SO!
I know that one should never say “I love you” to a partner during sex (too easy), but…
I am now at 2/3 of Sekiro (which we could well call Sexiro, with the introduction above) and I think it’s the best game I have ever played. I normally don’t fly off SO MUCH enthusiasm but this game is simply exceptional.
The mix of combat and exploration is so great. The atmosphere, graphics and music are all lovely, and scratch a Japan-related itch that I was having since Okami. But in the end, what elevates it so much is the level of control and engagement it offers in combat. I think it’s the first game (apart from some games like Tekken) in which “get good” has so much meaning (much more than the “bloodsouls” games, which I also love).
In one case, against a spear armed elite enemy, after a furious fight, I ended up having increased heartbeat and I decide to relax for a bit before continuing playing, and it never happened to me with any game.
With Genichiro, it was a real skill check and to beat it, I had to get over the overuse of tools and button mashing, and learn for real, both its patterns and my character’s moveset. I took away any special moves (such as those that start when pushing R1 during block) in order to avoid making any slow charging attacks (so to reduce time windows in which I could have been hit).
In such fights you feel like an martial arts fighter for real, and when you can move along with the enemy without taking hits, and feeling in control, it’s super engaging and satisfying.
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