Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Release Date, Gameplay, And What We Know So Far

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was a huge surprise in June when it was revealed on stage at Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference. A From Software Game? Set in 1500s Sengoku Japan? Without "Souls" in the title? Despite the surprises, Sekiro appears to similar to From's previous work in a number of ways.

It's a third-person action-adventure RPG, for a start, with a similar combat system to the company's portfolio that includes hit games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Shadows Die Twice adds a few new features to the fan-favorite formula, the most notable of which is the ability resurrect yourself after death. This ability will be limited, so you can't just keep resurrecting forever, however it can also be used to your advantage. Allow yourself to be killed and enemies will walk away, pleased with their success, opening themselves up for you to come back to life and stab them in the back.

Sword combat has received a few changes by incorporating both Prosthetic Tools, such as the Grappling Hook, and special Sword Arts to supplement regular attacks. Stealth will also play a part, with the player able to skulk around quietly and perform lethal sneak attacks. Without further ado, then, let's get into everything we know about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Release Date And Collector's Edition

Activision announced Sekiro's release date for PS4, Xbox One, and PC at Gamescom in August 2018. The game will launch on March 22, 2019, accompanied by the release of a collector's edition. That special version comes with the full game, a steelbook case, a 7" shinobi statue, art book, physical map, digital soundtrack, and replica game coins.

Does Sekiro Have Multiplayer?

From's recent games have included a form of multiplayer in which other players can join your game and help or hinder your progress. Sekiro, on the other hand, will not include any way of interacting with other players.

"This title is designed, from the beginning, to be a single-player experience," From Software's Yasuhiro Kitao said at E3. "As a part of that, one of the focuses of the game is, instead of having a choice between various classes from the beginning, you must play as a ninja. As a result, [the team] has really been able to focus in on what those mechanics are and make them as deep as possible."

When GameSpot asked if this means there is no multiplayer of any kind in Shadows Die Twice, Kitao was unequivocal in his answer. "Yes. No online components."

Does Sekiro Have Difficulty Options? Will It Be As Hard As Dark Souls?

Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne are famed for their difficulty, with ultra-hard bosses and infrequent checkpoints providing a tough challenge for players. This led to some players asking for From's games to include difficulty options, but the developer has declined that particular request for Sekiro.

"We don't want to include a difficulty selection because we want to bring everyone to the same level of discussion and the same level of enjoyment," director hidetaka Miyazaki told GameSpot earlier this year. "So we want everyone … to first face that challenge and to overcome it in some way that suits them as a player."

The creator continued: "We want everyone to feel that sense of accomplishment. We want everyone to feel elated and to join that discussion on the same level. We feel if there's different difficulties, that's going to segment and fragment the user base. People will have different experiences based on that [differing difficulty level]. This is something we take to heart when we design games. It's been the same way for previous titles and it's very much the same with Sekiro."

Finally, Miyazaki said Sekiro is "probably even more challenging than previous From games." This is gonna be a tough one.

Where Does Sekiro Fit In With Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, And Bloodborne?

Despite the similarities between Sekiro and From's previous games, the developer insists this is an entirely separate entity. "Sekiro was not designed as an evolution of Soulsborne, of the Souls series," series creator and Sekiro director Hidetaka Miyazaki told GameSpot. "It was designed from the ground up, from scratch, as an entirely new concept, as a new game. So we don't know if you'd call this an evolution of the series in this sense."

The director continued: "Of course with Sekiro, we don't intend to disappoint or turn away fans of previous From Software games, that core fan base. We want to keep the challenge. We want to keep that core experience very much intact for those people."

Where Can I Pre-Order Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice?

Pre-orders for Sekiro are now live in a bunch of different outlets. Check out our full US pre-order guide for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for the rundown, including details on that collector's edition.