Playing Sekiro for the first time - Any tips?

[Reigning Empire]

Hey Everybody,

I just picked up Sekiro for the 1st time.
I have played Demon Souls on ps5 already and got recommended this game by so many great people.
The big issue is, I am having severe difficulties progressing, I have no problems going through Dark Souls or Demon Souls, but this game for some reason is absolutely kicking my ass.
I am currently on the

Spoiler: boss

Drunk boss with the fire around the massive house.

If anybody has some tips and tricks to help me make this a bit easier, I would appreciate it!

Thank you all!

 

[Deleted member 78123]

Don't give up.

 

[Firefly]

Hesitation is defeat.

 

[Patitoloco]

Try not to get banned for it.

 

[Dante316]

Attack attack attack and learn parry.

 

[QisTopTier]

The game is punch-out, treat bosses like punch out fights aka stay in their face, be agressive and react to their tells.

Dying isn't bad, don't let it get to you. Every boss is a little song and dance you need to learn but once it clicks the learning process is a lot shorter.

The game even has a Don Flamenco

 

[Sarcastico]

Mikiri Counter is an essential ability.

Edit: Sorry, forgot that that boss doesn't have any thrust attacks. I'll just say that you need to learn the patterns, parry when you can, and don't get too greedy with your attacks. You can also cancel your attack into a parry/block if you're not too far into the attack animation, which is very useful.

 

[Chaystic]

You gotta learn how to parry/deflect, that's the one mechanic you should really try to master, it's gonna make the whole game a lot easier.

Also Mikiri Counter.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

That's a miniboss, btw. But anyways, parry parry parry, and never give up. Once the combat clicks, it's sooo good.

 

[F4r0_Atak]

Master the art of parrying/deflecting attacks. Your stance/guard can't be broken if you deflect at the right time. Also grab the Mikiri Counter as soon as you can (for the Spear-wielding enemies).

 

[-Tetsuo-]

You will want to quit. Don't quit.

 

[Footos22]

Spam parry. Win. Great game. No where near as hard as some people make it out to be.

 

[Obi Wan Jabroni]

I haven't returned to it because it frustrated me but bear in mind, Sekiro doesn't allow you to grind away your toughest enemies, unlike the Souls games. You have to learn the mechanics and master them to a certain extent.

I have a love-hate relationship with this game because it never lets up, pisses me off, yet the core mechanics are undeniably exceptional.

Good luck. There are some experts here who can help. :)

 

[OnanieBomb]

Enjoy the most sadistic, masochistic version of Simon ever created. I could not get into it. Felt like smashing my head against some impossible math problem rather than an enjoyable, organic challenge.

 

[RobotVM]

Try not to get banned for it.

Click to shrink...

Best advice right here lmao.

 

[NediarPT88]

Hold block to recover your posture.

I think the game only mentions this in the loading screen tips.

 

[tastybread]

For that drunken guy in particular. Throwing oil at him into using your fire prosthetic will stagger him for a few seconds. Just be right in his face when you use the prosthetic :)

 

[werezompire]

I just started and did that boss recently. Stealth to the left side and kill those enemies. Defeat all the small enemies and get out of there to de aggro. Then go back and stealth hit the boss to take out half its life. Then run to the npc in front and talk and he'll help you fight.

Oh and the actual boss after that is really tough. Cool fight though.

 

[entremet]

Hold block to recover your posture.

I think the game only mentions this in the loading screen tips.

Click to shrink...

One of the most underrated and important mechanics.

Practice on the immortal dude near the Sculptor.

 

[MrNewVegas]

The feels you are going to have when you beat the boss in the spoiler to realize that actually was just a generic enemy lol

 

[th1nk]

You are lucky to be able to play it on PS5, at 60 fps it is much easier than the unstable 45 fps on PS4 Pro. That boss also gave me trouble, I cheesed him. You need to keep playing and at some point the combat will be muscle memory (aggressive + parrying). It is the hardest game from From, though. But oh so satisfying. You need to commit your mind to the game, it is not possible to play it as a side project.

 

[Defect]

Just spam LB

 

[p3n]

The biggest problem people have: You have to hold the block to execute a parry. The parry doesn't have a long animation like Dark Souls. If you just tap it you wont parry or block and instead get hit.

 

[My Blue Heaven]

don't die

 

[zma1013]

Find that one move that leaves an enemy open to attack and abuse it. Dodge/parry everything else until that move happens and punish it again. Tada, u win all the games.

 

[Deranged Hermit]

You are not going to beat the game unless you learn how to parry. Get that timing down and you'll be good.

 

[Enduin]

You can't be too defensive as you'll get just overwhelmed, but also don't try to be too aggressive as many bosses and enemies will just clap back hard on you for it. Every boss and enemy is different, so figure out what works for each rather than relying on a single strategy for everything.

Parry is critical, but also you can't neglect other moves like dodging and jumping. There are so many arm tools in the game that can be used to disrupt and mess with enemies, so experiment a lot. Especially when first encountering a boss as you'll very likely not beat them on the first try. So aim to study their moves and learn their patterns and experiment with what tools work well on them and strategize.

