I'll never forget how good it felt to defeat Yang, even though I did it in an hour after initially arriving at the boss, it felt amazing, this game is incredible
Sifu does everything a game is supposed to achieve. Make your player feel unskilled and trash and slowly progress. The story is a simple one about someone who has been hurt and strives to hurt the person who hurt him. In the true ending of the game, you overlook this because at peace. Not only at being a better person. But knowing you just beat hard ending to a game. Sifu is about mastery over yourself. And your obstacles. Nobody is gonna get it good the first time but every time they repeat they get better. The game is about not giving up to anger, getting better. Smarter. Wiser. And becoming a master. This game is the game that deserved the title of Game of the year
sekiro made me actually cry in frustration but when i finally stuck to it and saw it through, i felt like i could see into the future. it's a very "riding a bike" kind of game too, i fairly regularly play through it and while it's still challenging i usually breeze through it all. i remember thinking a charmless playthrough (where you take chip damage on blocks unless you perfect deflect) would be really miserable but i did it on my 3rd playthrough and it felt like the perfect level of challenge for the skills i had developed. i love all of from's games and have beaten them all dozens of times, but sekiro is my favorite game by them.
Your take on Absolver relates to how why Sekiro stuck with me more than Bloodborne and Dark Souls, even though I like those games. The lack of builds in Sekiro encourages me, the player, to improve how I play rather than worrying over which stat to increase to overcome a boss.
Same, Bloodborne and Sekiro are the genuine actual frameworks on me learning my own niche for these types of games. I just want to be given a very good structure on things. It's why DooM Eternal was perfect for me as well.
I died... *so many times.* I restarted so many times, cried at Kuroki so many times, had to replay Yang's section... more times than I could count. I cannot describe how cathartic sparing Yang felt in the end.
Imma just say. Sifu really gives me the same progress as Sekiro for me, the parry is hard to get used to but when i do get its like im neo, like i awakened. Now nobody could touch me.
I totally connect with your “too much control given to the player” issue. I like to be given a set of rules and then use those rules to overcome challenges. That section really put it in perspective for me why I don’t connect with some objectively great games that are just TOO flexible for the player. I’m paralyzed by the chooses instead of the challenges!
Exactly! It's very similar to how I feel when someone tells me do just "make something" in terms of art. I need some sort of parameters to get invested in it.
@@filmotter they say limitations breed creativity in art. I think the same is true for creative solutions in games/challenges in life. I really appreciated this video.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And speaking of artistic limitations, I feel like I've been really inspired to change up my video essays a bit this year. Super excited!
I’ve never played a game that taught me a lesson like Sifu taught, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I’m glad others feel the same passion and respect towards the game like me. I really appreciate your very open and personal takes here, great video! 😊
Thanks! I'm glad you dig the video. I've found the older I get, the more I'm drawn towards games like this that teach me something. I'm working on a Sable video right now in much the same vein.
I preordered sifu and hated it on release (cause I was terrible) but after I played sekiro and did a bunch of challenge runs on it I came back to sifu and had a much more fun time, realizing I had not given it a proper chance before
@@orsonplant3134 No thats wrong its one of the best ways to get through kurokis first phase and yangs entire fight and the ceo its basically the only way to beat the CEO but it does have some falteres
These are the aspects of Sifu that I wish more people knew about, and understood. It's not a fighting game, it's a learning experience. It's not a beat 'em up, a training montage. It's mastery made manifest
Saying that sekiro doesn't allow for player expression is wrong, just because a meta exists it doesn't mean you have to abide it, sifu pushes you into an aggressive parry focused playstyle as well at higher levels.
I want to start by saying that the video overall is very well presented and explains your main goal exceptionally well! I want to focus however, on the section you put in there about Absolver. Much of the lessons reflected in gameplay given by Sifu had first been given by Absolver, but instead of the lessons being shown within the gameplay it is given out of it. What I find Absolver to primarily teach is that of Self Expression through Martial Arts and Exploration. This of course implies everything to do with Martial Arts and Exploration, principally patience. That freedom given by Absolver to customize almost anything about your own personal fighting style, to me at the very least, is refreshing every time I boot up the game. It takes time to thrive, experimenting and testing what I like, seeing what works and what I feel the need to adjust, interacting with others in the game and out of it, of all of it led to an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment at every step of the way in my journey of personal growth in the game. I do find it remiss that you didn't mention the community, and more specifically about how Absolver is built around how the community will interact with each other. There is no in game system to let you know what player you interact with is an "invader" or a "summon". The game was built with seamless multiplayer in mind, one player will guide you through the map or teach you their moves, one will challenge you to a fight, another would hunt you down, while another might do all of that, or another none. That's not mentioning of course how the main bulk of progression is PvP. More specifically how one particular individual's fighting style and ability will play against another's. Its perfectly reasonable that the sense of freedom in Absolver could be overwhelming and even give you that feeling of anxiety, and of course, you can't just say "oh you should have been active in the community to understand the game", but considering how multiplayer was integrated into the game itself and how the community grew along with it to help as many newbies grow to the best of their abilities it is difficult to simply dismiss it as a factor to consider especially in being able to get past some of the analysis paralysis that the game may impose. I highly encourage you and anyone else that reads this wall of text to hop on into Absolver. The game may seem daunting, but don't go through it expecting Dark Souls. Absolver is it's own experience, one that requires patience and a willingness to take things slow. Nothing against the overall point you made in that section of the video, like I said its perfectly valid to feel that way. I just feel that there's a bit more to Absolver than was presented in the Video, and I appreciate you pointing out that people should check it out on their own. This is just my take as someone who Absolver "clicked" with. I highly encourage checking Absolver out for yourself.
