Sekiro's Combat Plays Very Much Like a Rhythm Game
At first glance, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice looks and plays very much like a traditional FromSoftware game. Attacks have their usual wind-up animations, players can step dodge and block attacks, and enemies are ruthless when it comes to punishing bad plays. However, the more players get into Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's focus on one-on-one combat, the more they realize it's more of a dance than a fight.
Once players have locked on to an enemy the dance begins. Players (or their enemy) will usually start out with an attack. This attack will be met with either a block or a dodge. It is from here where the attacked party can respond in kind by attacking back or using a technique or item (enemies in Sekiro tend to be craftier than those in other FromSoft games). This trading of attacks is the simplest dance; one which players get used to really fast, and one that feels very similar to a rhythm game.
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Of course, it wouldn't be a FromSoftware game without some complication. Enemies can chain multiple attacks in rapid succession, forcing players to respond and adapt according to their actions. Different attacks require different strategies. Normal attacks should be deflected or parried, sweep attacks have to be jumped over, and thrusts need to be met head-on with a Mikiri Counter. All of these actions feed into Sekiro's posture system. The more players time their deflects, Mikiri Counters, attacks, and jumps properly, the closer they get to breaking their enemy's posture and opening them up to a lethal Deathblow.
Spamming buttons (apart from possibly the block button) won't work as well in Sekiro as it does in other FromSoft games, as doing so cues a
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