However, Sifu Patch 1.009 rolled out on 3 May and adds both a Student and Master difficulty level. It’s a game that encourages players to try over and over again until they get good or run out of patience. It’s worth mentioning that Sifu’s combat mechanics, death-and-ageing integration, and overall pacing have been criticised as being too challenging as it is deep, and the game feels slightly less approachable in its roguelike progression system. This death system means you will inevitably replay levels to master your virtual Kung Fu skills and stand a better chance at defeating the level’s boss. This is an amazing mechanic that leads to the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. You lose these skills when you die unless you save enough points to permanently unlock them.
Progress earns XP, which you can spend on new moves and abilities. Instead, you can restart the level with the lowest age you finished the previous level with.Īs you age, you come back with slightly less health, and the ability to deal a bit more damage - however, there’s a catch. Resurrection increases the main character’s age by the player’s current number of deaths, up until the age of 70 and above, after which you will not be able to resurrect. Using an ancient artefact, players can resurrect instantly each time they die - but not without a cost, as each time the protagonist dies, you come back older. Instead of death being the end, the game has incorporated it as part of the journey in an incredibly unique way. One of Sifu’s main objectives is for players to experience a sense of training and improvement. The pure satisfaction of delivering a bone-crunching blow to some thug’s face will provide you with hours of entertainment. The game demands careful positioning and clever use of the environment to survive the onslaught.Įach unique environment offers throwable objects, makeshift weapons, windows, and ledges which allow you to improvise and adapt to each situation. The seamless flow of attack and response is addictive and oddly beautiful, while the visceral nature of a punch, kick, or weapon blow lands with a weight that mirrors the brutality that unfolds on-screen.
Sifu‘s incredibly satisfying combat can make you feel like an action-movie hero as you deliver nearly nonstop beatdowns to an endless parade of underworld thugs. The game’s combat system is unique and sets it apart from other titles. You’ll face countless enemies whom you’ll have to battle in hand-to-hand combat. The game will take you through the hidden corners of an unknown Chinese city, from gang-ridden suburbs to the cold hallways of corporate towers. The game will have players take on the role of Sifu, a martial arts student who sets on a path to hunt down the assassins who are responsible for your father’s death. Like many good old-fashioned action movies, games, and comics, Sifu follows a story of revenge. This article merely serves as a reminder that if you skipped Sifu when it launched in mid-February, now is the perfect time to circle back and give the game a well-deserved chance. These games definitely deserve attention, but with such titles gaining so much popularity, other gems like Sifu have taken an undeserved backseat in the eyes of the gaming community. To no fault of its own, much of the gaming community was swept off its feet in the first quarter of 2022 with fantastic offerings that included Horizon Forbidden West and the highly successful Elden Ring. Developed by French studio Sloclap, Sifu is a must-play Kung Fu-style third-person action game that takes place in modern-day China.Īlthough the game was released in February, it seems that the title hasn’t quite got its moment in the spotlight.