"Well, no one can be helped if they don't want to be helped. The main crux of the issue is they have to believe that spending time getting good at absolver will be more fun than moving on to a new game. A bunch of people who have been playing this game since it came out put in the time to basically solve the game and now you have to convince people to want to try and catch up. And what do we have to teach people? That all the cool moves they like suck, that all the things they'd like to put together don't work, that their style sucks or their style is OP but skill issue or that they need to learn another style if they want to be good at their style, that frame data is whack, that they're gonna get fucked by connection just cuz You have to convince people the game is still fun, and more fun than other games than they could go off and get good at, and it might be for a week. Maybe a month. And maybe they're not primarily a pvp player to begin with but that's all that's left in absolver and they just want to collect some gear and fight the bosses again. It's a tough sell." ~R3d_Rain
Everything laid out there is very true, but there is another point of view you could take. We could consider creativity and freedom, and that sense of self improvement that comes with progressing in the game. Even more so, Absolver's biggest selling point is the community, be it that its making a name for yourself in the community, getting to know people, and helping yourself and others in the game. Absolver is pretty much the only game that plays like it does, so that niche element leads to the tight nit community. Its only a good thing that the vast majority of the community is very helpful (if with some ribbing to go along with it.)
@@rifqyf1399 Shrug, they wanted to make something new. Little sad its not on my radar but like it'll be the best football game to grace the internet I'm sure. Rest in peace Rocket League.
I just found you, because I want to do videogame essays myself and was just bit researching for inspiration. What I just found, was so much more. It resonated so much with me. I literally have tears in my eyes. You just gave me something I haven't felt in so long time: hope and a spark of courage to belive in myself. Power that I can forgive myself. I think all that that sounds weird, but it's true. I am truly grateful for you and your work. If I ever have the financial possibility to support you, I will. As of right now, I am sadly unable to, due to chronic mental disorder, so money is always tight. Anyways, again, thank you so much for your videos. Please keep on doing what you do. ❤️❤️❤️
I do feel sad that Sekiro didn’t click with you as it did with me, because Sekiro was my Sifu before Sifu came around. Both have taught me not to quit as easily at things.
This video made me cry. I've been feeling like a failure for a while. My relationships have been stifled and my career feels roadblocked. This video made me realize the importance of letting go and forgiving. So I'm going to try and do that. Thanks for the vid filmotter.
I’ve been struggling with some big hurdles lately and I was thinking to myself last night… “gosh, I could use a break” and I decided that I can give myself that break. I don’t have to be so hard on myself. We can all do better, but part of that is treating ourselves better. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, and give yourself more wiggle room to solve life’s problems. Best of luck, you got this!
Making UA-cam videos, especially ones as well made as yours Otter, is a massive accomplishment. It’s not a small thing you haven’t quit this UA-cam channel, and you should feel proud!
The deck in Absolver tells you where the move is gonna put u in the stance, I love the game and I think you jus didn’t pay enough attention to Absolver ; but Sifu is Goated and I’m glad you tried Absolver !
Sir, I'm 5 minutes or so into the video and I want to tell you something 1, I'm glad you didn't quit on Sifu. The game is fuckin brilliant and I love it. 2, welcome to the martial arts. You may not actually be learning a martial discipline but this is what it is. I've been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for 3 years or so now. It still baffles me how much I've learned and how much I still need to learn. I would absolutely wreck the guy I was 3 years ago, but I'm not even close to my black belt. Sifu shows that you can't just make martial arts work for you. You have to be disciplined and patient. Looking forward to the rest of your video.
For my first run of this game, I've been working at trying to complete it on the hardest difficulty without aging up at all. Pure hell. I spent sixteen hours on the first mission alone. 13 hours on the second, and I'm still working on it. That damn club is hellish.
