https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/22/17760320/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-gameplay-impressions-combat

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is definitely not another Dark Souls. Where FromSoftware’s previous action games could feel like tense memory games, the developer’s next effort instead seems to crib from a different genre entirely: fighting games.

The Souls games and Bloodborne can be notoriously uninviting, and that’s what fuels their sense of satisfaction. By contrast, Sekiro’s appeal lies in its careful consideration. Reading your enemies, perfecting the timing on deflecting attacks and creating clever openings: These are the keys to staying alive. Precision like the kind Sekiro requires of you isn’t rare for action games, even if it feels dissimilar from FromSoftware’s most recent series. In Sekiro’s case, however, we found ourselves playing it less like an action game, and more like the kinds of fighting games that make you study your opponents before striking.