Setting and Themes
Ways Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Is Different From Dark Souls
One of the first things you may notice about Sekiro is its beautiful 16th century Sengoku, Japan setting. This is vastly different from the traditional fantasy setting of Dark Souls. That means that Sekiro will have a more grounded feel, despite still including monsters and fantasy-style creatures, like a giant centipede monster. It is not intended to be historically accurate, but rather include the “coolest parts of that period,”Robert Conkey, Activision producer, said during an IGN interview.
Also noteworthy is the fact that you play as a shinobi ninja, filling the void left by the lack of ninja games this generation. Playing as a ninja will see you do things like utilising stealth mechanics, shurikens, and the aforementioned grappling hook. There’s something about ninjas that makes for some great games, mostly because of the varied gameplay styles. Want to eliminate swathes of enemies without being seen? Try stealth. Maybe you want to take a more aggressive approach and engage the enemies directly because it’s faster. You can do that, too. There aren’t enough modern ninja games and it’s unclear why. In short, ninjas are freaking cool.
