Sifu

Practice Till Perfection. Is the motto of the game and it feels so good to do it.

The gameplay loop is so amazing, starting out the game as a young person and everything failure you get older and older, And then you have to start from the beginning, but now you're more experience, You know how the controls work and you can totally dominate every henchman the game throw at you.

The game balance is good. I only wanted to deflect and I could still see the end screen. Game has an adapt difficulty, so you never gonna be too stuck.

Graphics looks good. They didn't have the budget to realistic graphics, so we are having a very nice stylized design that looks wonderful.

It is a very small and short game in reality, but because of the way it has been set up, you're gonna be replaying it so many times, but the stages are fun and the combat is amazing so it's a warm recommendation. What an amazing kung fu game.

I downloaded the game after watching CoryXKenshin playing the game. I was deeply in love with it, already after my friend introduced me to it saying "its a game where you do nothing but beating up people". Not just the mechanics and the epicness, but the story is breathtaking. This game is definitely worth the money.

Every now and then a special type of game comes about that is completely unique from anything else that's come before, and I'd say that Sifu is that type of game.

This is NOT for those looking for a casual game; Sifu has a steep learning curve that only seems to get more difficult the further you go, but it is so satisfying when you start getting the hang of things! On top of the steller gameplay mechanics, the presentation is top notch! The first three out of five levels are all visual treats (the fourth feels a bit of a step down from the latter) and the bosses have striking designs and distinctive (if a little face-value) personalities. It's a shame not more time was spent developing them and your characters' dynamic, but hey, AA budget so not all beggers can be choosers.

There are also plenty of great references to other media, from The Raid, to Oldboy to even John Wick (maybe?). The games plot itself is basically an homage to a classic Kung Fu film. The antagonists are simple, but very distinctive, and the ageing mechanic to signify how revenge takes its tolls on a person's life is masterfully woven into the game.

However, Sifu isn't flawless. A few negatives: Though presentation and gameplay is great, the English dubbing is pretty awful (play with the Chinese Dub). Replay value is stretched a little far to compensate for its short length, and it can get annoying having to replay the same level over and over due to the perma-death mechanic. Music is awesome, but I have this nagging feeling that it could have been even better - something just feels missing about it.

Overall the game isn't perfect, but it is such an outlier in a market full of clones and duds that the ambition alone to create a game like this is truly admirable.

Can't wait to see what sloclap do next! Perhaps a blend of both Sifu and Absolver?

A 3rd-person beat-em-up with roguelike elements mashed in, bringing kung-fu to the forefront and actually succeeding where few have before. The only downside I had with it is the time to beat, since you are engrossed from start to finish and it all just ends abruptly. Although Sifu is a pretty short game, it more than makes up for it with all the masterfully crafted levels.

As gaming has become more mainstream, more people are joining the hobby each day, but a well-made tutorial is a requirement even for seasoned players. Sifu handles its tutorial the correct way; it explains every system and how it works, giving you just enough leeway to figure everything else out on your own.

Now, let's talk about the gameplay, or as they say, the fun part. Sifu throws everything it has at you and challenges you to get the upper hand and ultimately beat it. As you start going through the levels, you'll experience both pain and joy.

Pain comes in the form of dying a whole bunch, but you don't feel like you were cheated. The game telegraphs every attack to an extreme level, so you can never blame the game; only that the NPC was faster. Mastery comes from repetition and constantly striving to improve.

Joy comes from feeling like a badass martial artist as you defeat countless enemies and improve your timing and precision. Normal enemies range from cannon fodder to some even achieving boss-level difficulty. Take, for instance, the Legendary system from Fallout 4, where when you get an enemy to half health, you receive a notification saying blank has mutated and it starts doing more damage and is again at full health. Well, something like that.

The bosses are where these types of games shine, and in Sifu, it does not disappoint. It's becoming more commonplace in games, but every boss has a second phase, with a standout being one named 'The Artist'. Each has its own form of combat that you need to study and ultimately overcome. As much as every boss is cool with their unique moves and style, something that's also a standout is their level design. All of their battles have absolutely breathtaking designs, and some scenes are straight out of movies, which is always a plus.

Since we were discussing level design and overall design, Sifu blends tradition with the new wave and brings something unique, even surpassing some AAA games, which is a feat in itself, but still requires some work to achieve. The levels are masterfully constructed, from every leaf to every large neon sign. It uses visual storytelling as an immersion technique and to engage every player in the long run. The world of Sifu looks beautiful, unique, and, pardon the overused saying, 'lived in'.

Soundtrack and sound design are once again high points. Depending on the circumstance, the music needs to pump up your adrenaline during fights and tense moments and ease up when you're just walking around. Every hit and crack sound crisp, and every weapon has a much-needed 'WHACK' to it. In the moments you get to breathe and calm down, the accompanying soundtrack elevates the immediate surroundings. Music is an integral part of the whole video game experience; bad sound can ruin an experience, while some soundtracks receive as much love as the game itself. An example would be The Witcher. Sifu does not reach such heights, but it is above average for sure.

Lastly, let's touch on the story. Sifu follows the tale of a troubled student out for revenge after his master is killed, and that's as far as I can go without spoiling the story. It's not groundbreaking, nor should it always be. It's a satisfactory story for a solid game. After beating it, you can play it again to get another ending.

With so many new games coming out, whether indie or AAA or anything in between, Sifu delivers satisfying gameplay, hard-hitting music, and beautiful level design. Ultimately, it's a game worth playing!

Sifu translates to Master and is a beat 'em up game developed by French independent video game studio Sloclap and released in association with video game publisher Kepler from London and Singapore. It is available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. This game is set in contemporary China and honours martials arts cinema from the seventies until today. If you appreciate this video game, let me recommend movies such as Five Fingers of Death (1972), The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974), The Master and the Kid (1978), The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984), A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2002), Fearless (2006) and Brotherhood of Blades (2014).

The story revolves around a child whose master and school employees are murdered by five vicious martial artists. As the child grows older, the protagonist trains to confront all five antagonists at different times and in different locations.

This game is convincing for several reasons. First of all, the different characters, locations and weapons have been fleshed out in a way that offers much authenticity, diversity and entertainment. Up next, the combat mechanics are fluid enough to help new genre fans settle in while providing enough possibilities to genre experts to explore new techniques every now and then. The ending also deserves much praise for offering different outcomes and even a reason to play the entire game again from start to finish which offers much replay value.

On the negative side, the combats might end up feeling repetitive despite the different techniques put on display. The game itself is finished rather quickly and leaves dedicated players wanting more. The story itself is as stereotypical as it gets and fails to come around with any noteworthy surprises.

At the end of the day, the game's positive elements outweigh its downsides. Action game enthusiasts should certainly give Sifu a fair chance. Occasional or new fans should perhaps start exploring this genre with side-scrolling action game Trek to Yomi. Experienced gamers should pursue their discovery of the genre with action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima. Gamers should however not neglect watching the aforementioned movies that have aged particularly well. Needless to say that practising martial arts and visiting the countries portrayed in these games and films remain highly interesting perspectives that deserve to be stated strongly.