It definitely lives up to its name. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice puts your patience and skills to the test as you attempt to battle your way through numerous enemies but learn how to bury or only dying twice will seem like child’s play.

Developer FromSoftware definitely attempted its hand at a new kind of gameplay. Notorious for it’s polarizing game styles that challenge the mind and come play more like puzzles, Sekiro jumps ship and focuses solely on your fighting skills. However, don’t expect to rush in an be able to dominate. Unlike many other fighting games, this one demands players learn true fighting skills, namely parrying.

Learning how to parry is one of the keys to staying alive in the game, forcing you to study your opponent before jumping in. However, the strategy behind your sword play will be vital to how much you need to learn to parry.

The world exists in Japan from Sengoku era and shows off traditional Japanese buildings. Along with the ability to fight, you’ll be running across roof tops and jumping from tree to tree to get the upper hand on your opponent. Players who fully utilize the surprise attack element should find a bit of grace early on with their parrying skills, but enemies get tougher and will become more demanding as you progress through the game so it does well not to rush into fights without honing your own skills.

The storyline follows Sekiro who must save his master who has been kidnapped. Sworn to protect the master, he battles against samurais and monstrous beasts with just a sword. However, he offers a secondary weapon within a prosthetic. You’ll spend as much time learning to utilize your tools efficiently — switching them out in mid air — as you do parrying.

It seems Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice offers a more intense style of play. It may not be for everyone, but it definitely appears easy to fall in love with for the gamers who love fighting and strategizing games. Overall, the demo has received positive reviews and shows off some great gameplay and graphics. It’s going to challenge you as a player but could be one of the best games from FromSoftware to-date.