Summary
- The combat in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice introduces a new rhythm-based mechanic, emphasizing parrying and deflecting attacks instead of waiting for openings to attack.
- The Corrupted Monk boss fight breaks tradition by not following the same rhythm patterns as other bosses, making it difficult to predict the timing of attacks.
- The unique challenge presented by the Corrupted Monk boss fight adds a spike in difficulty, forcing players to unlearn their previous strategies and adapt to the new combat style.
The combat of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice introduced a handful of new concepts to the Soulslike formula, most importantly in the form of the one-on-one duels that many bosses like the Corrupted Monk condense gameplay into. However, not every boss is made the same, and the unique style of certain encounters can show the effects that changing up the rhythm can have on the difficulty of bosses in the Soulslike genre, rather than just kicking up the tempo.
Taking a look at Corrupted Monk as the clearest example that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice brings to the table, this boss becomes a true test of a player's mastery of the game's systems as they proceed into the endgame proper. Acting as a wall for many players coming through both Mibu Village and the Fountainhead Palace for the first time, Corrupted Monk isn't the fastest or strongest boss in the game, but could be the most relentless and likely to land a kill at either location.
Corrupted Monk Breaks Tradition Within Sekiro
Sekiro's Rhythm-Based Combat
It can be easy to misjudge the combat in Sekiro as just another FromSoftware Soulsborne title with all of the regular trappings of dodges, blocking, and deliberate attacks that can't be canceled out of a combo. However, one of the ways that Sekiro represents a leap for Soulslikes is in the way that it warps the parry mechanic away from an occasional tool to land powerful ripostes, but into the backbone of the game's rhythm-based combat. Executing the rhythm of attacks from basic enemies to bombastic bosses like Corrupted Monk to catch them in a series of deflections and parries is more important to combat in Sekiro than waiting passively for an opening to attack.
From that rhythm that Sekiro quickly establishes across the many bosses and mini-bosses littered throughout Ashina Castle and its surrounding areas, patterns can be found and exploited in order to quickly burn through an opponent's posture bar. That being said, Corrupted Monk stands out as a unique obstacle in that she doesn't follow the same baseline rhythm that most other enemies follow. Whereas bosses like Genichiro Ashina appear multiple times to play out their rhythm in bars of 3/4, Corrupted Monk gives up on more traditional rhythm styles and keeps the pressure going without pausing on the beat or following the rules of threes.
The Rhythm of Corrupted Monk
If most of Sekiro's boss fights work in a 3/4 time signature, similar to a waltz with three steps before repeating the cycle, Corrupted Monk switches between 2/4 and 4/4. In fact, it can be difficult to tell exactly when the next attack will be coming, even for players paying attention and noticing that they need to keep up their pace beyond the third hit in a combo. Sometimes it feels like it's only four strikes, while other times, the boss will begin to spin wildly, striking eight or more times before finally giving players the chance to counter or regain their own posture.
Given how late both the Illusion and True Corrupted Monk variants appear in Sekiro, this often leads to a certain amount of growing pains, as players need to unlearn some of what the game has taught them up until this point. Of course, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, as this means that both versions of Corrupted Monk get to be unique challenges that instantly "evolve" the combat that may have been growing stagnant for some players. The result is a staggering spike in difficulty that can enhance the accomplishment for pushing deeper into the world of Sekiro, or players could always cheese Corrupted Monk and head on their way without struggling against the imposing challenge.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- March 22, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
Carve your own clever path to vengeance in the critically acclaimed adventure from developer FromSoftware, creators of the Dark Souls series.
In Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice you are the 'one-armed wolf', a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself.
Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation. Take Revenge. Restore Your Honor. Kill Ingeniously.