Wow this essay!!! I really related. Its corny but Elden Ring was this game for me. It helped me reframe failure to learning. Instead of "wow i died again" I started asking, "hmmm what can I do differently." Thank you again for this video!
Yknow, I felt the same way about Sekiro for the longest time, never came back until basically every other game I owned at the time was thoroughly beaten. And upon that return, I spent most of the first few hours griping in a not too dissimilar way until, something clicked suddenly and I went on to finally beat the game and snatch up a few secret bosses along the way. You're not wrong in the assumption that your primary survival tool has gone from dodge rolling to parrying, and improving that skill is gonna get you furthest. I think the issue with that lies in the fact that the game does a pretty wack job of explaining or demonstrating to new players like us that its not the "Only" tactic or even a perfectly consistent one. There are plenty of subtle interactions between various enemies and certain movements or ninja tools, [I basically never used ninja tools to this day though so its not super necessary] for instance you can use the kick jump on various enemies to reposition in a fight with multiple targets or to avoid and counter certain boss attacks. Gradually picking up on different enemies' weaknesses while you gain new skills and a pretty generous store of heals keeps most of the game from ever feeling overwhelming once you get locked in, and the environments are some of the most fascinating to explore in FromSoft's catalogue. I guess what I'm getting at is basically : Sekiro is a pretty sharp step-up in difficulty almost no matter what kind of gamer you are, "Do or Die" really isn't an exaggeration and you're gonna need to diligently learn the game to complete it, but humans always unconsciously seek more stimulating experiences when we've gotten comfortable or skilled enough where we're at, and I believe anyone who didn't believe they could do it just wasn't at that point in their own skill development yet. Keep Sekiro in mind when you find yourself kinda bored of where you're at somewhere down the line, this game demands concentration and growth that can wake you up and make you feel alive! I still haven't killed the demon of hate yet tho ;_;
@@filmotter this made me remember how I used to play sifu so much lol. Like I was good at the game. (at least I thought I was) I completed the story mode over and over so many times. That's how much I enjoyed the game. I haven't played the game in months but I might get back to the game again. (Idk why I just said all of this but yeah)
Unreal video. This is the definitive take on this game, and is exactly what I needed to hear to finally pick it up soon. Thank you so much for sharing your personal experiences through this, and I can’t wait to share this video with more people. If anyone ever brings up this game, this will be the only video that matters. Keep on going!
I'm glad too! It was interesting how INTO IT I got over the course of playing. Now I've started playing it off stream and just basically getting through the levels with my eyes closed to relax. Such a stark difference from where I started lol
I have a shitty attention span but in a similarly determined fashion I decided to stick through the whole thing. Great video man. I thought it would have more views, and you more subscribers. Script is fantastic, as is the pacing. The delivery of your narration has some pleasing and soothing quality that made me feel the message.
This is my favorite video of yours yet :) Tightly, powerfully written with a genuinely moving ending. Wasn't sure where you were going with the section on the sparing mechanic, but it "teaching you how to quit" brought it together beautifully. Your experience sounds pretty similar to mine with Celeste, but even with that game's genius it doesn't really teach to let go like that with gameplay. The personal touch you brought to this script was another strong choice. Overall, very good shit 👑
Skye!! That is so kind of you. I really appreciate you saying this. And I'm glad the personal side of things added to the video. I was nervous it wasn't gonna hit.
I was looking to pick this up for my series s. I came across your video and I can't believe how it effected me. I'm someone just like you, not very proud of my life choices so far, yet to reach a point in life where I can make someone proud. I have spent days dwelling on that, but I'll remember your words my friend. I subscribed to you and I WILL follow anything u make. Also picked Sifu up, thank you for that too.
Thanks for putting up this video, its really nicely and wholesome made. The scope of martial arts is way broader than about violence and this video showed it good, to begin to understand that we are part of a net
Listening to this, I felt like I was listening to myself do a video essay. So much of what you talked about resonated with me as a mid 30s adult. Thank you.
I got recommended to your channel a little while ago by kolpeshtheyardstick, and I have since watched all of your video essays and some of your let's plays. I love your style of writing and analysis! I don't play a lot of video games (broke student with little downtime haha TT), but I really do love them and what they can do for us. So I really appreciate how you show all the wonderful ways games can tell stories, impact us, and teach us something more. It's a whole other way for me to interact with and understand all sorts of games I didn't know about. This was a great video. I'm at a bit of a crossroads right now with lots of regret and anxiety over what I should or could have done - your ending really hit home. Thank you. I'm looking forward to all you have coming next!!
