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SIFU Preview (IGN)

Bartski

Gold Member


also:


By Imran Khan:

1. Sifu is More Like Sekiro than You Might Think​

Any good martial arts yarn is going to be about the battle of wills expressed through a physical altercation and Sifu is no exception. Enemies have a stance bar that must be broken before the player character can finish them off with a quick kill, but you also have your own stance bar, so you can’t just sit there and guard without being aggressive or parrying the entire time. A mixture of good offense and defense is pretty much required.

2. Sifu is a Martial Arts Movie Come to Life​

It won’t come as a galloping shock to anyone, but Sifu is heavily inspired by martial arts movies of old. The game carries that inspiration into its level design, which is aiming to evoke specific scenes that struck a chord with the developers. In one example, the player character busts through a door into a hallway that is filled to the brim with enemy combatants. Anyone who has seen the movie Oldboy will instantly realize the scene Sifu is affectionately trying to invoke — a faithfulness that extends to the camera shifting to the side perspective for the remainder of the fight.

Sifu_September21_Screenshot01-1024x547.jpg


3. Sorry Durability Haters, Weapons in Sifu Break​

Your fists are a powerful weapon, but weapons make for even more powerful weapons. The player character can disarm opponents, pick up their weapons like machetes or blackjacks, and turn the tide of battle entirely in your favor. But just because you got a good weapon doesn’t mean you’re set for the entire level. As part of the game’s balance, different items have different durability values, so you want to make a mental note of everything that’s within reach when you enter a room.

4. Paths Open Up and Change on Different Runs​

While Sloclap did not want to get too far into the “run-based” nature of the game, they did let slip that there are differences that can happen on further runs. While it’s exceedingly unlikely a player can beat the game on their first go-round, they can discover information that gets added to what’s currently being called the Detective Board. When you gain some new information, like an alternate route or knowledge of where some enemies hide, you can then access that route and find whatever’s there your next time through. These might be shortcuts or enemies with even more information to lead you to something bigger.

5. Learn New Information Through Intimidation​

One day you get information is by interrogating enemies that are begging off from the fight. An efficient fight — one that avoids damage and quick-kills most of the enemies — will sometimes intimidate the last enemy in the room to back off and beg for mercy. In exchange for said mercy, this enemy will offer you information that might be helpful on future runs, and saves you the trouble of finishing one last enemy off.

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6. They’re Not All That Cowardly​

However, sometimes that last enemy is less intimidated and more angry. Sometimes enemies go into berserker modes after you’ve made quick work of their friends. In this mode, the final enemy in an area will get stronger and add new moves to their repertoire, effectively turning them into minibosses. At this point, your goal is less getting information and more overcoming this obstacle. This is semi-random, though it’s not clear what factors play into making it happen.

7. There’s a Number of Fantastical Elements to Sifu

While there’s a lot of old-school martial arts fight-through-the-street grounding in Sifu, the game also as its fair share of mystical elements as well. The game is set in contemporary urban China, but more magical elements start making themselves known as you proceed through the game. Unfortunately, Sloclap did not show off specifically what they mean, but they did talk in some generalities.

8. There’s Five Levels, Each Based Off One of the Five Chinese Elements​

The five elements concept is used in a number of different fields and phenomena in China and they make the basis of Sifu’s levels. These elements — Wood, Water, Fire, Metal, and Earth — are the foundational themes and make themselves apparent in subtle and obvious ways as you play through.

Sifu_September21_Screenshot03-1024x579.jpg


9. You Can Get Too Old​

As you proceed through Sifu, you will lose and return as a stronger, wiser warrior who has spent years training before returning to their revenge quest. At some point, though, you will be too old to continue, and will essentially get a game over. Sloclap wouldn’t detail how, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start the whole journey over, but that option is available for players that want it.

10. There’s a Skill Tree, but Permanence Takes Work​

Over the course of the game, you’ll earn a number of skills that make you a more competent fighter. However, if you don’t practice enough with them, then they won’t survive a game over. If you do train and use skills to their fullest, they’ll become permanent upgrades that will stay with you through a new cycle as well.

11. Both PS4 and PS5 Will Be 60 Frames Per Second​

Because of how important the parrying accuracy is in the game, both PS4 and PS5 are going to hit 60 FPS. The PS5 version will also be 4K.

12. Sometimes Enemies Parry You​

You’re not the only martial artist that knows how to parry. If an enemy parries you and tries to quick kill your character, your only option is to try and parry them again, leading to an exchange of parries until one of you messes up. Better be on top of your game!

Sifu will be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC on February 22, 2022.
 
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Bartski

Gold Member
I think it looks crazy good and I'd definitely preorder it if it wasn't coming out 2 days after Horizon. Gonna wait a bit but not too long.
 

