From Software is the game developer behind the widely popular Bloodborne and Dark Souls series. Two years after their last release, Dark Souls III comes a fresh new game: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
If you’ve been in the gaming world for some time now, you would know that the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games have quite a cult following. Referred to by fans as the “Soulsborne” games, they are known for their difficult, stress-inducing gameplay and fans expect nothing less from the company’s newest addition, Sekiro.
And boy, did they get more than what they were expecting.
Travel back in time
Set in what seems to be a fantasized version of a war-torn, 16th century Japan, you are a shinobi tasked to rescue your master, Kuro the Divine Heir. He was kidnapped by the Ashina Clan because Kuro’s bloodline is believed to carry magical properties. This is what the Ashina clan want to use to win the war. In a fight to save Kuro from being kidnapped, your shinobi loses his arm and is left for dead.
You awaken at a dilapidated temple in front of a sculptor who appears to have saved you and fitted you with a prosthetic arm. It is with this and your sword that you journey and fight through this eerily beautiful version of Japan to save Kuro.
I started playing this game leaving all expectations behind and I was immediately overwhelmed. To say that Sekiro is a difficult game would be such an understatement. It’s been a while since a game has made me rage quit but I don’t take this against the game. It honestly made playing so much more fun and rewarding.
In a world of add-ons, DLCs, and micro-transactions to enhance your character or game, Sekiro depends on skill; every flinch, tap, or evade matters in battle. It’s akin to a dance with swords and weapons with the slightest misstep causing you to die a brutal death.
The price of dying
Because you were blessed by Kuro with his blood, you’re able to resurrect. But at a price. Each death takes away your skill points (which you use for the skill tree) and money — making unlocking skills with higher skill point requirements and buying items a strategy all to itself.
From time to time, you will receive the blessing of Unseen Aid which will preserve these. But in addition to losing your points and money, there is also the possibility of inflicting a disease called Dragon Rot onto the world. It not only burdens your conscience but also lessens the chance of getting Unseen Aid. Don’t worry, the Dragon Rot can be healed so you won’t have to carry this “guilt” throughout the whole game.
Proper posture
In Sekiro’s world, there’s a new battle system that makes use of Posture and Posture Breaking. You and your enemy both have Posture bars that increase as you attack, parry, and counter. Once the bar is full, you can perform a stylish kill called a Deathblow. And while you can whittle away at your opponent’s health bar, the Posture system is so much more effective and definitely more satisfying to watch.
Not attacking your enemy causes their posture to recover, making the battle longer. It’s a challenge to find the correct balance between offense and defense; I had to adjust to each enemy and boss I found. There is no one strategy. You may think you’re getting good at the game and then it throws this new boss at you and you’re back to square one.
Prosthetic prowess
As you journey forth, you’ll find parts and raw materials to upgrade your prosthetic arm. Protip: You shouldn’t give up exploring despite this not being an open-world game. There were many times early in the game that I would miss important items because I wasn’t aware that some summits were accessible. Do not disregard the environment. What may seem like backgrounds may actually be climbable mountains and cliffs that may hold precious items or people with information.
Each upgrade to your arm will not only give you more ways to fight but will also give you advantages on some specific enemies. The firecracker upgrade, for example, will help you scare beasts that enemies use. On the other hand, the use of your arm, apart from your grappling hook, is limited. Spirit tokens dictate how many times you can use a specific skill. Some skills require more tokens than others so, again, it’s a matter of skill and strategy on how to use them.
Final thoughts
It’s hard to put into words how much I enjoyed playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Despite its steep learning curve and frustratingly difficult battles, it was a game that gave me such fulfillment and pride. The feeling of achievement after dealing the final Deathblow on a boss that I repeated for who knows how many times is so satisfying, it literally made me jump up and down.
If you’re not a hardcore player, I still believe it’s a game worth picking up. Be patient and play the game knowing that there is a possibility that you may not finish it or that it may take you days to get past the first few bosses. It’s a game with a beautifully rendered world, haunting stories and characters, and a fresh combat system that will leave you feeling rewarded with every deathblow and perfect parry.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice distanced itself from the Soulsborne games just enough that it created something that is both familiar and new, amassing a number of fans, new and old. This will definitely be a game that will be talked about through the years.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was released on March 22, 2019 and is available for the PS4, Xbox, and PC.
There’s a certain expectation that comes with a My Hero Academia game, especially one billed as the “final chapter.” You expect big emotions, loud battles, and characters pushed to their limits. After spending time with My Hero Academia: All’s Justice, it’s clear Bandai Namco isn’t trying to reinvent the arena fighter formula. Instead, it’s refining what fans already know and framing it around the series’ most climactic arc.
Early on, the game feels immediately familiar. If you’ve played previous My Hero Academia console titles, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. Combat rhythms, camera angles, and overall pacing don’t drastically change. For casual fighting game players like myself, the differences feel more granular than transformative, but that familiarity makes the game easy to settle into.
One notable addition is the dual control scheme: “Normal” and “Manual.” Normal mode smooths out inputs, lowering the skill floor, while Manual mode is the classic arena fighter setup. Normal works but reduces player agency in ways that feel unusual. Outside of combat, the game also replaces a standard menu with a city-like hub. Playing as Deku, you pull up a smartphone-style menu to access modes, subtly increasing immersion.
Combat and battle system
Combat feels largely unchanged in speed but leans more aerial than expected. Characters spend a lot of time in the air, creating distance and forcing you to think about positioning. Aggressive players may struggle, as patience and smart movement are rewarded more than constant pressure.
