This game- Sifu, and IP that was released originally on PC and PS4, I did not expect to make it to the Nintendo Switch. It was developed by Sloclap originally in 2022. Like WarFrame and other PC games, it receives the usual idiotic designation of unplayable on the handheld. It consistently annoys me hearing this label thrown around because of people's fixation on the 90's era of handheld gaming. As I've said many times, no matter how powerful handhelds become, people in general will still expect, and accept no more than incomplete minigames on the platform.
This story follows a protagonist, who's master was murdered by a rogue student. This student has a large following of gangs, spreading across a corporation that has amassed large wealth. The rogue student- Yang, led an attack on the dojo after being disgraced and ends up taking out the sifu and the protagonist, who is just a child at the time. A talisman heals him just in time, and imbues him with the power to survive fatal attacks at the cost of many years to his life. He vows revenge, and goes after the henchmen, gaining information to track down Yang and avenge the sifu.
This game uses a button sequence combo system similar to what Shenmue 3 attempted with directional input. It does this very well and has a very clever counter system and defensive options, which I always say is essential in group brawlers. So many games miss this mark and end up being mashers with no strategy, or just unfair enemy oppression with no defensive options. This game also has a takedown feature that you can used on stunned enemies that many of you might recognize from games in the early 2000's. It is not able to be abused, as enemies will read it and power up while reversing it, gaining health, if you do it too much. I loved that addition. You also have a very nuanced dodging mechanic that is the heart of your defense in later levels of the game, as just blocking will not be enough. In fact, you have an integrity meter that can be broken if you block excessively. It is similar in that way to Nioh, where you have to vary your style and approach. There is some exploration, but really it's to find secrets to open areas. Finding keys allows you to unlock doors and shortcuts in earlier levels which you need to a degree. When you reach the later point of levels and the game, you will earn, through unlockables, the ability to fast track to or near the boss of the stage.
On the matter of bosses, this deserves its own discussion. I am a very big snob with bosses in games, for a reason. They make or break a title, and sometimes, being too easy, too few or simplistic in design, can bring down an otherwise amazing game. I remember playing Wind Waker for the Gamecube and shaking my head to how a great game had such an underwhelming final boss. I used to praise Monster Hunter for its bosses, but honestly, some of the games in the series can tend to have very repetitive and easy bosses that only get slightly annoying when they rage, due to the speed and health buffs. I think Sifu does and awesome job meeting this balance. I watched a streamer play Elden Ring, which I think sets the benchmark for what boss design should be in games. Many of the Souls games meet this mark. These are bosses that adapt and change, and force you to use your entire arsenal of skills and knowledge. Nioh did this as well. Sifu executes this very well. However, the curve for learning the early boss patterns was very steep, and it wasn't until near the end of the game that I began to get the ability to fight through the stages and bosses with some repetition. The girl with the staff and old woman boss with the whip were highly annoying, but in an overall good way. You had to use your directional dodges, which called for utilization of reflexes. It was always extremely satisfying to beat a boss in that game, and even some mid bosses, who could be tough.
The final boss, Yang, had several forms and is a very defensive fighter. You can't wail on him like you usually can at first with last bosses. It brought back memories of the last boss in Earth Wars, where he was hard from the very beginning, and had you wondering how you would make it to his other forms. You have to use every skill in your arsenal. I really marveled at the way they make you have to both block, and parry in this fight. You can't lean on any one skill. You will also be directional dodging. You do not have takedowns available to you in this fight in the conventional sense, but you can access pivotal takedown maneuvers by ultimately breaking his countenance, which is essentially the goal of that fight. You are given a way of sparing him, which I thought about during the fight, as he tries to reason with the hero, saying that he has spent the last decades since his assault on the dojo atoning for his wrongdoings. However, the fight was so hard I didn't even think to try it. You would have to break his countenance twice, letting him reset twice, in his final form. I had no intention of tackling that. It has a satisfying ending, and you unlock some great extras and missions that have meaning, and are more than fluff. I found myself playing those missions, in order to unlock different outfits. I would also welcome playing this game on the harder difficulties in the future.
It was quite the ride, and was quite poetic in nature. I am a longtime practitioner and appreciator of martial arts, and this game pays good homage to the arts, and has an extensive movelist and techniques. It focuses more on the story than it does the principles of martial arts, but it pays more tribue than Shenmue 3 did. I would actually say I love the game. I had a concept for a martial arts movie based on a real argument of principles I had with my own master years ago, which ends similar to this game, where the villain is not so obviously a villain. I thought of it when I got to the end of this game. This is tribute to you, master. 9/10
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