Put 'em upīecause none of the above works if combat isn't fun. And it's in this vicinity that Sifu shines. Suddenly, I was snatching steel from the air like Scottie Pippen on turnovers, tossing blades back at my target, staggering then charging at them to re-engage close-quarters combat. I didn't, and instead discovered Weapon Catch – a low-cost special ability that lets you grab projectiles mid-flight and return them as fodder against your foes. Do you splash your XP on this move or that one? Do you double down on one specific combo to unlock it permanently, or do you spread your skills across a number of movesets knowing that if you do wind up pushing up daisies, you'll need to spend more XP to buy it back down the line? How you handle these choices can, and will, have a tangible impact on success as you fight for every single one of your lives.ĭuring one end-of-level boss battle, for example, I got hammered by the same throwing knife attack so many times that I came close to round-housing my PS5 out the door.

This, once again, underlines the gravity of decision-making in Sifu. These, of which there are 25 to mix and match, can be unlocked on a one-off basis within each of the game's five respective locations, or can be permanently secured across the board by being purchased and re-purchased a pre-set number of times. Whereas its predecessor was rooted in PvP, though, Sifu is solely single-player and adopts a more fluid approach to its XP skill tree and unlockable special moves. In doing so, you'll dispatch wave upon wave of non-descript thugs in drug factories situated in impoverished inner city neighbourhoods, illegal underground fight clubs, modern art exhibitions, luxury office buildings and, latterly, a wellbeing sanctuary for the terminally ill – a thrilling ride that's Kill Bill-meets-Kojima with an eye-watering art style akin to Sloclap's previous game, Absolver.

Sifu game rating