From Software has developed a rabid fan following in the last few years thanks to their brutally challenging, yet rewarding dark fantasies like Bloodborne and the Souls series.

Now, they are looking to take that formula out of the realm of dark medieval European fantasy, and into the realm of ancient Japan with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Originally teased at the 2017 Game Awards, we were treated to a full reveal trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as part of Microsoft’s E3 2018 showcase.

Producer Robert Conkey and Marketer Yasuhiro Kitaro stopped by Gamespot’s stage as part of their ongoing coverage of E3 2018 to talk about what players can expect from the game.

Set in an alternate version of 1500’s Japan in an time known as the “Warring States” era, From Software is hoping to create a more colorful, visually lush title in to their repertoire.

The variety of options in combat was one of the key elements that was stressed regarding Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game’s protagonist has a sword, which would be a requisite feature of any game set in ancient Japan; however, he also has a bionic arm, which gives him a number of different abilities such a grappling hook. This will lend itself to combos during combat, as well as forcing players to think about the vertical nature of the environments, as opposed to just thinking about what might have been lurking around the corner as they did during the Souls titles.

One other interesting facet is that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is going eschew the stats system that was present in their previous releases. While they didn’t say exactly how the game’s progression would work, they did stress that the sense of accomplishment attained from overcoming difficult obstacles would definitely be there. They also confirmed that From Software’s signature gameplay hook of a sense of dread over dying in the game would still present in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

One big surprise is that there are no online features planned in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. They said that designing a single player game is much different than designing an online game, especially when multiple character classes are involved. They felt that focusing on single player design would open up more “interesting” options for the player, and wanted to push the options available within the concept of being a ninja.

From Software hopes that these elements combine with a variety of unique weapons and bosses – promising to present their fans with many things never seen before.

The team behind  Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice initially started thinking about exploring a Japanese setting for their next title while they were working on the DLC for Bloodborne.

It will be fascinating to see how From Software’s signature style evolves once Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice releases in 2019. While we wait, make sure you recheck the amazing trailer from E3 2018 below.

Are you excited for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice? Be an excitement ninja in the comments section below.

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