Sifu Review - I Know Kung Fu

thegamer.com:

“Is one life enough to know kung fu?”. As I reached Sifu’s third boss and saw my character age from 30 to 75 in one fell swoop, I kept running the game’s slogan through my head - is one life going to be enough to beat this bloody game?

Well, after 15 hours of what might as well have been a Rocky training montage, I can confirm that Sifu is beatable. That might seem like a weird brag, but this is one of the most demanding games I’ve played in recent memory and a far cry from how it was advertised - Sleeping Dogs 2 this ain’t.

Related: Sifu’s Kungfu Brawling Is Made By A Studio Full Of White Developers

Sifu sees you playing as an unnamed protagonist, either male or female, as they seek revenge against a group of martial artists who killed their master when they were young. They try to kill you in the process, but a mysterious amulet grants you the ability to revive yourself whenever you die, at the cost of ageing every time you use it. Your goal is to kill all five of the martial artists in one lifetime between age 20 and 75 - die too many times, you’ll go past age 75 and it’s game over.

Although the key theme of whether revenge is worth your life is an interesting premise, it’s easily Sifu’s weakest element. Beyond their fighting abilities and the battles themselves, the group of villains here aren’t interesting, and your character’s quest is a one-note affair. It clearly isn’t the focus of Sifu, but it’s a shame that it isn’t more memorable.

At least it’s stylishly told thanks to gorgeous levels and a painterly art style that makes everything pop, especially in levels like the nightclub or museum. Speaking of popping, the sound design is on another level too, with audio cues marking takedowns, items breaking, and even