Unleashing the Ultimate Swordsmanship: Sekiro's Isshin Triumphs All

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a challenging game, with even the most basic enemies and bosses being formidable opponents. This is particularly evident in the fight against Isshin, The Sword Saint, where players must truly master the game's unique combat mechanics.

What sets Sekiro apart from other games in the FromSoftware catalog is its approach to character development. Unlike other games that allow players to optimize builds or gain strength in various ways, Sekiro requires players to rely solely on their own skill and mastery of the game's mechanics. It's a test of perseverance and determination unlike any other game from the renowned developer.

Isshin's Four Phase Fight in Sekiro

The bosses and mini-bosses in Sekiro require multiple deathblows, providing a unique setup for multiple phases that spans from Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa to Isshin, The Sword Saint. However, Isshin stands out due to his four full phases, with an unconventional first phase. Although the initial phase is underwhelming, the fight against Isshin intensifies during the second phase, escalating with each deathblow. He switches to a spear combat style and eventually incorporates lightning into his attacks, increasing the pace and raising the stakes for the player. Despite using similar combat styles throughout the fight, Isshin proves to be a formidable opponent, fighting harder and harder as the battle progresses.

The introduction of new weapons in each phase of the Isshin fight doesn't drastically alter the gameplay like Sekiro's Guardian Ape encounter. Rather, the added attacks simply increase the damage output while maintaining a consistent flow. As a result, even minor mistakes are heavily penalized as the fight progresses, making mastery of the combat essential to reaching the end credits.

Sekiro's Lack of Options Makes Isshin's Fight Harder

Unlike many of FromSoftware's previous titles, Sekiro lacks the ability to customize the protagonist's build from one playthrough to another, which was a key feature in adding a layer of personalization to their games. This absence of customization also means that players cannot upgrade their builds to make boss encounters easier by enhancing their defenses or increasing their damage output. Even the Shinobi Prosthetic's unique tools do not offer enough advantage to significantly alter the fight against Isshin.

The unique gameplay approach in Sekiro, with only one weapon option in the form of Wolf's kusabimaru sword, eliminates the possibility of grinding up levels to make boss fights easier. Instead, players must rely on mastering the guards and parries of the base game to defeat Isshin and emerge triumphant. The key to conquering this fight lies in learning and understanding Isshin's rhythm, as there are limited options available to make the encounter simpler. This sets Sekiro apart from other FromSoftware games, as it doesn't offer a go-to build or set path to min-max for a more accessible fight.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.