Master the Art

SIFU is a game that deserves patience, the controller-fu needed to accurately and successfully pull off attack, parry and dodge is fast fingers and spot-on timing. A skill that only comes through plenty of playtimes. That's a good thing though, with only five levels the game would be pretty short if you could get your controller-fu black belt on your first attempt. I would be lying if I didn't immediately say that this game frustrates me. Not even Elden Ring could come close to causing my palms to sweat and my fingers to grip as tight as SIFU did. This game can be brutal from the outset. Let's first go over some of the mechanics of SIFU, created by the brilliant minds over at Sloclap (the development team responsible for the impressive, but often looked over Absolver). The game is a pretty standard story, one of revenge for your slain father. You've grown from a child that was left for dead to a young warrior (male or female) and is now seeking to cut down those who were there during your SIFU's demise. A plot lifted from the pages of countless other games/movies. What sets this game apart is the gameplay. You are not given 'lives' per se, but rather a mystical talisman that upon your death revives you to carry on fighting. The catch. Every time you die you age by a number of years - growing older with less health, but a more powerful attack. For example, if you complete level 1 having only been revived a few times, you could start level 2 at the age of 24. However, unless you restart the game, you will always begin level 2 at 24 - meaning there is a race to not die too early, else you will be beginning the later levels an old person. The first playthrough I had I did pretty well, getting to grips with the immediate controls faster than I expected. Each enemy was initially easy to dispatch and I did so with aplomb, completing the first level with my age only reaching 24. But then things got real, I began to die and regen over and over again and I finished the second level middle aged. I couldn't even complete the third. So I went back and start again, finishing the first at the age of 22 and the second in my 30s. But still couldn't do the third level. Here is where the roguelike element comes in, you can earn points to spend on additional moves or abilities, but these are not persistent until you lock them in by purchasing them a number of times. Meaning the game knows you are going to be doing the first few levels, over and over and over and over again! Kind of a groundhog day of video games. Don't get me wrong, it's fun and learning a new skill can be emboldening, but jeez it can get you angry. I've found that I have begun to play SIFU one run through at a time, just to get a fix really. Would I recommend it? Wholeheartedly... But just be patient. ——— Original ratings: • Visual Design: 9/10 • Sound Design: 8/10 • Gameplay: 8/10 • Longevity: 8/10 • Fun: 8/10