 

[ShinobiBk]

Hey Everybody,

I just picked up Sekiro for the 1st time.
I have played Demon Souls on ps5 already and got recommended this game by so many great people.
The big issue is, I am having severe difficulties progressing, I have no problems going through Dark Souls or Demon Souls, but this game for some reason is absolutely kicking my ass.
I am currently on the

Spoiler: boss

Drunk boss with the fire around the massive house.

If anybody has some tips and tricks to help me make this a bit easier, I would appreciate it!

Thank you all!

Click to shrink...

One really big tip I'm gonna give you is that like 90% of the mini bosses can have a full health bar taken off through stealth, including that one. Makes the fights much easier.
But doing it the stealth way can be time consuming.

 

[Minty Freshness]

Hesitation is defeat.

Click to shrink...

Not just a meme, a lot of enemies and bosses are decidedly easier when you play aggressive as hell.

 

[djkimothy]

Be even more agressive/in your face than bloodborne. It's more a rhythm game than anything. Parry, hit parry hit.

Also learn to read thrust and sweep attacks in order to do posture damage accordingly. Eventually boss fights won't be as bad as you think.

 

[EllipsisBreak]

Unlike in Souls, the guard button and the deflect (parry) button are the same thing. You don't have to choose between one or the other. If you try to deflect, but your timing was too early, you'll still block the enemy attack. So don't be afraid to go for it.

Holding the guard button makes your posture recover faster, not slower.

Dodging is useful, but it's not as good as it is in Souls games. You need to face a lot of attacks head on, and try to deflect them.

Near that drunkard enemy, there's an NPC who will fight with you. Might be helpful.

 

[robot]

The game wants you to, and generally rewards you for, being very aggressive. You don't have any stamina so you can attack forever if the enemy lets you. This is easy to forget if you're used to the souls games. You can easily stun-lock early enemies to death by just spamming attack. Many enemies give a clear indication when they will counter you. Your last hit will be deflected by them, with a distinct sound and graphic. That's the hint to get ready to deflect.

And speaking of your block, unlike blocking with swords in the souls games, the block in Sekiro is crazy strong. You don't have to feel compelled to perfectly deflect everything at first. Just holding block works pretty well in many situations when you're first starting out. Holding block even makes your stamina regenerate faster.

That's all general advice. The drunk guy fight is definitely a road block. For a lot of the group fights my strategy was to hit and run. Pick out one weak guy, rush him down as fast as you can, then run away before the group can catch you. Do this enough times to whittle them down to just a few. Then talk to the samurai hiding in the grass near the pond. He'll distract the enemies long enough you can kill the rest then two-team the big guy. Also note that that fight doesn't have to be done now. The estate is actually optional and you can save it for later when you've gotten some more upgrades and practice.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

You will want to quit. Don't quit.

Click to shrink...

Also, you think the situation you're facing is impossible- nothing is impossible! They're might be a better way to approach what you're attempting however.

Also, there is no shame, there is only winning- sneak as much as you can to secure that first stealth attack on bosses as much as possible.

 

[catpurrcat]

I just started and did that boss recently. Stealth to the left side and kill those enemies. Defeat all the small enemies and get out of there to de aggro. Then go back and stealth hit the boss to take out half its life. Then run to the npc in front and talk and he'll help you fight.

Oh and the actual boss after that is really tough. Cool fight though.

Click to shrink...

The biggest problem people have: You have to hold the block to execute a parry. The parry doesn't have a long animation like Dark Souls. If you just tap it you wont parry or block and instead get hit.

Click to shrink...

Lots of comments to parse through OP. Do the two above and you're gonna be fine :)

 

[Cat Party]

Hey Everybody,

I just picked up Sekiro for the 1st time.
I have played Demon Souls on ps5 already and got recommended this game by so many great people.
The big issue is, I am having severe difficulties progressing, I have no problems going through Dark Souls or Demon Souls, but this game for some reason is absolutely kicking my ass.
I am currently on the

Spoiler: boss

Drunk boss with the fire around the massive house.

If anybody has some tips and tricks to help me make this a bit easier, I would appreciate it!

Thank you all!

Click to shrink...

This was a very tough fight for me, too. I made frequent use of YouTube to learn strategies to beat the bosses. No shame in that.

 

[Calibro]

Hesitation is defeat. Be on the offensive and you will be rewarded most of the time (not always, of course). If an enemy has a long ass attack combo, just spam the shit out of the block button very fast. Also, if the attack isn't marked by a red kanji symbol, it can be blocked (some reds can be too, there are some inconsistencies). Any attack, no matter what size the enemy is.

The boss you're describing is very easy to kite and get in two or three hits here and there. Just don't release the run button and draw circles around him, he's a slow idiot.

 

[Donniewahlberg]

I think the thing that took me the longest to grapple with is the relationship between health and posture: posture bars will go up/break quicker and regen slower as the enemy's health bar drops, I never quite got that relationship for awhile. So you want to pick and choose when the time is right to try and get the enemy's health down and when it's reached a better point to deflect and let them kill themselves with posture break.

