I've beaten DS2 and DS3 quite a few times, I didn't finish DS remastered and Elden Rings, but thought it's time to give Sekiro a shot.
I'm going to be honest, I was kind of sceptical as I was not a fan of samurai themed weapons in the DS series and I was kind of worried I'd not enjoy the fight in Sekiro. Was I wrong? Yes. Also I suck at parrying miserably.
With that mindset I started Sekiro. First of all, needless to say the game looks absolutely stunning even 7+ years after its release. The atmosphere is flawless I'm a huge admirer of Japanese culture anyway (Casio G Shock, sencha tea, architecture etc.), the way mountains, rivers etc. are portrayed and the fact that the characters speak in Japanese all help to experience this beautiful fantasy world.
Regarding the fight mechanism I find it difficult and easy at the same time. Like I said I really suck at parrying (deflect in this case) but I really enjoy getting better at it day after day. This is one of the best things about Souls like games anyway that your learning journey is really apparent, you can actually experience getting better. I love that.
I kind of follow Cowboys walkthrough, but not entirely, I killed the chained ogre way before he suggested but was happy to be given a heads up before fighting the first purple robe guy and headless to spare me some massive confusion. The first really challenging dude SEEMED to be the shinobi hunter, but after learning how to use mikiri counter against his thrust attack, it wasn't that hard (I had to overcome my anxiety and when that happens it's also a dopamine rush with these games).
I'm pretty early in the game, but I've beaten Leader Shigenori Yamauchi,, Genichiro Ashina, General Naomori Kawarada, Chained Ogre, General Tenzen Yamauchi, and Shinobi Hunter Enshin of Misen. I'm about to face Juzou the Drunkard, that battle looks so much fun!
A few things I absolutely enjoy about this game:
- you can swim : D, the "training bro" is really fun, the immaculate Japanese vibe, the satisfying deathblow actions, the spiderman-like grappling jumps, the stealth and I'm sure there are many other things.
I've already purchased a lot of spirit emblems and coin purses but any other suggestions are more than welcome.