"The perfect plot completion conditions for Sekiro?"
Zhang Yi looked at the content of the post with a little surprise. Regarding whether Sekiro had a hidden ending, Zhang Yi actually had some idea in his mind. That is, there must be a hidden ending.
After all, this was a common practice for Souls-like games. There were always some elements that required players to collect, such as in Bloodborne, where achieving the 'new Great One childhood beginning' ending required obtaining three umbilical cords. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the conditions for unlocking it became even more stringent.
First, one had to ensure that the plot had not yet reached the successful 'Requiem for the Dragon' (ζζ³ͺ β literally 'bowing for tears') phase. Before that, one needed to acquire a book called "Gracious Gift of Tears" in Senpou Temple, then speak with the Young Lord in the inner sanctum of Senpou Temple.
Next, one had to continuously request rice three times to trigger the subsequent plot of wanting persimmons. After that, the rice given to Wolf would change from ordinary rice to rice specifically for Kuro. Taking the rice to Kuro would yield a rice dumpling (η‘δΈΉι₯Ό). Only after eating it and expressing its taste could the subsequent tasks continue.
Obtaining a book titled "Dragon's Homecoming" in Senpou Temple would unlock a new method for dealing with the Power of the Dragon's Heritage. That is, to send the Power of the Dragon's Heritage back to where it came from.
However, before this, both Dried Persimmon and Fresh Persimmon were still needed. This was unlike the previous ordinary persimmons that could be bought from the merchant at Senpou Temple. At least, as Zhang Yi read the contents of the post, he felt that if he hadn't seen a strategy guide, he probably wouldn't have discovered the conditions for achieving this hidden ending even after eight playthroughs.
The method to obtain Dried Persimmon required entering the tunnel in Bodhisattva Valley. Here, one could see a Great Serpent, but charging directly through had a very low success rate. One needed to use Puppeteer Ninjutsu to control a poor monkey as bait and then sneak in. The so-called Fresh Persimmon was actually the heart of the Great Serpent, requiring one to control a kite-flying 'rat' with Puppeteer Ninjutsu in Senpou Temple, then use the kite to travel to the bottom of the canyon to perform a Shinobi Execution on the Great Serpent, acquiring the key item for Dragon's Homecoming: the Frozen Tear.
Finally, after defeating Isshin Ashina, Wolf could bring Kuro to the Young Lord, allowing Kuro and the Young Lord to merge, embarking on the path to Dragon's Homecoming. Of course, in addition to this happy ending, there was also a tragic ending where Wolf transformed into a Shura. Emma, Isshin, Genichiro, Owl, and Kuro β not a single one was left alive, as Wolf became a Shura who knew only slaughter.
As a Souls-like game, it was perfectly normal for each player to have different opinions on the various endings. It could be said that for any Souls-like game, players would stand on the side of a particular ending, expressing their approval. Just as there were those who supported the End the Fire, those who supported the Link the Fire, and those who supported the Lord of Hollows.
When it came to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the first batch of players who completed the game, just like with previous Souls-like games, discussed the game's plot and endings, and what truly constituted the 'true' ending. But this time, some players believed that the Young Lord committing suicide to sever the Power of the Dragon's Heritage was the true ending, others believed that Wolf committing suicide to cut off immortality was consistent with Wolf's character, while others still thought that the grand reunion of Dragon's Homecoming was the true ending, as neither severing immortality nor cutting off the Power of the Dragon's Heritage fundamentally resolved the issue of immortality.
Players who believed in the first two endings felt that endless cycles were the core of Souls-like games. Just like in Bloodborne and Dark Souls, whether it was Link the Fire, End the Fire, or becoming a new Great One, it was, in some sense, still a reincarnation.
Discussions among the three factions of players were very heated, while the Shura ending was largely ignored by many. On one hand, it was emotionally difficult to accept, as Wolf's performance in the Shura ending completely devolved into a killing machine.
Even though Wolf always maintained a stoic expression in the game, he was still far from a Shura who knew nothing but slaughter. On the other hand, before fighting the elder Isshin, one first had to brutally beat up Emma, who was the 'waifu' in many players' hearts.
This was different from previous Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. While one could also attack the Doll and the Fire Keeper in those two titles, it was different in Sekiro. Because this time, the game normally wouldn't let you attack, but the plot required you to attack.
In Dark Souls and Bloodborne, you might feel a little guilty if you attacked them once, but you'd get used to it after doing it repeatedly. Of course, despite this, many players specifically started a second playthrough to experience the Shura ending. As for the reason, it wasn't to complete all the game endings; it was simply because they saw videos of the Shura ending circulating online, and the sight of Sister Emma's grapple execution was just too cool.
Emma, renowned for her 'Soft Blade' (ζε β literally 'soft sword/blade'), it would be a shame not to spar with her, wouldn't it?
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As the conditions for Sekiro's four different endings were revealed by many high-level players and turned into videos and strategy guides, discussions erupted among players on various game communities and forums.
Despite this, many players still grumbled about how incredibly difficult the game was. Some were stuck on Lady Butterfly, some on Genichiro Ashina, some fought the Guardian Ape first and then got stuck on the 'black and white second ape' (Headless Ape) at the Sunken Valley, and others were stuck on Owl (Father) and Isshin. These BOSSes were all part of the main progression, and even though the suffering and masochism of Souls-like games were well-known, many players were still tormented to the point of ecstasy and agony.
After all, the biggest difference from Dark Souls and Bloodborne was that in Sekiro, there were no more 'Sun Knight' fellow players to summon for help. And players whose skills weren't up to par and planned to compensate with grinding, intending to grind for a while in their first playthrough to create a 'well-rounded character' (ζ°΄ζ‘Άε·), also found themselves unable to do so.
Because if you couldn't defeat a BOSS, you couldn't get Prayer Beads, you couldn't get Combat Memories. All you could do was grind for experience to upgrade your skill tree, but this had little to do with your direct combat power. With insufficient skill, these abilities could actually make your BOSS battles more difficult.
However, there was one thing in the game that received unanimous praise from players.
That was the Dragon's Homecoming ending.
As a game designer who habitually created tragic storylines, even though Chen Xu had previously stated on the official Weibo account that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's ending would satisfy players, without actually seeing it, people still felt apprehensive.
Especially since most players, in their first playthrough, experienced Kuro's suicide or Wolf's suicide.
But with the appearance of the Dragon's Homecoming ending, many players breathed a sigh of relief. As a Souls-like game, it was designed with a lot of 'blank space' for players to fill in with their own imagination. It could be said that everyone had their own version of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and different people would have different interpretations.
But at least, as one of the officially designated endings, in the Dragon's Homecoming ending, Emma, Kuro, the Divine Child of Rejuvenation, and Wolf were all alive and had hope for the future.
(End of Chapter)
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