In recent years, From Software has become a household name in the video game industry, responsible for establishing the modern standard for difficult video games. The phrase “Dark Souls of [a specific genre]” has colloquially been used to express that a game is challenging. The company’s upcoming title, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, has been highly anticipated by fans of Dark Souls since its reveal at last year’s E3.
From the gameplay footage we’ve seen for the game, it’s clear that the combat system is reminiscent of the Dark Souls series, with added mechanics such as the “resurrection” system. However, while the Souls games and Bloodborne take on a more Western aesthetic to world-building, Sekiro opts for a Japanese setting for its own take on Eastern mythology. Though there have been multiple trailers out now for gameplay, From Software finally dropped a story trailer for the first time, about a month away from release.
The short, one-minute video contains new cinematics not seen before, with voiceovers that briefly outline the setting and the origin of the main character. Set “in the closing years of the Sengoku era” of Japan, the narrator mentions the chaotic state of the nation, engulfed in constant conflicts. All the while, battles are raging on in the background with bloodshed and death everywhere. In the aftermath of the carnage, a warrior by the name of the Owl finds a young boy amongst the corpses. It was then that he decides to take in our young protagonist. Flash forward to the main character’s adulthood, and the trailer ends with the ominous line, “I have no idea what you’ve become.”
The story trailer doesn’t explicitly mention specific details regarding the plot and overworld beyond what is necessary to hype up players. Though From Software’s games have always relied on players piecing together lore and plotlines through in-game interactions and clues rather than obvious cutscenes and exposition, it’s unclear whether Sekiro will adopt the same storytelling method.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on March 22, 2019.