Love me some Kolpesh! And I'm happy the video and the rest of my work seems to have spoken to you. I really appreciate it. I put so much work into all of it so I'm glad it shows through. :D
I got this video recommended to me after I finally got the true ending of Sifu lol. It took many mistakes and many ways to learn new moves. Everytime I got close to the end, I kept getting stuck either because I was too old or not fast enough. I just didn't have the heart to go back to 20. I just took a break for a long time. Then I got back and went back with a heavy heart. Then I tried to fight a little differently. I went back and learned and trained. I got decently good. So I defeated every enemy and every boss after learning all their moves and new ways of countering. Once I defeated Yang I felt good, but then I started all over again and attained Wude. It felt like a spiritual Journey really. This video really hit the nail on the head on my experiance.
Otter, I'm not even going to try and make a silly comment for this video. This is, in my honest opinion, your best video yet. From the writing, the editing, and the message, I've been left absolutely floored. I'm proud of you and excited to see where your future takes you.
Noob being genuine? WHAT? This isn't what I signed up for! But thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really went out on a limb here. So I'm glad it seems to have paid off.
There is no fucking way you only have 3k subs. This video is so well edited, well written and an excellent watch. I really hope the best for you in the future. You earned a sub from me, that's for sure.
I genuinely love your video, but I do think that Sekiro isn't as into revenge, but on ending the cycle of immortality. It also teaches a very similar lesson about doing the right thing, as it has even more endings compared to Sifu. I don't want to shout spoilers right from the get go, but there's a huge reason why I love BOTH of these games for indirectly teaching me that doing the right thing is genuinely worth it in the end.
I started this game last night and got through to the museum on medium difficulty before bed. My favorite thing about this game might not even be the fighting, but the theme. The game's title has multiple meanings. Sifu is a master, obvious theme with martial arts masters. The secondary meaning isn't as a title, but an instruction. MASTER. Master your skills, master your enemy knowledge, master your ability to absolutely demolish this game. The most enjoyable way to play the game is to play with the knowledge that its not a game you are meant to step into and complete without hard work. You can beat it at the age of 70 in your first run, sure. But the game pushes you to try again and again to lower your death counts and spare the bosses, to gradually unlock your permanent skills and make each run quicker, decimate enemies faster, and become a SIFU. As a dark souls lover and a competitive person, i can see myself playing this game for years to come, attempting to achieve a no weapon run, or a no-hit run, or even just a run where i can stay under the age of 30.
I beg of you to give Sekiro another try. When it clicks it's just so unique, that's why people compare it to a rythm game. My first playthrough I gave up on the final boss fight, cause I was sucking so bad. Some time later I played the whole thing from beggining and finally was able to beat that boss.
Truly one of the greatest fighting games of all time, this game took many hours of my life and I want none of them back; least of all the ones spent sparing the bosses.
My God, deep introspection through engaging gameplay. I'm impressed. I really hope you get bigger and do more content like this -- it's what UA-cam should be about. Really well done! Thank you for the watch.
Failing up is what this game is, you're always getting better, always. You got killed 100 times? You got better 100 times too. Taking that philosophy into real life is a life changer ♥️
Good stuff man. I'm happy for you, glad you made it through the game and gained so much from it. I still go back to master mode now and then but it's more like, returning to comfort. Practicing my art. It feels good. Love the punchline at the end, glad this game is getting your appreciation!
I strongly recommend finishing sekiro I did the same thing I would pick it up put it down then i just persevered after dying probably 400 times to the final boss I got his move set down and beat him it was the most satisfying thing I’ve experienced in a game
I stopped at the point where you were gonna explain the second playthrough because I don't want any spoilers or thoughts on that given I haven't gotten through it myself, but I do wanna touch on the stuff you talked about so far, as well as share my own experience and thoughts. I wanna start by saying that I agree with what you said about what kind of difficult of a game sifu is. This steep learning curve is what attracts me to challenging games like it. Picking it up day 1 I already knew my end goal: getting *so* good at controlling my own character that I can make difficult fights look like movies where I'm the protagonist. That is the exact kind of itch I love to scratch with these challenging games: the focus I have to keep up over long periods of time, the rush I get through entire fights, the combos I use to style on everyone only because I can control my character so effortlessly. Getting to that point thought meant that I get to learn and master the mechanics of the game that you mentioned are what kept you wanting to not give up on it: the right balance of a difficult but versatile and fun combat system, as well as the additional motivation from the fairly straightforward but engaging story/purpose you have. That's why I didn't have myself an honest go against the first boss until I knew I was *fully* ready, having spent the time unlocking and mastering all the moves as best I knew how. Before too long, I beat the first boss with only 1 year added to my age, sweeped the second stage with zero deaths and, to my surprise, the artist and CEO where beaten in the first go (though I did have to go back to beat them with fewer deaths). That said, the first two bosses were pretty simple pattern following fights, the following (artist and CEO) were such a big spike in difficulty, design and fun, but the final boss- man, it was an experience. I feel like that boss forced me to see a new skill ceiling to the