That's what would have helped me most at least, good luck op.

 

[gaugebozo]

Hey Everybody,

I just picked up Sekiro for the 1st time.
I have played Demon Souls on ps5 already and got recommended this game by so many great people.
The big issue is, I am having severe difficulties progressing, I have no problems going through Dark Souls or Demon Souls, but this game for some reason is absolutely kicking my ass.
I am currently on the

Spoiler: boss

Drunk boss with the fire around the massive house.

If anybody has some tips and tricks to help me make this a bit easier, I would appreciate it!

Thank you all!

Click to shrink...

This area is a side area and you can safely come back after beating 3 or so other bosses. This guy might be the hardest (okay, except for two) because of what it takes to get to him and how low level/inexperienced you are when you find him. Once you're strong enough, try taking out all the guys next to him and then sneaking away so you can backstab him.

 

[Martinski]

Take a break and cool down if you get too frustrated. Also as other mentioned, parry is much much more essential than to dodge attacks. Where you dodge or roll in bb/dark souls and get i frames you get hit if you dodge and they attack in Sekiro. Jumping is a better idea than dodging.

Unlocked these achievements in 14 hours on PC: Steams gemenskap :: Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice :: Martinski (steamcommunity.com)
That being said it was after playing through it almost 3 times on Xbox one X.

 

[TeenageFBI]

One bit of specific advice for that section and some general advice:

That whole area can wait until you've powered up through the regular game. The boss after the big guy you're fighting is particularly strong and you'll have a better time if you come back to it later.

One very useful mechanic is that unlike the other Souls games, you can actually interrupt your attacks with a block/parry. However, this only works if you're NOT spamming attack. If you've buffered extra attacks, pressing block during your attack will not interrupt your attack.

 

[KOfLegend]

Don't expect a Souls game, because it isn't. It's also much tougher than all of them (imo)

 

[Chopchop]

Unlike Souls games, attacking with the full knowledge that your enemy will block it is not necessarily a bad thing. In Sekiro, you can put pressure on opponents this way.

Your heal is surprisingly fast, and the end of it can cancel into things like dodges or Mikiri counter. You can get away with cheeky heals a lot more easily in Sekiro than you can in most Souls games.

Getting guard broken from bad parries or blocking is not a death sentence, because most enemies won't follow up on it. Feel free to err on the side of blocking/parrying more.

You can parry just about anything in this game that doesn't have the perilous symbol. Even if it's an attack that looks so big you'd never try to block it if it was a Souls game.

Try not to mash parry. It kinda sorta works, but the more you do it, the smaller your parry window gets until you stop doing it. It's better to press and hold with some timing instead of mashing it over and over.

It's totally normal to feel out of your element because Sekiro's combat is so different from Souls. If you play Sekiro like a Souls game, it won't feel right. You have to be way more aggressive in Sekiro and spend less time standing around and fishing for openings. I finished every Souls game before Sekiro came out, and Sekiro made me feel like a bumbling idiot for at least the first 8ish hours.

 

[simulationswarm]

As has been said, Mikiri counter ASAP and play it like a rhythm game. You'll use stealth more than you expect. Loved it but good lord it was harder than SOTFS DS2.

 

[Griselbrand]

Don't be afraid to stand and bang. Aggressiveness and staying in your opponents face are key.

When I first played it I tried to approach it like I did Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with a lot of evasivneess and rolling. The reality is, parrying is so different to that particular style that you really do want to be pretty close to nearly every boss you fight. One boss in particular became much easier for me when I realized that there was a sweet spot where I could stand where I could be close enough to engage when I needed to but not too far so that they wouldn't use some of the scarier attacks at all.

The parry timing is very generous in this game, do your best to get used to it early on.

 

[ThisOne]

I got bum rushed by like 6 enemies at once, died about 10 times, and haven't turned it on since. Lol

It was the part right after you get the shurikens or whatever. Probably only like 30 minutes into the game.

 

[XR.]

don't die

Click to shrink...

Don't even get hit

 

[My Blue Heaven]

Don't even get hit

Click to shrink...

just don't even turn the game on and you'll never be hit. this is how you win

 

[stn]

Oh man, that boss made me take over 6 months off from playing the game lol. Then I came back and beat him pretty quickly. The main advice I would give is don't be discouraged, it is a tough game and you will die a lot. I find it harder than the Souls and Nioh games because you can't acquire better gear and over-level yourself to make a section easier.

Game is amazing though, and this thread is a reminder to myself to continue playing it (I'm actually where you are, just after the mini-boss that's giving you trouble).

 

[Dr. Giggles]

Have fun raging lol. Parrying is fundamental in this game. You get good at that...it should be manageable. With that said, I loved what I played but kinda hit a wall in terms of difficulty. I got stuck on one of the bosses and just gave up.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

get Mikiri counter as fast as possible. It's essentially a required move