Its five levels can be completed in just a handful of hours, even right from the first time you start a new save file. On paper, Sifu is actually a very short game. Sloclap finds this really nice balance where the enemies are just predictable enough where you can learn to recognize certain combos coming your way and plan a defense off that first hit, but there’s also just enough variation in their attack patterns where you could be caught off guard if you lose focus. They do not just hang around and wait their turn – they will leap in with Superman punches, attempt to surround you, toss bottles from across the room, leap over bar counters and smash you with an axe kick, and just generally put up a very tough fight across all the levels. It’s great that the enemy AI in Sifu is aggressive enough to really force you to master these deep defensive mechanics. Parries are great because they will stop an opponent’s combo dead in its tracks and open them up for a counter attack or throw, but they require super precise timing, especially on the highly damaging power attacks that most bosses like to employ. And finally, you can attempt to parry an attack by tapping the block button right when it’s about to hit. Swaying is ideal for when you know an attack is the last hit of a combo, as it gives you an opportunity to counterattack and even opens the opponent up for a directional throw, but also comes with the risk of mistiming it or choosing the wrong direction. To avoid that, you can hold down the block button and move the stick up or down to sway out of the way of either high or low attacks. If you block too many hits the structure meter will break and you’ll be in for a bad time. Much like in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there’s a “structure meter” that governs the guards of both you and your enemies.

That’s just talking on a purely surface level mechanically, it’s just as impressive.īut more than anything, it’s the defensive options that really make Sifu sing. I can’t say enough good things about how smooth the animation is, how every hit lands with bone-crunching impact (which is wonderfully emphasized by the DualSense controller’s haptics if you’re playing on PlayStation 5) and how every single counter looks natural no matter what angle an attack comes from or what type of strike is thrown. The camera does sometimes get squished in the corner and makes it hard to see what’s coming, but apart from that it’s hard to find many faults. Sifu’s martial arts combat is among the best I’ve ever played, plain and simple. Plus, the way new information is added to a detective board that shows how everything is connected is a nice touch. I found myself uniquely motivated to seek out each of them, not only because of the additional lore and context about the main character’s quest for vengeance that they provided, but also because finding one could potentially unlock doors in previous levels that would lead to entirely new sections.

You begin with very little information about your targets, but over the course of the campaign you start to piece together who they are and what they’re all about by collecting clues and evidence throughout each level. It’s a very simple premise but it’s executed wonderfully.

Sifu steam