Summary
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicehas become somewhat of an overshadowed FromSoftware entry withElden Ring’s grand scale taking over much of the discussion surrounding the developer in the last few years. But whileSekiromay not have a gigantic open world to exploreor hundreds of weapons to unlock, it’s still more than worthy of a playthrough.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicefeatures some of FromSoftware’s most innovative systems and designs, many of which unfortunately didn’t make their way over toElden Ring. But there’s still time for FromSoftware to look back and take notes fromSekiroand the game’s unique “Shura” ending should definitely be used as a basis for future FromSoft titles.
Future FromSoftware Games Should Experiment With Sekiro’s Shura Ending
Sekiro’s Shura Ending Explained
In the world ofSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it’s mentioned several times that a person can become a “Shura,” which is essentially a being that completely severs their emotional connection to the world and its inhabitants, and instead only focuses on their obsession for violence, blood, and death. While FromSoftware’s games often revolve around cycles of violence perpetrated by god-like beings and themes of death and rebirth,Sekiro’s Shura endingtakes things a few steps further, putting the players in the role of a Shura.
About halfway throughSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, players will be confronted by The Wolf’s old mentor Owl, who will give the player the choice betweenobeying the Iron Code and abandoning Kuro, or refusing the Iron Code and siding with the young boy. To achieve the Shura ending, players must obey the Iron Code, which leads to two exclusive boss fights, fought one after the other.
Once both bosses have been defeated, a final cutscene plays, showing Wolf stabbing Owl in the back and becoming a Shura, a being now obsessed with the act of killing.
A Mid-Game Ending Offers Unique Opportunities for FromSoftware to Consider
WhileElden Ringfeatures an impressive total of six unique endings, all of them take place following the same final boss fight, with the only variation being the game’s final cutscene. And while these all fit the lore and wider narrative ofElden Ring’s world well, it might be fun to see a bit more variation when it comes to FromSoftware’s next game’s ending, such as an abrupt mid-game finale similar toSekiro’s Shura ending.
One of the biggest benefits of having a mid-game ending likeSekiro’s is that it offers players not only a unique ending cutscene that differs greatly from the game’s other endings but also an exclusive set of unique boss fights. Thetwo exclusive boss fights that come beforeSekiro’s Shura endingare some of the best in the entire game, acting as a natural and rewarding way to encourage replayability, which is especially important in a game likeSekirowhere there are no alternative build options and limited alternate weapons. Having a mid-game ending also opens up more diverse speedrunning options, giving eager players even more ways to beat the game in style.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
WHERE TO PLAY
Carve your own clever path to vengeance in the critically acclaimed adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of the Dark Souls series.In Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice you are the ‘one-armed wolf’, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself.Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore Your Honor. Kill Ingeniously.
