During a pre-Tokyo Game Show press event that was hosted by Sony, FromSoftware unveiled a brand new trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice which gives viewers a good look at the game’s impressive traversal and combat mechanics. The trailer also shows off more than a few of the game’s boss enemies, enemies who look like they’ll put up a heck of a fight when challenged.
The trailer’s spoken dialogue and subtitles are in Japanese so it’s not entirely clear what sorts of plot details are being discussed, but the acrobatic traversal mechanics and intense combat encounters are clearly elements that can be appreciated in any language.
Unlike in previous FromSoftware titles such as Dark Souls or Bloodborne, Sekiro players will be able to use both basic (crouch-walking, shimmying across ledges) and advanced (wall kick-ups, grapple swings) traversal techniques to get the drop on their enemies or, if they prefer, avoid confrontation entirely. Of course, when they do eventually find themselves in direct combat, players will be able to use lightning-fast sword combos, grapple-based takedowns, and advanced parry-based counter moves to put their foes down for good.
Given how intimidating some of the trailer’s boss enemies look, it seems reasonable to assume that players will need every combat trick they can muster to bring such adversaries low. The humanoid boss enemy who balances on near-invisible wires and the large swordsman who can apparently create shadow clones of himself look particularly formidable, though that massive yeti who shows up near the end probably won’t be no slouch either.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will launch on March 22, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It will be the first FromSoftware game to be published by Activision, the same mega-publisher behind franchises such as Skylanders, Call of Duty, and Destiny.