5 Biggest Announcements From Gamescom 2018
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Release Date & Gameplay
First announced at E3 2018, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice had a substantial proper gameplay reveal at Gamescom 2018, and it’s much further along than anybody could have imagined. FromSoftware announced the game will be hitting store shelves next year, March 22.
Over 10 minutes of gameplay was showcased at the event, and several publications went hands-on with the game. We’re now finally able to see to just how FromSoftware is iterating on the familiar combat of its seminal Dark Souls series, and what mechanics it weaves into its DNA and which it discards. Clearly, there are similarities, and the lineage of Dark Souls is evident in the deliberate, weight melee combat and lock-on camera mechanic. It’s also punishingly hard and has a unique death mechanic in the same vein as the souls recovery from the Souls series. But that’s about as far as it goes. Traversal, stealth, and significantly faster-paced combat mean Sekiro is a markedly different sort of experience.
Souls games have always featured verticality and clever level design, but the promise of the grappling hook, which allows players to shoot around the map instantly and assassinate enemies in a single swipe, is a whole new level of traversal. There’s proper jumping here, too, and the ability to crouch and hide for stealth takedowns.
You’ve probably noted for yourself just how quickly enemies can be taken down in Sekiro, either by one-hit takedowns or lightning-fast sword strikes. It seems to us that although there’s plenty of flashy action, you’re still extremely vulnerable to attacks from enemies, which makes for a cinematic but highly strategic experience. It looks as though you’re going to need to pick your battles and pull off attack sequences with deadly accuracy, as well as choosing wisely whether to resurrect yourself after defeat.
After Gamescom 2018, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice has shot right up our list of most anticipated games in 2019.
