FromSoftware has only continued to grow in popularity with every new release, andElden Ringelevated the studio to unprecedented heights. WhileArmored CoreandDemon’s/Dark Soulsput FromSoft on the map,Elden Ringfinally thrust the developer into the mainstream spotlight. By December 2024,Elden Ringhad sold 28.6 million copies, which is almost triple the numberDark Souls 3sold and in half the time, and almost tripleSekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s lifetime sales.
Based on those stats, FromSoftware has gained a lot of new fans sinceElden Ring’s release, and while Shadow of the Erdtree was an incredible stopgap on the way to a fully-fledged new FromSoft game, those new fans might be looking for a new experience now. TheDark Soulstrilogy,Demon’s Souls, andBloodborneare the closest fans will get toElden Ring’s gameplay, butSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceshouldn’t be skipped over.
New FromSoftware Fans Shouldn’t Miss Out on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro - A Faster and Even More Challenging Soulslike Experience
Elden Ringfollowed inDark Souls' footsteps closely. Though it added plenty of new features like a jump mechanic, a mount, and a sprawling open-world,Elden Ringborrowed much ofDark Souls' third-person action-RPG formula, and thus fans ofElden Ringwill feel fairly comfortable returning to those past FromSoft titles.
Sekiro, on the other hand, offers something slightly more unique. It still features a lock-on system and some RPG elements like leveling up, butSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis a much more linear, story-driven experience, and its combat is a tad more involved.
Unlike its Soulslike siblings,Sekirogives players just one primary weapon, and its moment-to-moment gameplay revolves around using it to master the art of deflection and ripostes.Sekiro’s combatsees players blocking oncoming attacks to build their enemy’s Posture meter. Once that Posture meter is full, the enemy is caught off-balance, and players can deliver a deathblow. To dispatch a target efficiently, players need to time their blocks perfectly, dodge unblockable blows, and strike whenever an opportunity presents itself.
It’s this core balance that distinguishesSekirofrom FromSoft’s other works, and though this system can make evenSekiro’s weakest enemies feel more challenging than some ofDark Souls' bosses, it feels all the more rewarding because of that.
Sekiro Offers a Refreshing Take on the Feudal Japan Setting
Feudal Japan has been a popular setting for video games since the industry’s infancy, but more games than ever are embracing the era.Assassin’s Creed Shadowshas just come out, andGhost of Yoteiis slated for release later this year, both of which seem to offer fairly grounded adventures set towardsthe end of the Sengoku period.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis technically set within the same era, but it offers a setting that isn’t afraid to lean a bit more into fantasy and myth.Sekirosees players fighting plenty of armored samurai, but it also sees them facing off against invisible monks, giant snakes, and hulking apes who hold their own severed heads in their hands while they rain down blows from above.
