‘Sifu’ removes joy and pain by equal measures

It’s an age-old kung-fu story: a master Pak Mei teaches a student all he knows, and then the student returns to challenge their old mentor to a life battle. death. The disciple not only killed the master but also his family, saving a surviving child. Eight years later, that now-adult child seeks revenge for their father’s death. Kung-fu action new great war, Sifu doesn’t stray too far from that framework, and while the story may be familiar to anyone who grew up on classic kung-fu movies of the 60s and 70s, the game offers a mix of time and Soulsborne difficulty along with a unique old-fashioned component to create a gaming experience many won’t soon forget.

Sifu boundaries – and player patience. The unnamed protagonist is determined to exact revenge and must conquer five unique city districts as they hunt down those responsible for their father’s death. Each district is led by a famous boss with their own unique skills. There is a botanist who lives in the warehouse and makes drugs for the gang to sell. The CEO runs the company’s business from a heavily guarded skyscraper. And of course, the leader – the aforementioned student with his master’s blood-stained hands – who rules over the people as a healer. Each district is filled with foot soldiers of varying difficulty that will require all of your skills to take down.

Fight in Sifu is (at first) simple to learn. There’s the usual mix of heavy and light attacks, a block/block, and a special attack used to hit downed enemies, with each attack tied to a tap single button. You also have a structural bar (think stamina) that you have to keep an eye on, all the while doing whatever you can to disrupt your opponent. Doing so sets them up for easy completion. Of course, there’s more to the fight, but those four buttons are the key to success, and Sifu There are over 150 combo attacks to take advantage of. You can even slow down time by tapping the left trigger and targeting specific areas at enemies with your fists, feet, or weapons.

Sifu is a game of timing (in many ways). Successfully deflecting, or better yet, blocking an attack allows you to strike when there is an opening. Enemies don’t always announce their moves, so paying attention is crucial if you want to progress. And when you’re sure to be surrounded, running away to create some breathing room is a must. There are weapons in each level that you can use, but so are your enemies, and a swarm of baddies with lead pipes is a surefire way to die, whether you’re running or not. Playing patiently, looking for opportunities to attack and using your environment is the only way to survive. But regardless, you will die. And often. And that gives By Sifu coolest worker.

When you die in Sifu, you immediately return to life, albeit older and wiser. You must suspend skepticism at this point, as your character can die, revert to the same position in battle, and be six years older. Enemies don’t age, and no time passes – you just suddenly have a beard and maybe an extra wrinkle or two. This is due to a trinket you carry, which contains five mystical coins that bring you back to life if you die. It is imperative that you grow older each time you fall, and the number of years you will age will be influenced by the number of times you die. You start the game at 20, and if you die, you’ll come back at 21. If you die again – a second death – you’ll be two years older (one year per death), and That number will increase rapidly. Before you know it, you are 74 years old and at the end of your journey. The good news is that you will become stronger with each death. The bad news? Your life bar shortens with age.

You can die and come back as long as there are coins on your pendant, and they will eventually disappear with each passing decade. Thankfully, the developer of Slotlap has thrown the player a bone by allowing you to use XP to buy skills, and those skills can last forever if you buy them five times over the life of the game. full. If you can do that, the learned skill will overcome your death – and a full reboot – for Sifu a tough, but rewarding honing system. The game’s skill tree is presented as an actual tree planted where your father died at your wuguan (or training school), which is a nice touch.

The first time I beat the game’s first boss, I was 74 years old and ready to proceed to the next realm (the story takes place in a single day – again, suspend your skepticism) ). As expected, I was quickly stymied, and instead of starting over in the second precinct, a nightclub, at 20, I found myself at 74 with a tiny life bar. That’s where the most punishing aspect of Sifu Rise up: to beat the game you have to go through all five locations and defeat all leg snakes, small bosses, and five “big” bosses on one “life” (chain). Oof. Someone at Slotlap really hates humans.

SifuIts art direction borrows aspects of cel-shading and watercolor, giving it an almost cartoonish look, though it’s well-suited to this type of game and story. Howie Lee’s score combines traditional Chinese music with fast-paced electronic music to create a memorable soundtrack for your many deaths (and hopefully eventual success) in revenge. exactly for your family.

There are a lot of other aspects of the game that I haven’t even explored yet, like level shortcuts and idol rewards, but discovering that is part of the fun. Sifu create. It’s a tough game – I suppose it’s harder than any Soulsborne game I’ve played to date – but I can’t put into words what I felt the first time I beat a boss. . The rush of achievement has been addictive and makes me want to keep going – and it’s fueled my gameplay ever since I first selected “new game” on the main menu. When – and if – you beat Sifu, you will feel mentally invigorated. And that is perhaps its greatest achievement. Like learning any martial art, you will be knocked down; You will feel the pain, but if you pull through, be patient, learn from your mistakes, and continue to grow as a fighter, you will pay off.

This review is based on the PlayStation 5 version of the game. A copy has been provided to us by Slotlap.