A Sekiro Easy Mode is on the way. Yes, it’s true. In an effort to curb the countless deaths and wrecked controllers as a result of the game’s punishing difficulty, developer From Software has seen fit to introduce a number of hand-holding changes that’ll turn Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice from an irritating game into a title that players can actually enjoy.
Among the most eye-catching changes in the Easy Mode, which is called “You Only Die Twice” in-game, is that dying more than once in a single area will lead to the game taking the reins for you. Instead of you controlling the One-Armed Wolf, a being in green dungarees, known only as Gitgu’d, will drop from the heavens and complete the level for you.
Elsewhere, a New Game Minus mode is being implemented. Upon completing the game, or letting the game do it for you, you’ll be whisked away to another run-through, though it’ll be easier than ever before in a few crucial aspects. Not only will the game immediately end at the tutorial section (with the son of Owl having rescued his Master and going for a leisurely stroll through Feudal Japan) but you can also politely ask your foes to commit seppuku with a press of the Y/Triangle button (F on PC).
Away from the Easy Mode changes, the vanilla Sekiro will also be getting microtransactions, with one Gourd Seed clocking in at $11.99, four prayer beads setting you back $9.99, and one Memory costing $8.99 or $14.99 for two.
So, what else is included in the hotly-anticipated Sekiro Easy Mode? A changelog has been released, outlining what to expect when the difficulty tweaks land later on April 1, which you can read in full below:
The following bosses have been removed from the game:
- All mini-bosses, except Chained Ogre
- Corrupted Monk
- Folding Screen Monkeys
- Genichiro Ashina
- Guardian Ape
- Gyouba Oniwa
- Headless Ape
- Lady Butterfly
- Owl
The last remaining boss, Chained Ogre, will remain chained.
Unseen Aid has now been replaced by a giant arrow pointing you towards the next area. It is always active.
Auto-attack, auto-dodge, auto-parry, auto-swing, and auto-win have been turned on by default.
One-Armed Wolf will have Infinite Posture. He’s been practicing yoga.
The Giant Snake stealth section has been replaced by a rhythm sequence consisting of two button presses.
You can loot enemies by walking over their corpses. Like a normal game.
Sekiro Soulslikes
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and the Best of the Soulslikes
It's always exciting to see a new genre emerge. You get that original hit game, the follow-ups and the attempts by other developers to recapture the magic. With the release of Sekiro, let's look back at the landscape of Souslikes so far. -
Demon's Souls
The original that kicked it all off (unless you count King's Field), Demon's Souls went under the radar on the PlayStation 3. Originally, gamers didn't know what to make of it, but anyone who stuck with it got an amazing experience that was unlike anything on the market. -
Dark Souls
By the time a new generation rolled around, From Software had moved from demons to darkness. The Dark Souls trilogy cemented the genre tropes, proving to achieve the popularity that their previous title had only hinted at. Far more than a cult success, these games proved to be influential even outside the genre. -
Bloodborne
Once things started taking off, original Demon's Souls publisher Sony had to get back in the action. Teaming with From, the result was Bloodborne. Taking things was from medieval castles and including firearms for the first time, this was the first hint that this formula was flexible. -
Lords of the Fallen
Developed by Deck13 Interactive and CI Games, Lords of the Fallen takes things in a more Norse direction. Using hammers and axes, you must fight towering gods and demons. After this game's success, the two developers split, with CI working on an upcoming sequel to this Viking Soulslike. -
Nioh
Team Ninja tried their hands at Souslikes with Nioh, a game where you control an Irish Samurai and fight yokai. The game was announced back in 2004 as Oni and changed hands multiple times before release. Originally another PlayStation 4 exclusive for the genre, the game has since come to PC with all its DLC bundled in. -
The Surge
Deck13 took what they learned from Lords of the Fallen and took the Soulslike genre into the future. The Surge has you stomping around in a mech suit fighting uncontrollable robots. Once you destroy an enemy, you can scrap their parts and convert them into weapons for you to use. A sequel is currently set to release in 2o19. -
Ashen
Developed by A44, Ashen puts players into a world without light. Each character is a muted faceless person, adding to the downtrodden vibe of the entire experience. While combat is inspired by Dark Souls, the game also features open-world exploration and novel passive multiplayer encounters. -
Immortal: Unchained
Going even more Norse than Lords of the Fallen, Immortal: Unchained finds you battling the monsters of Ragnarok. Instead of swords and spears, your character uses a mix of technologically advanced firearms to take down each and every mysterious foe. More fast-paced than other soulslikes, you'll need to duck and weave to stay alive. -
Death's Gambit
Pitched as a merger of Souslike and Castlevania, Death's Gambit is also one of the first games to take these concepts into the second dimension. You can choose from seven playable classes as you seek immortality in this labyrinth of death. -
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
What if you didn't have to explore a Soulslike? What if you just fought a collection of out of control boss monsters? Then, you'd have Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption. In this game, you start at your strongest and level down as you progress, adding to the challenge.
