Chapter 680: Sekiro (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Two days later, Hu Tu finally arrived at Nebula Games' headquarters.

After confirming with the front desk, Hu Tu headed straight to the meeting room.

He was genuinely excited about the upcoming plan.

Upon entering the meeting room, he found it already filled with many people.

Scanning the room, he recognized most of them as core members from Nebula Games' main studios.

Hu Tu was taken aback, yet also thrilled.

As he pondered, the meeting room door opened.

Chen Xu walked in, smiled and nodded at Hu Tu, then proceeded to the main seat and turned on the projector.

A concept art piece was displayed on the screen from the computer.

Under the moonlight, a vast expanse of reeds swayed like snow in the wind. A ninja and a samurai stood facing off, blades drawn within the reeds. The long swords reflected the moonlight and each other’s silhouettes, imbuing the entire scene with a chilling, lethal atmosphere.

At the top of the artwork, two stylized Chinese characters read: "Sekiro."

"Mr. Chen, is your new work based on ninja themes? Is it an infiltration-type game?" Yang Xin asked curiously.

After all, if the protagonist was a ninja, it was natural to assume the game would involve stealth.

"No, it's different from typical ninja-themed games. If I had to describe it, 'ninja' is more of a role than a gameplay focus," Chen Xu replied with a smile.

"More accurately, this game leans toward a Jidaigeki film style, including its Combat System." Chen Xu added, then introduced Hu Tu to the group.

"As for the genre, everyone can take inspiration from Dark Souls and Bloodborne," Chen Xu said with a bright smile.

Hearing this, the group froze momentarily—then were completely stunned.

Dark Souls and Bloodborne!?

So this was...!?

"Don't be too surprised. I'm mainly referring to map design and Plot Design. In Sekiro, both the actions and map scenes will differ significantly."

"Also, to provide players with a smoother, more cinematic sword-fighting experience, this game will not feature a stamina bar," Chen Xu explained, highlighting a key point.

After a brief moment of surprise, the group nodded in understanding—but also felt a vague sense of disappointment.

No stamina bar? Then it sounded like just another standard action game!

Seeing their expressions, Chen Xu remained silent and simply opened the Combat System design document.

…………

Compared to Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Sekiro—also a souls-like game—could be considered the culmination of the genre.

In Dark Souls, ordinary players are encouraged to play defensively, as shields offer the highest payoff. Many players clear the game relying solely on blocking.

Bloodborne discarded shields in favor of Gun Parry using firearms, which increased the game’s pace and raised player risk.

But in Sekiro, everything changes. Players can still block, divided into Regular blocking and perfect parry.

At first glance, it didn't seem special. But the key difference lies in a unique mechanic: Parry Value, or Posture Bar.

Unlike the stamina bar in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, actions like running and attacking in Sekiro are completely Free.

The only constraint is the Posture Bar. Regular blocking greatly increases posture damage, and when it fills, the player breaks hyper armor and enters a flinch/stun state. Perfect parry, however, adds minimal posture damage and won’t cause break hyper armor even when full.

Moreover, BOSSes also have a Posture Bar. When it fills, they become vulnerable to execution.

Regardless of remaining health, the BOSS’s current phase is instantly killed.

Thus, in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, players must carefully manage stamina, often retreating during BOSS battles.

In Sekiro, players don’t need to worry about that. The experience is far more fluid—skilled players can counter every move, going all-out like a Mad Dog in relentless combat.

Another thrilling feature is Sword Clash.

When player and BOSS simultaneously attack, their blades collide with a sharp 'clang'—like steel striking steel in a blacksmith’s forge.

At its core, despite retaining a Turn-Based rhythm, the Posture Bar mechanic truly immerses players in the intensity of blade flashes and clashing steel.

Adding to this is a unique setting: Land of the Dragon's Heritage.

This grants players one revival during combat, reducing difficulty and increasing forgiveness.

Each time a BOSS is executed, players gain a portion of life energy. If stored, this energy allows a second revival.

That means, during a single BOSS battle, players effectively have three lives—making the game remarkably player-friendly.

If an ordinary player were to judge Sekiro without analyzing Level Design or Combat System intricacies,

the most immediate response would be: satisfying.

Sparks flying during Sword Clash, the clang of steel during parries, the intense BOSS battles.

Parrying, clashing, dodge stepping, Mikiri Counter, falling, reviving, and fighting again.

Even death feels exhilarating—full of passion and intensity.

Of course, beyond the core Combat System, the Gameplay Content is equally impressive.

Unlike Bloodborne and Dark Souls, which feature numerous weapons and Classes, Sekiro gives players only one sword: Kusabimaru.

However, the game introduces the Prosthetic Arm.

Shuriken enable ranged attacks against Squishy enemies and can knock airborne foes off balance.

An axe breaks shields, an umbrella blocks powerful attacks, firecrackers restrict enemy movement, and the Flame Vent—exploiting the weakness of hairy, weak to fire enemies—burns through them.

These prosthetic tools can be upgraded, enabling visually stunning operations when combined with the Combat System.

Additionally, players can learn various playstyles and Skills.

The Mortal Blade that severs immortality, Senpou Temple Arts, and Puppeteer Ninjutsu that turns slain enemies into puppets after a Shinobi Execution.

By skillfully using prosthetics and Skills, a 100-point difficulty player experience can drop to around 70.

In terms of Gameplay, while Sekiro lacks the diverse skill point allocation and routine variety of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, it remains deeply brain-burning.

When technique falls short, wisdom must carry the fight.

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