way I was fighting, and as you can imagine for me it felt incredibly rewarding and amazing. Going into the trials and fighting the simple dudes afterwards was like night and day. Before the final boss, I would rate myself a 9,5/10 in combat, *after* the fight, solid 11/15. This goes back to what you said about how you can tackle fights and objectives. Build your own fighting style consisting of a different set of moves, terrain, levels of aggressiveness, etc. Storywise, for me it was at the CEO's stage where the game started dropping clues. Tiny nuggets of lore that if put together, raised more questions than answers. I very honestly picked up this game for the fighting and not the story, and that must have had something to do with how hard the realization hit me at the end, when the last piece of the puzzle connected all the others together, which what what you explained in the part of where you've gotten the "bad ending". (I'm being kinda vague so not to spell it out for the peeps who wanna play through the game, even after having seen your video (at least up to the point I did)). My bottom line is: It took very little for this game to become one of my favourites of all time. Combat, expression, story, replayability, as well as other traits you can like in a game: graphics, animations, pacing, etc. It's a gem. And mind you, you don't *have* to tackle this game like I did to enjoy it. I just know from experience that people like me will appreciate it for all the points I raised. As long as you're up for the challenge and the fact that you can't cheese it like filmotter mentioned, you should absolutely give it a shot.
Great video! Don't want to be *that* guy, but.. "The CEO took me ages" Her only combo is up, up, down and she uses it during all the fight. And the second stage of "The Artist" is easier than the first stage. Still, great video!
Something about about your videos is very comforting like I want just to sit down and listen to you with a cup of hot cocoa. This video is no exception to being that kind of comforting, that is to say it's very good.
Dani, only because I worked so hard to get this one up on time and put my heart out there in a personal way... I'll say THANK YOU. And finally accept your compliment. :P Also hope you're feeling a little better!
Wonderful video man, Be proud of yourself it's important for improving your work and yourself. Keep striving for what you want and take your failures with you to succeed in the future. The game succeeds in motivating you and telling a narrative in a direct yet indirect ways a bit better than others.
Sifu and Sekiro are my favorite games simply because their parry mechanics. Having great choreographed feeling fights really adds much more depth vs beat em up, button mashers. Not that I don’t enjoy those myself. But having that back in forth with even the smallest of enemies adds a level of intensity to every encounter
the bit about absolver really resonated with me. as someone who loved god hand on the ps2, absolver seemed like a major advancement of the combo system there, but none of it felt cohesive to me, and i could never get into it. but sifu was free on epic yesterday, and i am completely in love
One of the best games I've ever played. I also had to drop to student to learn the game well enough to even have a chance at disciple. Finally beat Wude on disciple. Felt amazing. Then master wrecked me all over on the first level. Sifu does NOT fuck around
very well done, otter. congrats on getting through sifu and reaching youtube partner! and congrats on learning when to let go. i know the daunting "laundry pile" is a metaphor for more than just "laundry" and i hope the things you learned from this game stick with you. i noticed youtube is pushing your videos more and your essays are showing up on my home page for the first time! thanks again for another well made essay.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Violet! It means a lot, especially since this one was a bit more on the personal side. And I'm glad the youtube gods have started pushing my stuff out there a bit more. So cool to hear that's been happening!
Oh geeze I need to play this! It's interesting because the reasons you say Absolver didn't click for you at 9:09 are the same reasons Dark Souls doesnt really click for me! Sifu kinda seems more like Bloodborne than Dark Souls in some way but then again haven't played it yet! Great video as always!
dang Otter why you gotta make me tear up like that! Beautiful video! Beautiful messages! I wasn't expecting that at all! The game seems really cool with all the introspection!
Homie, I just started this game 2 days ago. My friends talked me into trying and for the sake competitiveness, they challenged me to play it on -Master- difficulty. Just beat the first boss last night and all I can say is: WHAT A GAME
I feel like I m looking and listening to my reflection. The same struggles you have I have them too. The struggle you have in personal and professional life, I have experienced. I had this thought of myself being a quitter. And then I knew about this game. Being a huge fan of martial arts in cinematography, watching Jackie Chan, Jet Lee and other incredible talents on screen this game has become a gem and a big present. And the odd feelings and relationships I had with this game initially being really hard and annoying that I've almost quit, and then giving it a little more time to grasp the concepts, I felt an incredible amount of pride after dying, and learning, dying , and learning. When I first started the game I was a newbie, who didn't know how to fight and got my ass whooped by everybody . The character gets older with each death, so do you get better. And at the end, after completing this game several times and still playing it to this day I can call myself and the character in the game - A Sifu. Now I have become a true master and can defeat any enemy almost effortlessly. I really am happy I stumbled upon this video on my youtube recommendations. It is a rare occasion I leave comments on somebody's video, but you just hit the strings inside. I now realize that I haven't been alone having these thoughts and you put it beautifully in this video
I'm glad you felt seen, because that's a big reason in me making this video. I often forget that other people are similar to me in this regard. And since putting this put there, it's been quite affirming to hear that I'm not alone, you know?
