Sekiro: 3 tips to make your first playthrough a little easier
By Ty Gonzalez
Struggling through your first playthrough of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? About to take your first step into the brutal world of Ashina? We’ve got you covered!
It’s no secret that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of the hardest AAA games on the current generation of platforms. Players around the world have voiced their displeasure with the high level of difficulty the game poses, with many dropping the game without a second thought.
Here are three tips that should help make your first experience with Sekiro go a little bit easier.
SAVE YOUR SEN
You are going to die a lot in this game. That’s the reality of it. There are several unique punishments for death in Sekiro, but the most significant one may be the severe loss of the in-game currency, Sen.
Sen can be used to purchase Spirit Emblems at any Sculptor’s Idol, as well as upgrades for your Prosthetic Tool, and items from several merchants spread throughout the game’s large map.
On your journey, you’ll discover items called Coin Purses and a larger variant called Heavy Coin Purses, worth 100 and 500 Sen each respectively. These items allow you to carry Sen without the risk of losing it upon death.
Merchants sell Heavy Coin Purses, which primarily act as a way to deposit your Sen into a much safer place. There is a price for doing this, however, as Heavy Coin Purses cost 550 Sen and are redeemed for just 500. But the net loss of 50 Sen is a lot easier to swallow than seeing your finances halved in mere seconds.
When you are ready to use your Sen, simply go to a merchant to sell your Heavy Coin Purse, and you’ll receive 500 Sen safe and sound.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT DRAGONROT
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Another punishment for a multitude of deaths is the Dragonrot system. The more you die, the higher the chance of Dragonrot spreading to several NPCs you encounter throughout your playthrough, which in turn inhibits your ability to proceed with side quests and receiving special rewards.
This has added a ton of anxiety to newer players learning the complex combat mechanics of Sekiro, but the threat of Dragonrot has been severely overblown. Later on in the game, there will be ways to rectify the effects of Dragonrot, making its presence and the threat of death much less intimidating.
Perhaps if you care enough about how Dragonrot will affect your playthrough, you’ll likely play Sekiro multiple times. With more experience under your belt, a second playthrough will certainly go significantly smoother than your first and Dragonrot won’t be as much of a factor.
Like past FromSoftware titles, Sekiro also offers a New Game Plus that certainly should entice players to take on its brutal world more than once and give ample opportunity to experience all the game has to offer.
For now, don’t give Dragonrot a second thought. It’s an unnecessary pressure to put on yourself, especially if this is your first time playing.
TRAIN FOR BATTLE
Sekiro has a unique and complex combat system that will discourage Souls /Bloodborne veterans and first-timers alike. Thankfully, FromSoftware has implemented a training mode of sorts for players to hone their abilities and learn every mechanic the game has to offer.
To access this training mode, speak to Hanbei the Undying, who is located on a path near the Dilapidated Temple. As you learn more techniques and skills and acquire Prosthetic Tools, more training sessions will be made available to you.
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These sessions are extremely helpful, allowing you to work on both the basic and more technical aspects of Sekiro‘s combat system stress-free. It’s certainly a great way to brush up on deflecting, which has caused a great amount of frustration for most players.