Gaming
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the game fit for those who dare
A hands-on look at the story of the Shinobi warrior
I have to admit: I hardly hear much about games that focus on the Eastern side of the world that aren’t Pokémon or Dragon Ball. But, I do like games that have some sort of historical background to them, say folklore or modern history. And wouldn’t you know it, FromSoftware and Activision pull out one from underneath all of us.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice dives into the world of a reimagined 16th century Japan, ravaged by countless wars. It is an open-world, action-adventure game made by the same guys behind Dark Souls. I got the chance to see what this game is all about, and here are some of my initial thoughts.
We start with an insightful backstory
I did appreciate that the first ten minutes of the two and a half hours worth of gameplay gave a good backstory on Sekiro and his humble beginnings. He started out as a simple boy, found at the crossroads of war. A samurai offered to nurse him in his early years, until he grew old enough to be a protector of his lord. However, gameplay picks up on a much older Sekiro, so playing through a childhood with lots of fighting didn’t seem to be that important.
The overworld of early Japan is breathtaking! FromSoftware really did a good job with the visual presentation of the whole game. What stood out to me the most was the detail not just on Sekiro, but also on all his enemies.
It plays well into the whole open-world aesthetic, in that it allows you to explore everywhere and grab as much as you can, including extra items to use for healing or fighting. And you probably want to do that to prepare for all the tough battles ahead.
Waking up a one “good” armed man
After 30 minutes of trying not to die, I arrive at this garden with a mysterious samurai who basically challenges Sekiro to a duel. After the duel you’re supposed to lose, the samurai not only takes your master but he also slashes your arm off. You then wake up in an old temple, and the first thing you gaze upon is a wooden arm attached to your shoulder.
That wooden arm is called the Shinobi Prosthetic, and you can actually do some crazy stuff with it. I was only able to try the prosthetic arm with a Grappling Hook that allows you to travel much faster. It’s a simple press of the L2 button on any “hook” you can sling onto, whether it’s a tree branch or a rooftop. It’s like being Spider-Man minus the webs!
Apart from the Shinobi Prosthetic, Sekiro also carries his trusted katana to slice and dice enemies. It’s his only form of defense, but at least it doesn’t break! Pressing R1 multiple times lets you continually attack opponents until they are too weak to fight back. On paper, combat looks easy to do, right? Well…
Nothing comes easy for a shinobi
Let’s be real: This game has a difficulty spike that rises faster than the sun does in Japan! Although, this isn’t necessarily surprising from the developers that brought you Dark Souls. The whole deal is having the right amount of aggressiveness when dealing with enemies. You use Circle to dodge incoming attacks and L1 to block strong attacks (mostly with weapons). But even that won’t stop your opponents from beating the living hell out of you if you don’t fight back.
Of course, you are alerted when the enemy is about to strike you heavily, giving you a chance to block the attack properly. It’s a healthy dose of combat, mind games, and reading the situation accordingly. I can’t even count how many times I’ve died, then resurrected but still died trying to fend off strong enemies. And some of them even have guns and cannons shooting at you, dealing heavy damage.
Is it worth playing through and through?
In the short amount of time I got to play it, I really think that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a great game. It’s got great visuals, fast-paced and aggressive gameplay, and an enjoyable open-world experience. But again, I really can’t stress enough that this game is difficult. If you enjoy a challenge, you will definitely enjoy this game.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will be released on March 22, 2019, priced at PhP 2,799 in the Philippines, SG$ 69 in Singapore, MYR 219 in Malaysia, and THB 1,790 in Thailand.
Throughout the entire console versus PC debate, console gamers always had one thing going for them: the considerably cheaper price of hardware. Whereas PC gamers pay through the nose for a modern gaming rig, PS4 and Xbox One gamers pay only a fraction of that price for a console. However, amidst the price of hardware, console games are much more expensive. Current AAA games usually sell for US$ 59.99 or thereabouts.
Now, with the release of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X imminent, everyone is waiting for the fate of their wallets. How much will the consoles retail for? How much will the games cost?
Currently, we already have an idea of how much the PlayStation 5 series will sell for, thanks to an accidental Amazon leak. If the leaks are true, the consoles won’t vary much from previous generations.
However, the price of PS5 games will likely bump up. As you might have heard, 2K Games finally announced the upcoming entry in the popular NBA 2K series, NBA 2K21. The new game will be the first one in the series to play on the next generation of consoles. As always, it comes in different packages, varying in in-game loot.
The standard edition (with Damian Lillard on the cover) will still retail for US$59.99 and will play on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia. However, the next-generation edition (with Zion Williamson) will retail for US$ 69.99 and will play exclusively on the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. Both Mamba Forever editions will cost US$ 99.99. For a more in-depth look at what the different packages include, check out our breakdown here.
Plagued as it is with microtransactions, the NBA 2K series can definitely obscure how much a game really costs. We wouldn’t put it past them to bump up a price for themselves. However, the regular edition historically hovers around the industry’s current standard. There is no reason to discredit NBA 2K21‘s price as a potential standard. That said, are we looking at the price of the next generation?
Right now, the most popular PS4 games are already pricey, often much more expensive than PC variants. With a potential price bump on the horizon, becoming a console gamer might be much more painful for a budget. Though the console itself is affordable, the price of each game makes next-generation gaming more difficult to follow after each big release.
Dating
Pokémon launched Pikachu-themed wedding rings, but there’s something nasty about them
How big is your love?
As of late, The Pokémon Company has increased its reach to a lot of other industries outside of gaming, including lifestyle apps and wireless earbuds. Now, the ubiquitous brand has expanded to the most precious catch of them all: wedding rings.
Partnered with Japanese jewelry company Ginza Tanaka, The Pokémon Company has officially launched Pikachu-themed engagement rings and wedding bands. The list of products includes simple platinum and gold wedding bands that come in a PokéBall-style box. Couples can also get their rings engraved with their own personal customizations. (However, the company rightly suggests a variation of “I choose you, [insert name here].”)
Meanwhile, the engagement rings are a bit more ostentatious. One design is a simple silhouette of Pikachu’s face, but the face’s center holds a diamond. Another design has two Pikachu tails holding the diamond in place. Like the wedding bands, they can come in either gold or platinum.
Cute as they are, there’s something awfully weird about them, as The Verge points out. In particular, the ears of the Pikachu rings look particularly nasty. Call us skeptical, but we don’t think Pikachu had *those* for ears. And yes, while they are part of the marriage process, we don’t know if you’d want them wrapped around your finger forever.
However, if you’re not bothered by them and think they’re perfectly innocent and fluffy Pikachu ears, they retail for JPY 346,500 (approximately US$ 3,225). Meanwhile, the wedding bands range between JPY 115,550 (approximately US$ 1,076) to JPY 121,000 (approximately US$ 1,126). The collection also has a keepsake photo frame selling for JPY 13,200 (approximately US$ 123).
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