honwstly absolver is one of my favorite games ever. it sucks that sloclap and their game didn't have the support to truly polish and perfect it. i still come back to it often i bought sifu just yesterday and i am enjoying it though, and it shows promising progress
8:20 if you’re curious by all means to check out Ongbal’s Sekiro videos. I can guarantee you, Sekiro is far from what you’re describing. There is plenty of room for you to choose what to do and use and abuse many and all of the shinobi tools and skills provided you know the situations where they’d fit right in, making hard fights really easy or solving specific problema in flashy, awesome looking ways
Sifu does well at making the player adapt and over come from how well the player progression was executed. Me playing from the moment I installed to now is like watching two different games; the game didn't give me broken tools to just win, the progression system is the player's skill itself which feels natural in the context of martial arts. Everything like totem rewards and skills are just supplementary.
It’s so interesting to hear about what sections people found challenging, as the museum imo is the easier of levels, and the 2nd phase of that boss IMO is the easiest in the game.
As someone whose mother's side of the family is Taiwanese, the Chinese word for water has always been pronounced "xuay" or something along those lines. (thanks to how you pronounced it, I even went to Google translate, which just about confirmed my experiences)
I think empathy and perseverance through martial arts is the core of sloclap, because thats how absolver worked too. The primary method of skill progression was acquiring new techniques by encountering and sparring with people who used moves you did not know. and the reason why I say empathy and perseverance is because while you learn to move slowly by blocking, if you learned it well enough to Dodge or Parry the attack you would learn it much more quickly. Meeting and learning about new people through martial arts. and of course even if one of you should fall in battle it is easy and instant to simply pick them back up.
Fun fact: "Wu xing" reminds me a lot of Magic: the gathering's color system. Green is wood, red is fire, water is blue, white is metal and black is earth. I always tought the color psycology was interesting, and brought it to real life, like "if that person was a card, they would be red" or "I gotta think like a green player this time" now that i see that it was heavily inspired by a real type of psychology, i guess my adiction to this TCG really makes sense now.
I saw something in my research for this video that suggested they based the elements in Magic off of Wu Xing. But it seemed to mostly be a rumor. I see that connection, though!
This is game taught me the opposite. If you're not having fun in a video game anymore, quit. The revelation came to me once I encountered the 3rd stage. The boss completely destroyed me, which is what it is. However the thought of having to replay large chunks just to get back to where I left off just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I spent about 4 hours replaying stage 2 in order to complete it at an age I was satisfied with but the realization that I needed to repeat the same process on the 3rd stage made me really think things through. I play video games out of enjoyment, not because I want another chore. Ironically what you said is quite fitting to my experience of the game: "to quit does not have to mean defeat. Mindfully stepping away is not a failure." I don't need to prove anything to myself by completing Sifu, at the end of the day it's a video game. I quit not out of frustration, I consciously quit because I don't need another repetitive task in my life. Great video essay though, and you've earned a new subscriber.
![Silliest Top Tiers In Fighting Games [Bumbles McFumbles]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TY9dLO5ucJc/mqdefault.jpg)
What games have kept you pushing even though you thought you wouldn't be able to finish them?
Sekiro took me 4 years to finally beat it 😅
I firmly believe I will NEVER beat Sekiro tbh
a hat in time and the death wish challenges! they are some of the HARDEST challenges ive ever tried but it's really fun
@@BreadstixTheAnimator Oooh, I still need to play A Hat in Time. I heard that's such a gem!
"BABA IS YOU" is easily the most challenging puzzle game I have ever finished. It looks so simple, yet it is actually fiendishly tricky.
