Progression in Sekiro Is More Streamlined than Dark Souls or Bloodborne

FromSoftware’s Dark Souls and Bloodborne are most known for being difficult, but one could also argue their progression systems are very complex, at least compared to other action titles. According to an interview with Game Informer, while Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will still have systems and quirks that are unmistakably FromSoftware designed, overall progression will be much more streamlined.

The interview, which was between Game Informer and From Software’s communications manager Yasuhiro Kitao, goes into quite a bit of detail about how players will grow stronger as they make their way through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While previous titles in Sekiro‘s lineage are quite stats-y, Sekiro will feature a system of skill trees, which will help players develop a personalized play style without going through the process of curating a “build,” so to speak.

Fueling this progression system is a sense of slight leniency, again only if we’re making direct comparisons to Dark Souls and Bloodborne. According to director Hidetaka Miyazaki, there will still be an unannounced penalty for dying, but losing EXP or money won’t be part of it. Players will be able to keep working towards that next skill point, even if they don’t make it to the next Sculptor Idol.

Finally, while the skill trees include both active and passive benefits, players will also be able to boost their health by searching for prayer beads, which serve a similar purpose to seeking out heart containers in the Legend of Zelda series. While this all sounds like a departure from what FromSoftware fans have grown accustomed to, Sekiro sounds more like a character-oriented experience in general, while Dark Souls and Bloodborne revolve more around the player. While these are different concepts, they both lead to a similar goal, giving players both options and challenge.

[Source: Game Informer]