No multiplayer in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
GameInformer learned that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will feature no online component.
The launch of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest production by From Software studio, which will be released on PC and concoles on March 22, is approaching. No wonder, then, that more and more details about the game are coming to light. Today we have for you some information about character progression; we also discuss the reasons that made the team led by Hidetaka Miyazaki give up multiplayer mode and all network functions. The source of the revelations is the Game Informer magazine, and more of them are to appear here throughout January.
Multiplayer? Not this time.
Both the Souls series and Bloodborne have a significant multiplayer component. The players can not only help each other by leaving short notes in certain places or cooperate to take down bosses, but also complicate others lives through so-called Invasions (PvP battles) or false hints on the notes. You won’t be seeing any of that stuff in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
As you can read here, the abandonment of the multiplayer component has allowed the developers to be much more creative with location design – they simply do not have to adapt their content to the quirks of multiplayer. This also applies to bosses, which will be created with only one opponent in mind from beginning to end. Moreover, another result of this decision is the implementation of the pause option, the absence of which was one of the difficulties waiting for us in Souls or Bloodborne. However, Yasuhiro Kitao, the company’s marketing and PR specialist, argues that From Software may return to the implementation of the aforementioned functions in the future.
Character progression – a bit of classic RPG with a touch of Zelda
Almost like Tenchu
As a fun fact, it is worth mentioning that Sekiro was initially developed as another part of the iconic Tenchu franchise. With time, however, the project evolved to such an extent that it became its own thing. That’s how a new IP in the portfolio of From Software studio was born.
A much broader issue is character progression mechanic. While Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is described by the creators as an action adventure game, it will also feature RPG elements. Let's start with the fact that the main character, known as The Wolf, will gain experience points for defeating enemies. After accumulating a certain amount of XP, he will receive a skill point, which he will be able to spend on one of the abilities from the skill trees (the action, however, will visits to the so-called Scupltor's Idols, which are equivalent to bonfires or lanterns from developer’s previous titles). Among them we will find both passive skilles and special attacks known as combat arts.
Individual skill trees will be linked to a specific style of play. While samurai abilities will make the protagonist into a typical warrior, the "skills" from the shinobi (a.k.a. ninja) tree focus on dodging enemy attacks and fighting multiple enemies at the same time. The last tree seen by Game Informer's staff was associated with the Wolf’s artificial limb, thanks to which, for example, he will be able to throw multiple shurikens at the same time or chain attacks after a successful hit.
This time the creators put great emphasis on exploration. Let's start with the fact that individual skill trees will have to be unlocked by finding a specific object in the game world. In addition, so-called rosaries are scattered throughout the world – collecting four such items will increase the maximum number of life points of the character. Additionally, as we travel through subsequent locations, we will come across equipment that will allow us to upgrade the aforementioned artificial limb, known upgrades include a shuriken launcher, an axe that can break shields, and even a flame thrower.
The role of the aforementioned elements is not only to add depth to the character progression mechanics, but also to encourage the player to create one versatile hero and not several specialized fighters. It is worth noting that Game Informer also mentions the fact that during the game we will acquire gold (which, unlike in Souls or Bloodborne, we will not lose after death), but they do not reveal its purpose – perhaps we will learn about it in the next batch of game info. There is also the question of death, which, according to Miyazaki himself, will have some "harmful effects", even though the game’s "twice dying" protagonist will be able to rise from the dead (which in turn, can be used for benefit in combat by experienced players.
