After the death of his father, a young kung fu student seeks revenge on the group responsible. Taking the fight to every corner of the city, the young apprentice must face innumerable odds as he tracks down all five assassins. To defeat them, he must rely on his master’s teachings and harness his body and mind to fight his foes. With only one day to pursue the killers, this path of revenge comes at a cost: his age.
“Sifu” is a marvelous example of reward through persistence and offers crisp, impactful Pak Mei inspired kung fu combat.
There are only five levels in the game, though they are each fleshed out and detailed, offering beautiful scenery and plenty of brawls. Tracking down the assassins took me all over the city — from the street thug filled suburbs to the clean and cold corporate towers. Each location is memorable and distinct and mirrors the personality of the assassin residing within it. There are collectables hidden throughout the areas that helped me construct an evidence board, and the game enticed me to explore everything. I came to appreciate the beauty beyond just the fighting.
Death was just as much a part of the gameplay as fighting was, especially with the unique mechanic surrounding defeat. The player holds a relic that prevents death at the cost of age, meaning every time I fell in combat, my age would increase depending on my death counter. With no way to reverse age, death had a real impact. Once I reached age 70, the game was over. While certainly punishing, it also gave me opportunities to learn from my mistakes and focus my earned experience into new skills.
Adversaries in this game demand respect from the player as they dish out their own moves and strike with great efficiency. Enemies have unique attack patterns, which helped me learn what strikes I could block, parry or dodge. It was enjoyable to encounter a new type of enemy with a different fighting style that I needed to adapt to and learn with. These foes are ruthless, though, and when I stepped into a room with multiple enemies, I knew it was going to be a tough fight. This is what made “Sifu” such an enjoyable fighting game — the fact every enemy I fought was a formidable opponent who I needed to properly predict and defeat.
It’s hard to describe just how smooth the hand-to-hand combat in this game is. Every move flows into the next, with quick punches firing off like lightning and kicks landing with tremendous impact. There was also an array of melee and throwing weapons I could pick up and use, which came in handy when dealing with multiple threats. Every fight felt like a choreography of fists and feet as I dispatched my rivals.
The boss encounters came with their own tricks as well, with each assassin bringing their own set of moves and weapons. These encounters were tough, and each boss had two phases, meaning I had to take them down twice to finish them off for good. The second phase often meant they became more aggressive and switched up their moves, keeping me on my toes.. My favorite boss was in the third level, the museum, where I had to fight the artist Kuroki. She is adept with the bladed three-section staff and effortlessly maneuvers through the environment like wind. Fighting her meant I needed to learn how to avoid her weapon and learn to find openings to knock her off balance. I died many times learning how to defeat her, but it never felt unfair; instead it felt like I was getting better and better until I could succeed.
“Sifu” made me feel like a student of kung fu growing through my experiences. When I first started out, I was randomly throwing punches and getting run into the ground by my enemies. After some time, I began to get better at blocking and knowing exactly when to punch and kick. As I strengthened my techniques, I felt more confident in my abilities, and it was extremely satisfying to return to an area I struggled with and complete it without dying. Combat was fluid, with enemies that provided a satisfying and fair challenge that always kept me alert. While the game is demanding, it rewards determination and perseverance as you get better, and I recommend this game to anyone seeking a true challenge.
