Sekiro FAQ: Is it Hard, is there Multiplayer, and When you can play

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is just a few hours from releasing into the wild, which means players have a ton of questions about it. You can probably get a few answers straight from our review, where we award it with a 4.5/5 calling it “a truly new expression of the design philosophy that FromSoftware has spent years refining.” But we also want to answer some of the direct questions potential players may have, such as is it hard, is there multiplayer, and when you can play. Here’s our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice FAQ.

Is Sekiro Hard?

Yes. Next question.

OK, but seriously…yes, it is very hard. As the latest game from the makers of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, among others, Sekiro is a game that flaunts its difficulty like a badge of honor. From the very first moments you spend in Sengoku era Japan you will be bombarded with powerful enemies, blocked by seemingly unbeatable bosses, and you will die a lot. Like more than you’ve died in almost any other game, other Soulsborne titles notwithstanding. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is one of the hardest games you will play this year, or possibly this decade. And it doesn’t really care if that bothers you.

In fact, Sekiro sort of revels in its difficulty, pitting you against bosses that are way above your skill level or power range. If you want to beat them you either need to “git gud” as the fans say, or you need to find some unique method to take them out. Some bosses, such as the Chained Ogre can be beaten with a special item. Others, like Lady Butterfly, can be made easier if you beat different bosses first, like Gyoubu. If you’re having trouble with any of them or other bosses, be sure to check out our guides, cause you’ll probably need them.

Is there Multiplayer in Sekiro?

Nope. Unlike previous Soulsborne style games out of FromSoftware, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice does not feature any multiplayer features. No invading, no calling for assistance. Nothing. You are the Lone Wolf and you will stay that way until the end of the game. Although some fights, such as Juzou the Drunkard feature NPCs who will help a little bit, before they die horribly just like you have been throughout the whole game.

What does this mean? Well for one it makes Sekiro a whole lot harder than many fans might have expected. In Dark Souls and its sequels, if you ran into a section of the game that was too tough for you, you could call in a random player to assist. That’s no longer the case, so you have to figure it out for yourself or you’ll be stuck slamming your head against the wall, and your controller against the floor for possibly hours at a time.

When can you play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice?

Very very soon. Sekiro releases on March 22nd and should unlock for anyone who pre-loaded the title at midnight. There’s been no confirmation of the exact unlock time, so it could vary depending on your region, platform and timezone. If you have a preorder in on consoles though you can get ahead of other players by preloading through the respective storefront. After that it’s up to FromSoftware to unlock the game for everyone, so be ready at midnight to either jump in and play or head to bed to rest up for an attempt in the morning. Most likely once midnight hits you’ll be able to jump in and get your ninja gaming fix.

That’s all the answers we have right now, but if you have a question we didn’t cover be sure to let us know in the comments below. Good luck in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and stay alive.