I'll never forget how good it felt to defeat Yang, even though I did it in an hour after initially arriving at the boss, it felt amazing, this game is incredible
Totally! It gave me such a rush to finally beat him. 😅
Now try to beat him by staying at age 20 the whole game. This is how I play still trying to finish the first level.
the uploader is a gay niɡɡer
an hour is pretty short. 20 hrs in on him alone and still have yet to beat him in one life.
i just got to yang and realized i ws too old so i replayed it all just so i could have more wiggle room as im 35 instead of 68 LOL
Sifu does everything a game is supposed to achieve. Make your player feel unskilled and trash and slowly progress. The story is a simple one about someone who has been hurt and strives to hurt the person who hurt him. In the true ending of the game, you overlook this because at peace. Not only at being a better person. But knowing you just beat hard ending to a game. Sifu is about mastery over yourself. And your obstacles. Nobody is gonna get it good the first time but every time they repeat they get better. The game is about not giving up to anger, getting better. Smarter. Wiser. And becoming a master. This game is the game that deserved the title of Game of the year
If this comment does get likes somehow, I’m so sorry for yapping.
The game (like Sekiro) really puts the player in the same shoes of the protagonist, we are learning together
Can we take a second to talk about how gorgeous this game is too. Every part of The Museum proves games are art.
Getting to Yang with focus upgrades taught me to quit
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sekiro made me actually cry in frustration but when i finally stuck to it and saw it through, i felt like i could see into the future. it's a very "riding a bike" kind of game too, i fairly regularly play through it and while it's still challenging i usually breeze through it all. i remember thinking a charmless playthrough (where you take chip damage on blocks unless you perfect deflect) would be really miserable but i did it on my 3rd playthrough and it felt like the perfect level of challenge for the skills i had developed. i love all of from's games and have beaten them all dozens of times, but sekiro is my favorite game by them.
Your take on Absolver relates to how why Sekiro stuck with me more than Bloodborne and Dark Souls, even though I like those games. The lack of builds in Sekiro encourages me, the player, to improve how I play rather than worrying over which stat to increase to overcome a boss.
Same, Bloodborne and Sekiro are the genuine actual frameworks on me learning my own niche for these types of games. I just want to be given a very good structure on things.
It's why DooM Eternal was perfect for me as well.
Imma just farm these ruins
I died... *so many times.* I restarted so many times, cried at Kuroki so many times, had to replay Yang's section... more times than I could count. I cannot describe how cathartic sparing Yang felt in the end.
Imma just say. Sifu really gives me the same progress as Sekiro for me, the parry is hard to get used to but when i do get its like im neo, like i awakened. Now nobody could touch me.
I really need to go back and try Sekiro again at some point
Hearing you say “I’ve never been happier than I am now” is so powerful. I’m glad you have started down this road.
I totally connect with your “too much control given to the player” issue. I like to be given a set of rules and then use those rules to overcome challenges. That section really put it in perspective for me why I don’t connect with some objectively great games that are just TOO flexible for the player. I’m paralyzed by the chooses instead of the challenges!
Exactly! It's very similar to how I feel when someone tells me do just "make something" in terms of art. I need some sort of parameters to get invested in it.
@@filmotter they say limitations breed creativity in art. I think the same is true for creative solutions in games/challenges in life. I really appreciated this video.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And speaking of artistic limitations, I feel like I've been really inspired to change up my video essays a bit this year. Super excited!
@@filmotter I’ll be watching!
Aww, thank you so much. :)
I’ve never played a game that taught me a lesson like Sifu taught, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I’m glad others feel the same passion and respect towards the game like me. I really appreciate your very open and personal takes here, great video! 😊
Thanks! I'm glad you dig the video. I've found the older I get, the more I'm drawn towards games like this that teach me something. I'm working on a Sable video right now in much the same vein.
I preordered sifu and hated it on release (cause I was terrible) but after I played sekiro and did a bunch of challenge runs on it I came back to sifu and had a much more fun time, realizing I had not given it a proper chance before
Id suggest u celeste
Sifu's button mashing is basically holding L1 and waving the joystick away from the enemy constantly😂
That's why they made parring more rewarding actually
That will get you exactly two rooms into the club and, if by some miracle, you make it to the museum, your mashing/flicking journey will END THERE.
@@orsonplant3134 No thats wrong its one of the best ways to get through kurokis first phase and yangs entire fight and the ceo its basically the only way to beat the CEO but it does have some falteres
@@team_ribs parrying is a lot more useful against yang's first phase.
@@thephoenix4093 you need to find a balence cause if you focus on one youll struggle on different enemies
These are the aspects of Sifu that I wish more people knew about, and understood. It's not a fighting game, it's a learning experience. It's not a beat 'em up, a training montage. It's mastery made manifest
Saying that sekiro doesn't allow for player expression is wrong, just because a meta exists it doesn't mean you have to abide it, sifu pushes you into an aggressive parry focused playstyle as well at higher levels.
I can feel this one. Sifu is still a game I need to pick up, but absolutely looking forward to it, especially after watching this.
I'm glad it connected with you! Because I really went in a more personal direction, so I was a little scared it would turn some people away.
I want to start by saying that the video overall is very well presented and explains your main goal exceptionally well!
