PLAY! Zine 95
Sekiro redevelops genre on the well known basis, creating something similar but entirely different. This time, it calls for courage instead of fear. It calls for reconfiguring the muscle memory of the "soulsborne" veterans, and some really good and quality gaming time! A great starting point for newcomers, but a new beginning for old players as well, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a game you should not miss - if you want quality yet fear no challenge.
Guardian 80
If you’re at a point in life where you have frequent long evenings or empty weekends to throw at its mountainous challenges, you will find here an exquisite game whose subtle themes, gradually unfurling mysteries and beautiful samurai-period sights reward the determined and skilled player. Otherwise, Sekiro is a stubbornly locked treasure chest. It’s as if the Lord of the Rings had only been published in Tolkein’s own Elvish, unreadable without long hours of gruelling study.
The Digital Fix 90
Challenging and enthralling shinobi action with the usual From Software brand of difficulty, quirks and all.
DualShockers 90
More than anything though, Sekiro is a game that I am endlessly thankful for having spent time with the past few weeks. The moments of elation that I have had playing through Sekiro were unmatched not only in gaming but in my everyday life. It provided a sense of joy that comforted me and made me optimistic when I needed it most. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a game I will continue to look back at fondly for years to come because of this.
Playstation Official Magazine UK 90
Sekiro rewards mastery of its core systems (and perhaps a tiny bit of luck), making you excited to see the next enemy and test your mettle. Everything from environments to battles encourages creative thinking, making it an intensely personal and satisfying experience. Even if you die a lot. [Issue#161, p.79]
PlayGround.ru 95
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a merciless game that thirsts after the gamer's blood and inflicts physical pain. You will suffer. You will darn yourself, the game and its developers, but you will not be able to stop playing as Sekiro will become an obsession. But as much as it takes from the player, it returns as much with every victory. If you are willing to commit yourself to torture, you will repeatedly experience the feeling close to catharsis or nirvana plunging your blade in the body of the defeated.
PlayStation Country 90
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice changes up the Souls formula whilst keeping important elements like exploration. The combat is quite possibly the best swordplay I've ever seen in a game which is difficult to start with but incredibly rewarding when you're going toe to toe with a boss and the stealth gives you the option to take out most minor enemies quietly if that's how you want to play. Another From masterpiece.
InsideGamer.nl 88
The legacy of Dark Souls force us to compare. Sekiro definitely misses out on adventure and replayability, as well as aesthetic creativity. However, any other part of the game is just amazing.
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TheXboxHub 80
Everyone knows FromSoftware make hard games, and Sekiro is certainly no different. If anything, it may be even harder than those which have come before it. So, for newcomers it may not be the best ‘entry’ point to these types of games but if you have more than a passing interest in Soulsborne games, then Sekiro is definitely another one to add to this ever-growing list.
XboxAddict 95
Going in to this review I wasn’t sure if Sekiro was going to be simply a ninja re-skin of Dark Souls, but there’s more than enough that’s different, and improved, that it stands on its own within the genre, even if it’s from the same developers. Like every other FromSoftware title, the difficulty is either going to be what drives you to become better, or make you shy away. I believe that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is going to be on many Game of the Year lists for 2019, and for good reason.
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The Overpowered Noobs 80
FromSoftware comes through once more to show they aren’t just a one-trick pony: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an all-around great, engaging stealth-action game.
ZTGD 95
The joyous sense of freedom in being able to engage and disengage a situation as I effortlessly transitioned between stealth and combat- the feeling of excitement as the awe-inspiring bosses and set pieces set the bar to new heights both in spectacle and design, Sekiro is a masterpiece that will influence future games to come for generations.
Variety80
For those who lack the time or the inclination or the dexterity or the capabilities, Miyazaki’s insistence on perching his finely-wrought combat systems on a sheer cliff-face of difficulty seems more and more indefensible with every masterpiece he cranks out. Even as we admire his handiwork, it’s hard to shake the feeling that if he traded in some of his stubborn design cruelty for just a touch of empathy, it would be all the greater.
Google