
"Absolver was very much focused on 1v1 PvP combat," explains Tarno. For one thing, Sifu is a single-player experience, which has radically altered the pace and dynamics of its combat flow and structure, challenging Sloclap with the task of creating enemy AI that gives as good as it gets. But hopefully, by the time you reach the end of the game, you will have become a kung fu master."Īnyone who's played Sloclap's previous fighting game, Absolver, will have a good understanding of the satisfying pulpiness of Sifu's pugilism, though Tarno is keen to stress that its latest title offers several distinguishing factors to its experimental online-RPG.

When you start Sifu, your character is a young kung fu student. Tarno elaborates: "If the game were too easy, if we gave that fantasy right away to players, that feeling of practice and mastery would not really be felt. And so as your character ages, the question is how far will you age? Will you be able to complete your vengeance before it's too late? And, obviously, what is the cost of your vengeance? Because the more you die, the older you are, and so the less life you have after you've sought that vengeance." And this is really an important theme of the game, because we want players to feel like they've learned kung fu as they've played the game and actually gain this mastery throughout their progression. "Kung fu literally means mastery through practice. In this way, says Tarno, Sifu is "like all good revenge stories, in that nothing is ever black and white." Thus, while Tarno cites classic Jackie Chan movies as a key inspiration for Sifu's combat mechanics – wherein players are encouraged to improvise their combat flow through creative use of the environment – the game's story is much darker in tone, often questioning your character's status as the hero of the adventure. That pendant is both a blessing and a curse for your customisable character in Sifu, allowing you to gain mastery of your abilities as a fighter by learning through error, yet also having to reckon with the heavy price of cheating death. With over 1 million copies sold by the end of March 2022, it is easy to see why this classic revenge story with added supernatural abilities is so enticing to gamers.From Fall Guys to Valheim, how indie games are showing the AAA market what it takes to become mega hits You can only beat it by mastering the combat system and carefully deciding your next move. The game offers a rewarding experience to players. The creator of this ancient martial art style is said to be one of the “Five Elders” in Chinese folklore from the Shaolin Monastery. Much of the combat experience mirrors the Bak Mei used in his movies. Jackie Chan in "The Fearless Hyena" (1979)įans of Jackie Chan’s movies will find this game most exciting.

“Elden Ring” also has its own exclusive combat system and no other DLC, microtransactions or battle passes after your initial purchase. I would compare “Sifu”’s gravitating qualities to other popular games like “Elden Ring.” In addition, “Sifu” is seen as a “complete” game, as there is no downloadable content or glitchy mechanics. They didn’t want to spend the time developing the framework needed for online games. Sloclap’s development team recently decided to focus more on single player gameplay. Unlike “Absolver,” “Sifu” is strictly single player. “Sifu”’s style is most comparable to its predecessor, “Absolver,” which was also created by Sloclap studios in 2017.

This allows players to beat the game in more ways than one.Īnother feature that makes each playthrough unique is the use of the environment as weapons, such as bow staffs, bags of money, bricks, etc. However, you aren’t required to unlock the entire skill tree in order to beat the game. Logically you’ve grown too old to complete them. If you continuously die within the game some moves can no longer be unlocked. The skill tree incorporated in the game is what makes the game feel so rewarding.Īs you get older the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” becomes a legitimate threat to your success. There are a few specific features of the game that make it great. You also age more from dying carelessly.Īs the game goes on, you’re able to increase your combat abilities and combos become significantly smoother. With each death, you become stronger but at the cost of a smaller health meter. The game features an innovative hand-to-hand combat system and has lots of replay value.
