game gets kicked out of its slot as a result. And the next time a From game is announced to a roaring crowd, I'll be right there with them, whooping and hollering.
Unless their next game is a sequel to The Adventures of Cookie & Cream.
That's all changed with Sekiro. I get it now. I get why people love From and go stir crazy whenever a new game by them is announced. Sekiro is a certified masterpiece. It's From's best game. Their magnum opus. It has maybe the best combat I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing in a video game. The boss battles are an exhilarating thrill. It's a punishing game, but rarely unfair, and the mechanics are so tight that you always aspire to improve and be better whenever you take a beating. Deflecting feels fantastic. Pulling off a Mikiri counter is pure dopamine. Going on the offensive and smacking an enemy around so much that you wear them down and remove all their health with a single deathblow is rewarding as fuck. It just feels so fabulous to play.
I also appreciate that Sekiro has a more conventional storytelling approach than the usual From fare. If there's one thing I can't stand about the likes of Bloodborne and Elden Ring, it's the cryptic nonsense that passes as a 'plot'. No, I'm not going to watch Youtube videos to study up on the lore. I'm not going to read item descriptions in order to get a clearer idea of what's going on in your game. Sekiro does away with that for the most part. It's hardly Grim Fandango-levels of narrative intrigue, but it's a heck of a lot more engaging than what has come before and since. You play as someone not scrambled together in a character creator screen. He has a personality. He actually talks and interacts with other characters. He's an honourable gentleman and it feels good when he perseveres and takes down a big baddie! More of this please From!
It's a looker too. Graphical fidelity has never been From's forte, but Sekiro has plenty of occasions where one is tempted to take a breather and soak in all the pretty scenery. After Elden Ring, I was surprised by how much better this is visually, despite coming out a few years prior.
So why did it take me so long to play this winning showcase of the medium? Because for some reason it never got a discount in the UK. It's actually quite rare these days, and extremely hard to obtain a brand new copy. I had to buy the game used on eBay, and it wasn't cheap. But bought it I have, and played it to completion I did, and now it's going straight into my top 50 favourites list. RIP in peace whichever game gets kicked out of its slot as a result. And the next time a From game is announced to a roaring crowd, I'll be right there with them, whooping and hollering.
Unless their next game is a sequel to The Adventures of Cookie & Cream.