Game Maker: Starting by Healing the Players

Looking at the combat system design in front of them, everyone in the conference room was a bit stunned.

Hector exchanged glances with old timers like Marcus, Anna, and Rachel.

They saw it, they really saw it!

What does it matter that it's about ninjas and samurai, or sword and shield style, or Sakura Dragon and immortal power!

The truly important key element is that this is a genuine Souls-like game!

Thinking back to what Lucas said at the beginning of the meeting, everyone was speechless.

"Boss Lucas, bringing a Sekiro after the BioShock series... we feel like players might not handle it well!" Marcus couldn't help but say.

Lucas smiled, "Why not? Didn't you notice that this installment is very different from previous Souls-like games? In past Souls-like games, players only had one life, but in Sekiro, there are two lives. You can revive with half health after dying."

What nonsense!

Anna, Rachel, and the others were speechless.

"Don't look at me like that, everyone. Don't worry about the difficulty. I'll adjust it as needed later," Lucas said, looking at everyone.

If the difficulty was too high, it would be lowered. Of course, if the difficulty didn't meet Lucas's expectations, it would definitely be raised.

After all, so many years have passed. Bringing players another Souls game, they can't be disappointed.

"Also, I'll tell you about the map next. The map in 'Sekiro' this time will also be a little different from before. After I finish, you'll understand why I said the difficulty looks relatively low," Lucas said with a smile, looking at everyone and continuing.

Dark Souls and Bloodborne are also known for their level design. This level design isn't just about the malice of the enemies within the levels.

It's more about controlling the player's action planning and rhythm.

For example, mechanisms, monsters, and shortcuts.

It can be said that Souls-like games lean more towards exploration, which is also thanks to good level design.

And in the map design of 'Sekiro,' it's a bit different.

Because the biggest feature is that the protagonist in the game, Sekiro, can jump, and even double jump. Combined with the grappling hook,

it makes Sekiro's map three-dimensional. While giving players more mobility, it's replaced by greater freedom.

Just like in Dark Souls' prequel, where players are in Firelink Shrine, the central hub, and can go to The Catacombs, Lower Undead Burg, and Undead Burg.

In 'Sekiro,' it goes a step further. After the player arrives at Ashina Castle through the story, they will go to three different places: the Divine Dragon's Home, Senpo Temple, and the Mibu Village.

But where to go here, the player can make their choice.

At the same time, 'Sekiro' has a rather clever aspect in its resource utilization.

Taking Ashina Castle as an example, from escaping from the bottom of the valley at night with Kuro, to being severed of his left arm by Genichiro and going to Ashina Castle to find Kuro, and then the Interior Ministry invading Ashina Castle and it falling into war, and Ashina Castle falling after Isshin Ashina's death.

In different time periods, although it's still Ashina Castle, the distribution of enemies, monsters encountered, and routes will change subtly.

Even though it's the same map scene, the environment undergoes different changes, and new monsters won't make players feel repetitive. Instead, it will deepen their understanding of the map.

Besides, the addition of double jumps in the game also gives players more freedom. As long as they are familiar with the map, they can perfectly reach places that are normally inaccessible, or better perform parkour.

Of course, besides these, the monster design in the game is also excellent.

Compared to Dark Souls and Bloodborne, where most monsters are irrational.

Most of the monsters in 'Sekiro' are humanoid, which means they can call for reinforcements.

In this situation, confronting them head-on would be extremely difficult. Players need to use their brains to investigate the surrounding terrain, use stealth assassination execution skills like Puppet Technique, Blood Smoke Art, or use auxiliary items like the Mist Raven Sugar to assassinate the smaller enemies one by one, and then deal with the BOSS.

One of the most classic parts is the fat bandit Snake-Eyes Shirafuji that players encounter before Hirata Estate three years ago.

If you rush in without paying attention, then the two shield bearers, along with the archer and torchbearer, will definitely teach you a lesson.

But if you assassinate them slowly, you can even sneakily assassinate an elite enemy, one health bar, which greatly reduces the difficulty of the fight.

...

Listening to Lucas's words, everyone showed surprised expressions.

Because from the introduction, it seems that this Souls-like game, 'Sekiro,' is really quite friendly to players this time.

With two lives, most monsters can be bypassed, and there's even the assassination function.

Did Boss Lucas really compromise on difficulty?

Sitting in his seat, Lucas smiled slightly as he looked at the expressions of everyone present.

Compromise?

No way!

It's full of ways to bypass challenges and incredibly user-friendly map design.

But don't overlook one point.

That is, Sekiro's combat system is completely different from Bloodborne and Dark Souls.

With the addition of the posture bar concept, the combat system has undergone earth-shattering changes.

It can be said that in Sekiro's combat, defeating bosses is no longer about chipping away at their health bar one hit at a time, but about finding ways to fill up their posture bar.

Of course, it doesn't mean you can't chip away at their health. It's just that in Sekiro, chipping away at health actually means more difficulty, like trying to fight a BOSS in Bloodborne with a broken wooden shield.

So in Sekiro, the simplest way for players to defeat bosses is to learn how to use the dodge and parry mechanics.

Furthermore, unlike Dark Souls and Bloodborne where you can get help from good brothers or grind souls to increase stats until you can become an unkillable tank,

Sekiro has no online co-op feature, so no glorious Sun Knights are going to appear.

Also, although you can learn skills in the game, they are not crucial.

As for health, healing gourds, and combat memories that increase attack power.

In addition to a small number that can be collected from corners of the map, most of them need to be obtained by defeating bosses and elite enemies.

So, if players only focus on bypassing content and don't fight some elite enemies when they encounter them, they will fall into a vicious cycle.

No gourds and no health.

Furthermore, in the game's main story, players will encounter two teachers.

One is Lady Butterfly, a teacher who is more lenient with her students; after mastering the stepping dodge, she'll turn a blind eye.

The other is Genichiro, a stricter teacher; if you fail any of his lessons in dodging, parrying, reading attacks, or blocking, don't expect to pass. You'll definitely be held back.

(End of this chapter)

---

Read +100 advanced chapters on my patre*n

patr eon.com/GustinaKamiya

---

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!