Quirks are intuitive, even for newcomers to 3D arena fighters. Visual indicators clearly communicate cooldowns and power states. Some Quirks are tuned for balance, but they still feel faithful to the anime. Ultimate and cinematic moves are satisfying and feel earned, never spammy.
Character variety is a standout. Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto share similar combat prompts, but their Quirks dictate unique movement, attack patterns, and space control. Deku, in particular, feels beginner-friendly, making him a natural starting point.
Roster and character balance
The roster feels large without overwhelming the player. Final-form characters aren’t instantly dominant; the true power spike comes when a character enters a “Rising” state after being the last fighter, gaining buffs across damage and abilities. Villains are just as enjoyable as heroes, with Dabi proving particularly fun to play. Story mode also presents moments of genuine challenge, such as facing multiple opponents at once.
While it’s early to speak on balance issues, the game seems thoughtfully tuned so far. Beginner-friendly characters include Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto, while other fighters may require more experience to master.
Team Up Missions
Team Up Missions offer shorter, varied challenges that feel like playable mini OVAs. While not essential to the main story, they unlock legacy battles and extra content for fans.
AI allies are competent and punish reckless play, which makes team composition matter more than cosmetic choices. While these missions don’t dramatically expand the fantasy of teamwork, they add fun replayable content for single-player fans.
Story and cinematic presentation
Story mode is where All’s Justice shines. Experiencing the Final War interactively delivers the same giddy excitement as watching those moments unfold in the anime. It evokes memories of the Naruto Ninja Storm series, balancing spectacle and fan service. Transitions between gameplay and cutscenes are serviceable—neither jarring nor groundbreaking.
The game assumes familiarity with the story, so newcomers may feel lost without prior anime knowledge. Battles often carry emotional weight, effectively allowing players to relive key moments of the Final War.
Visuals, performance, and audio
The game runs smoothly on PS5, even during effects-heavy fights. Character models are adequate, though not as sharp as hoped, while facial animations during story moments are expressive and well-done. The UI does enough to keep combat readable without distracting from the action.
Audio stands out. Voice acting delivers intensity, hit sounds feel impactful, and music consistently elevates big moments. The game is loud, but in a way that matches the over-the-top energy of the series.
Should you play My Hero Academia: All’s Justice
My Hero Academia: All’s Justice feels like a proper final chapter. It doesn’t overreach but delivers where it matters most. Competitive players will find depth, while anime fans can relive beloved battles interactively.
It may not redefine the genre, but it understands exactly what kind of game it wants to be—and it delivers that confidently.
The combination of familiar combat, a large and varied roster, cinematic story moments, and thoughtful extras like Team Up Missions makes it a satisfying experience for anyone looking to step into the shoes of their favorite heroes and villains.
It’s been a while since GPU companies focused on making chips for consoles. With how the industry is going now, chips feel like they’re destined to end up in the suffocating deluge of AI servers. Now, however, AMD is showing signs of healing by teasing the next-generation Xbox.
In the latest earnings call (via Engadget), AMD CEO Lisa Su teased that the next-gen Xbox, built with a custom AMD SoC, is “progressing well to support a launch in 2027.”
The subtle tease is vague enough to obscure any details about the upcoming console but clear enough to confirm that it’s coming. Since the Xbox Series X|S has been out for several years now, it’s not surprising that Microsoft is thinking about what’s coming next.
However, it’s still intriguing that Microsoft is going for another console. Previous reports have speculated that the company might focus on delivering games, especially through the Game Pass. Lately, both the PlayStation and the Switch have thoroughly dominated the console market ahead of the Xbox. Handheld consoles are likewise impressive, too.
Other reports have speculated that the upcoming generation will focus on delivering both a gaming and a PC experience. With the Steam Machine coming soon, it seems natural that the next consoles will be usable PCs as well.
SEE ALSO: Match Pulse: ROG Xbox Ally X
Gaming
Overwatch reinvents itself with a new story and five new heroes
And it’s not “Overwatch 2” anymore.
Overwatch 2 was not a disaster for the popular multiplayer shooter franchise. It did, however, make the game more polarizing. For 2026, Blizzard is shaking things up once again, starting by dropping the “2” from Overwatch 2.
During its scheduled showcase, the new-and-improved Overwatch will feature annual storylines that will keep the game fresh for years to come. The system will go live on February 10. By then, the year-long event called Reign of Talon will start with Season 1.
As the name suggests, this year will be all about the villain-coded Talon organization, and it’s going to be more story-driven. Right off the bat, a new cinematic sees Vendetta seemingly kill Doomfist and take over the leadership of Talon.
Blizzard says that the year will see ten new characters introduced to the roster. In fact, five of those will already be playable starting in Season 1.
Without a doubt, the highlight character for this round is the formerly cancelled Jetpack Cat. The character was first rumored all the way back in 2017 but will now be fully playable this season. The flying feline hero is a support character that can hook another hero to a location while healing them. Their ultimate reverses this by having them crash land onto enemies and then hooking one to, ideally, drop them off the map.
Jetpack Cat will join four other heroes. Anran, who is also affiliated with the Overwatch faction, deals fire damage. Domina, who, along with the next three heroes, works with Talon, is a shield-based tank. Emre imagines an evil version of Soldier: 76. Finally, Mizuki is a Talon-affiliated healer.
Besides a new story and heroes, Overwatch will feature new game modes and improvements across the board. The new Season 1 starts on February 10.
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