FromSoftware’sSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis often considered one of the best games in the company’s portfolio, if not one of the best action games of all time. Thoughthere was never anySekiroDLC, that doesn’t mean that there’s no chance for a sequel of some kind in the future, which would have a lot of potential. That said, there is one crucial design hurdle that FromSoftware would need to clear if this were to happen.
Of the many aspects that setSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceapart from other FromSoftware games, few are as significant as its setting. Games likeDark Souls,Bloodborne, andElden Ringall take place in entirely fictional universes which, while perhaps inspired by European fantasy or Victorian-era architecture and fashion, are disconnected from the real world and therefore unshackled from its rules. This is not the case forSekiro, which is set in a fictionalized version of real-world Japan in the 16th-century. The game features otherworldly monsters and superhuman abilities, but it is by far the FromSoftware game with the most verisimilitude, which could cause issues in a potential sequel.
Sekiro Being Linked to the Real World Poses a Difficult Question About Its Sequel’s Setting
Sekiro 2 Could Be Stuck In Time
Sekiroadapts 16th-century Japanese history, blending it with traditional mythology and Buddhist philosophy to create a distinct, yet oddly familiar, game world. Even the central antagonistic force in the game, the Ashina Clan, is based on the real-world clan of the same name, further tethering the story to reality. These elements are reflected in the game’s level design, which is defined by the architecture of the era. Even more fantastical in-game locations, like the Fountainhead Palace, are rooted in the design of ancient estates in real-world Japan.
With all of these real-world parallels,a direct sequel toSekirocould wind up looking and feeling a bit too similar to its predecessor. It’s not likeDark Souls, which can be ambiguous with regard to its temporal setting, allowing FromSoftware to implement radical changes to the game world between releases without needing to offer much explanation. ButSekiro 2couldn’t simply jump forward or backward hundreds of years without major consequences, both in terms of narrative and gameplay, as it would then have to contend with real-world history.
It could take place in the same general era, but this comes with another issue: familiarity. Different regions of Japan are diverse, but the country’s more modest development in the 16th-century could lead to less overall visual distinction. More importantly, the sequel would perhaps be forced in this direction due to the complicated restrictions ofmovingSekiroto a different time period.
A direct sequel to Sekiro could wind up looking and feeling a bit too similar to its predecessor.
Why Real-World Constraints May Not Matter for Sekiro 2
Assuming there is aSekiro 2released someday, and assuming that it at least loosely follows the narrative set up by one of the first game’s endings, there are still a number of ways for it to look, feel, and play distinctly from its predecessor. For example,Sekiro’s Return ending sets up a unique sequel, as it puts the protagonists on a journey to return the Divine Dragon to its homeland, which could be in another real-world country like China or Korea, opening new doors for environmental design and storytelling.
Alternatively, and perhaps more interestingly, the Divine Dragon’s homeland could be an entirely fictional, mythical place, meaning that the sequel could go whole hog on fantasy elements, albeit ones that are rooted more in Japanese mythology than theEuropean roots of other FromSoftware RPGs. This would allow for a far less restrained, elevated experience inSekiro 2, but it would also mean sacrificing the real-world parallels that were so interesting in the first game.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
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.
