Sekiro: Is there a New Game Plus? How does it work?

Like past FromSoftware titles, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice comes equipped with a New Game Plus mode to raise its already difficult nature even higher.

If you’re enjoying Sekiro as much as we are and don’t want your experience to end just yet, you’re in luck! New Game Plus is very much prominent in Sekiro, offering players a chance to relive its beautifully brutal adventure at a higher difficulty. There are seven levels of New Game Plus, with each one harder than the last.

Once players finish their first playthrough of Sekiro, they will be prompted to either start New Game Plus or continue on in the post-game of their current playthrough. Don’t worry if you choose not to start New Game Plus immediately, however; it can always be accessed through any Sculptor’s Idol.

In Sekiro‘s New Game Plus, players will be able to carry over all non-story-related items, upgrades, Prosthetic Tools, and skills from their past playthrough. They will be needed from the jump, as early-game enemies have now developed into legitimate threats once more.

Items such as Gourd Seeds and Prayer Beads cannot be duplicated and are often replaced by Divine Grass and Bundled Jizo Statues where the former was originally obtained. If you missed any Gourd Seeds or Prayer Beads on your first playthrough, however, those can still be obtained in New Game Plus.

The rise in difficulty is rather simple and obvious. Enemies can deal significantly more vitality and posture damage to you, while it’s harder to do the same to them.

If you still find it too easy for your liking, there are ways to make your playthrough even more of a struggle. Upon starting up New Game Plus, players will be given a new item called Kuro’s Charm. If the item is given to the Divine Heir Kuro, enemies will become even stronger and be able to damage you even when you’re blocking.

There are still other ways to make things even more difficult for yourself, such as ringing the bell at the Demon’s Temple in Mt. Kongo. The effects of these restrictions can be disabled at any point.

If all of this sounds appealing to you, then you are a very brave soul. Godspeed.