Represent.

Represent(ative) of bad opinions
That release date is a death sentence. Should be releasing like right now in the shit days of summer.

ALSO... I'd be WAYYYYY more hyped for this game if it took more inspiration from THE RAID. More brutal, darker art style, violent as fuck, grittier.

Because that combat looks downright awesome.. Just missing some brutality to take it to the next level, imo
 

Concern

Member
This is honestly what I'm mostly excited about on the Ps5 but its seems its just a timed exclusive.

No mention of Batman style combat tho. There was a thread claiming it was like the Batman games. Either way it sounds good to me.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Looks appealing for a beat em up in a similar vein of the Batman Arkham games, Shadow of Mordor and Matrix: Path of Neo. It's basically the same gameplay system. It will probably have a nice rhythm to it.

But the issue for PC people like me is it being limited to the Epic store which I won't ever support so you are yet again looking at a game that won't see the light of day until 2023 on PC. Which by then I probably won't even care and will only pick it up when it goes on sale. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
I'm very interested, but I simply would have to play it to know if it's good. This kind of game really requires a demo, especially after this team's last game looking great but just never feeling great to me when I played it.

Also, the game is pricier than you may expect. That is unfortunate given that it sounds like yet another roguelike.
 

kanjobazooie

Mouse Ball Fetishist
This is giving me PS1 Jackie Chan vibes (not because the characters and setting are Asian).
Could be fun, but if they're going with freeflow combat then I hope they can nail it and make it satisfying. Punches need to hit hard like in Arkham.

No mention of Batman style combat tho. There was a thread claiming it was like the Batman games.
1:15
 
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First thing that sticks out immediately is the kick animations..I dont like any of them.

I also just realized that this is a little too 'wing chunny' for me. Some slick moments, but not very gratifying for a game where you're avenging the death of your family.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
It's a arcade roguelike brawler with 5 levels(maybe randomly generated?). I'm assuming you start out as crap and once you get all your skills you are super amazing. Grindy and tedious it sounds like the more I think about what we know.

Risk of Rain vibes maybe?
 

Concern

Member
This is giving me PS1 Jackie Chan vibes (not because the characters and setting are Asian).
Could be fun, but if they're going with freeflow combat then I hope they can nail it and make it satisfying. Punches need to hit hard like in Arkham.


1:15


Thanks. Didn't watch it initially because im at work. Honestly I've been dying for a new game similar to Rise to Honor on Ps2, the jet li game. Combat was so bad ass in that.
 

Kuranghi

Member
No mention of Batman style combat tho. There was a thread claiming it was like the Batman games. Either way it sounds good to me.

That person was dipping their doobies in angel dust, it a combo based game where you mostly hit one person at once, not jump back and forth between enemies in a rhythm.

To me, even Spiderman, Mad Max & Shadow of Morwardor don't really have "Batman combat" even if they are the closest to it, because you really need to focus on one enemy to take them out efficiently in those games. If you bounce between it will take ages to take them all out. Whereas in Arkham games you can focus on one at a time but building the combo and getting to the "freeflow" state where your speed picks up substantially and then using finishers in between the fast bouncing between enemies is generally the fastest (and funnest imo, but ymmv) way to take everyone down.

You can sort of do that in Spiderman but I still think its faster to do a few hits and then use a power or swing kick or whatever to put them out of the fight, its something I missed in Spiderman vs. the Arkham games, it didnt give me that acrobatic flying back and forth feeling as well as Batman, which seems mad given how acrobatic Spiderman is.

I can see why people hate the batman way as well since batman looks a bit silly when it gets really fast.

Did you like it? Batman freeflow combat I mean.
 
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Kuranghi

Member
This is giving me PS1 Jackie Chan vibes (not because the characters and setting are Asian).
Could be fun, but if they're going with freeflow combat then I hope they can nail it and make it satisfying. Punches need to hit hard like in Arkham.


1:15


I'd say its more like Mad Max or Shadow of MorWardor, its about commiting to an enemy and building up speed/wearing their poise down. Batman has that but I associate the pinging back and forth specifically with Batman and I doubt such a system is in this game.
 

Concern

Member
That person was dipping their doobies in angel dust, it a combo based game where you mostly hit one person at once, not jump back and forth between enemies in a rhythm.

To me, even Spiderman, Mad Max & Shadow of Morwardor don't really have "Batman combat" even if they are the closest to it, because you really need to focus on one enemy to take them out efficiently in those games. If you bounce between it will take ages to take them all out. Whereas in Arkham games you can focus on one at a time but building the combo and getting to the "freeflow" state where your speed picks up substantially and then using finishers in between the fast bouncing between enemies is generally the fastest (and funnest imo, but ymmv) way to take everyone down.

