2022 is already filling up with games fans should be excited about, but allow us to add another to the list. Join Marcus Stewart and Alex Stadnik on this episode of New Gameplay Today as they go hands-on with Sifu, developer Sloclap’s exciting new action game.
Revealed during Sony’s February State of Play, Sifu plays like a dream in our hands-on time with the preview build. The demo takes place in a nightclub filled to the brim with criminals just waiting for a fight. Even from the first combat encounter with the bouncer, it becomes exceedingly clear how satisfying and promising Sifu’s combat is. Enemies will bounce off walls and react differently depending on their surroundings. Everything from bottles to broken splinters of wood is fair game in combat in the world of Sifu.
Using your environment isn’t just limited to finding new weapons, though. The enemies in the game will attempt to surround you whenever they can, and it’s incredibly advantageous to use the furniture and walls in each arena to segment your foes and do more damage as you bounce them off the various hard surfaces.
One of the other major draws of Sifu is the aging mechanic. As the main character takes damage and eventually dies, they get older, which changes how they play. Each time you die and age, you get access to an upgrade menu to learn new combos and add buffs, which is especially helpful in the more intense fights. The trade-off, though, is hitting specific age markers will bar you from certain parts of the upgrade tree during that session, so careful use of your XP and combat skills will help you get further. The aging mechanic also affects how your character plays as the older you get, the higher your damage goes, but your speed and health also take a hit. While we only got a taste of Sifu’s aging balancing act in the demo, it’s left us intrigued and excited for its implementation in the full release.
Fortunately, fans don’t have to wait long for Sifu’s release. Sloclap’s next game launches on February 8, 2022, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, which is actually earlier than originally announced.
