Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gets 21 Minutes of Commentary-Free Gameplay

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is playable for the first time at Gamescom with new gameplay videos now being shared from a demo that attendees could play through.

YouTuber and Dark Souls lore expert VaatiVidya shared his hands-on experience with FromSoftware’s new game in the video above that showcased nearly 22 minutes worth of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gameplay. While he usually covers Dark Souls history and details with commentary explaining the game’s various lore connections and events, this footage of the new game from FromSoftware and Activision is free of personal commentary, a decision he said he made to make sure viewers could hear t he music between the different stages.

The portion of the game that VaatiVidya played is the same as the other demo videos that we’ve seen during Gamescom – you might’ve seen it in IGN’s video that discussed the prosthetic arm and how it’s used. While that gameplay preview featured some discussion with FromSoftware and Activision to explain what was going on, this one lets viewers focus solely on the gameplay.

Another big difference between the two is one that VaatiVidya takes a different route through the level. The prosthetic arm allows for different paths through the game’s environment that’s filled with opportunities to gain a vertical advantage, and with different players getting a hands-on experience, each playthrough is different. VaatiVidya’s opening shows off something that’ll look familiar from the Souls games, an opportunity to drop down to a precarious location in search of extra loot. He also encounters a massive snake skin that’s draped over a tree before using the grappling hook to ascend back up to the main area. The detour also gives an indication of how fall damage will work in the game with Sekiro giving players some leeway when taking jumps while the longer falls will still result in some damage being taken.

More enemy variants are also seen along with the ones that were already showcased before. From massive swords to long spears and eventually a giant ogre, the enemies more than anything will tell you that this game was developed by FromSoftware. Popups throughout the combat reveal how the different mechanics and controls work as well with evasive maneuvers and takedowns rounding out the One-Armed Wolf’s arsenal. The prosthetic tools were also showcased once again, a collection of different armaments that the prosthetic limb can utilize that range from an axe to a flame-spitting weapon.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is scheduled to launch on March 22, 2019.