You can sort of do that in Spiderman but I still think its faster to do a few hits and then use a power or swing kick or whatever to put them out of the fight, its something I missed in Spiderman vs. the Arkham games, it didnt give me that acrobatic flying back and forth feeling as well as Batman, which seems mad given how acrobatic Spiderman is.

I can see why people hate the batman way as well since batman looks a bit silly when it gets really fast.

Did you like it? Batman freeflow combat I mean.


Yea I liked it and that wouldn't deter me from this either way. It didn't bother me in Spider-Man or Shadow of mordor either. I really dig this setting too so it'll take much more to sway me from trying this.
 

kanjobazooie

Mouse Ball Fetishist
I'd say its more like Mad Max or Shadow of MorWardor, its about commiting to an enemy and building up speed/wearing their poise down. Batman has that but I associate the pinging back and forth specifically with Batman and I doubt such a system is in this game.
Sifu seems to have the back and forth thing (at 4:00), but it does look very minimal and not as crucial as Arkham. I get your point.

The guy in the video also named Sleeping Dogs. Didn't play that one so I don't know if it's a better comparison than Arkham.
 
Sifu seems to have the back and forth thing (at 4:00), but it does look very minimal and not as crucial as Arkham. I get your point.

The guy in the video also named Sleeping Dogs. Didn't play that one so I don't know if it's a better comparison than Arkham.
They're all incredibly similar, with slight variations. Just really describes the soft lock on, tracking to your opponent positioning, emphasis on counters.
 

Kuranghi

Member
Yea I liked it and that wouldn't deter me from this either way. It didn't bother me in Spider-Man or Shadow of mordor either. I really dig this setting too so it'll take much more to sway me from trying this.

I'm really excited for this one too mate, looks great, sounds great, moves great and the combat looks satisfying but not overly complicated. I go wackadoo for nice physics simulations (hence my love for the AK batmobile lol) too so thats a big draw here, can't wait to biff some baddies straight through an ikea shelving unit. I am become destroyer of KALLAX & BILLY.
 

reksveks

Member
I'm very interested, but I simply would have to play it to know if it's good. This kind of game really requires a demo, especially after this team's last game looking great but just never feeling great to me when I played it.

Also, the game is pricier than you may expect. That is unfortunate given that it sounds like yet another roguelike.
Feel like I have missed the price
 
Feel like I have missed the price
I saw a deluxe edition on PSN for $50 I think. So not sure what it will cost for a standard edition. Maybe $40?

This team's last game was $20-30 if I'm not mistaken, and it wasn't a roguelike from the little bit I played.
 
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Kuranghi

Member
I didnt know this was a red-like until this preview, I should have realised with the "getting older when you die" part. I'm not usually attracted to claret-likes but I'm still intrigued here since it sounds like the "building up knowledge" part of it is less about being cautious/trial and error which is right up my alley.
 

reksveks

Member
I saw a deluxe edition on PSN for $50 I think. So not sure what it will cost for a standard edition. Maybe $40?

This team's last game was $20-30 if I'm not mistaken, and it wasn't a roguelike from the little bit I played.
Yeah, probably 10 usd too expensive. Death's Door was 14.22gbp with my pre order discount.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


We had an off hands preview for Sifu and break down everything you need to know about the upcoming combat game and everything it has to offer from developer Sloclap. Sifu comes out on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, and PC on February 22.

Martial arts action game Sifu is going to test your kung fu skills. In fact, that's the point--developer Sloclap wants Sifu to center on the meaning of kung fu, and the feeling of learning and mastery through practice. Though the game isn't a roguelike, with its levels and encounters hand-crafted, it is a game in which you'll be running through levels over and over again, trying to bring what you learned in your past attempts at gaining your revenge to become a more efficient fighter.

We got a pretty extensive hands-off look at Sifu, in which we learned quite a bit about how the game works and what combat will be like when players actually get their hands on it. The game is all about fighting groups of enemies, where you'll need to rely on combos, blocking, parrying, and smart use of your environment to stay alive and get the upper hand. Improvisation and adaptation are key--but you're still probably going to lose quite a bit.

In Sifu, you play a kung fu student whose family has been murdered, and you set out to take your revenge on the five kung fu bosses responsible. Thanks to a special amulet, if you fall in battle, you don't die--instead, years are taken off your life, causing you to age. We didn't see the aging mechanic in action, but Sloclap co-founder and CEO Pierre Tarno explained a lot about how it'll work, as well as what we can expect from combat, how you'll unlock new moves, and what you can expect as you seek your revenge and discover what it'll cost you. The footage shown is from the previously released Sifu trailers, and any gameplay shown is from a work in progress build.
 
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