I want to focus however, on the section you put in there about Absolver. Much of the lessons reflected in gameplay given by Sifu had first been given by Absolver, but instead of the lessons being shown within the gameplay it is given out of it.
What I find Absolver to primarily teach is that of Self Expression through Martial Arts and Exploration. This of course implies everything to do with Martial Arts and Exploration, principally patience. That freedom given by Absolver to customize almost anything about your own personal fighting style, to me at the very least, is refreshing every time I boot up the game. It takes time to thrive, experimenting and testing what I like, seeing what works and what I feel the need to adjust, interacting with others in the game and out of it, of all of it led to an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment at every step of the way in my journey of personal growth in the game.
I do find it remiss that you didn't mention the community, and more specifically about how Absolver is built around how the community will interact with each other. There is no in game system to let you know what player you interact with is an "invader" or a "summon". The game was built with seamless multiplayer in mind, one player will guide you through the map or teach you their moves, one will challenge you to a fight, another would hunt you down, while another might do all of that, or another none. That's not mentioning of course how the main bulk of progression is PvP. More specifically how one particular individual's fighting style and ability will play against another's.
Its perfectly reasonable that the sense of freedom in Absolver could be overwhelming and even give you that feeling of anxiety, and of course, you can't just say "oh you should have been active in the community to understand the game", but considering how multiplayer was integrated into the game itself and how the community grew along with it to help as many newbies grow to the best of their abilities it is difficult to simply dismiss it as a factor to consider especially in being able to get past some of the analysis paralysis that the game may impose.
I highly encourage you and anyone else that reads this wall of text to hop on into Absolver. The game may seem daunting, but don't go through it expecting Dark Souls. Absolver is it's own experience, one that requires patience and a willingness to take things slow. Nothing against the overall point you made in that section of the video, like I said its perfectly valid to feel that way. I just feel that there's a bit more to Absolver than was presented in the Video, and I appreciate you pointing out that people should check it out on their own.
This is just my take as someone who Absolver "clicked" with. I highly encourage checking Absolver out for yourself.
"Well, no one can be helped if they don't want to be helped. The main crux of the issue is they have to believe that spending time getting good at absolver will be more fun than moving on to a new game. A bunch of people who have been playing this game since it came out put in the time to basically solve the game and now you have to convince people to want to try and catch up.
And what do we have to teach people? That all the cool moves they like suck, that all the things they'd like to put together don't work, that their style sucks or their style is OP but skill issue or that they need to learn another style if they want to be good at their style, that frame data is whack, that they're gonna get fucked by connection just cuz
You have to convince people the game is still fun, and more fun than other games than they could go off and get good at, and it might be for a week. Maybe a month. And maybe they're not primarily a pvp player to begin with but that's all that's left in absolver and they just want to collect some gear and fight the bosses again.
It's a tough sell."
~R3d_Rain
Everything laid out there is very true, but there is another point of view you could take.
We could consider creativity and freedom, and that sense of self improvement that comes with progressing in the game.
Even more so, Absolver's biggest selling point is the community, be it that its making a name for yourself in the community, getting to know people, and helping yourself and others in the game.
Absolver is pretty much the only game that plays like it does, so that niche element leads to the tight nit community. Its only a good thing that the vast majority of the community is very helpful (if with some ribbing to go along with it.)
I feel like Slowclap put itself on the map. I can't wait for their next project for sure.
Their next project is an arcade soccer game. How do you feel about that? 😁
@@rifqyf1399 Shrug, they wanted to make something new. Little sad its not on my radar but like it'll be the best football game to grace the internet I'm sure. Rest in peace Rocket League.
I just found you, because I want to do videogame essays myself and was just bit researching for inspiration. What I just found, was so much more. It resonated so much with me. I literally have tears in my eyes. You just gave me something I haven't felt in so long time: hope and a spark of courage to belive in myself. Power that I can forgive myself. I think all that that sounds weird, but it's true. I am truly grateful for you and your work. If I ever have the financial possibility to support you, I will. As of right now, I am sadly unable to, due to chronic mental disorder, so money is always tight.
Anyways, again, thank you so much for your videos. Please keep on doing what you do. ❤️❤️❤️
I do feel sad that Sekiro didn’t click with you as it did with me, because Sekiro was my Sifu before Sifu came around. Both have taught me not to quit as easily at things.
For me it was Geometry Dash and Dark Souls 3
This video made me cry. I've been feeling like a failure for a while. My relationships have been stifled and my career feels roadblocked. This video made me realize the importance of letting go and forgiving. So I'm going to try and do that. Thanks for the vid filmotter.
I'm right there with you to be honest! I hope we both figure things out. And I'm glad the video resonated with you.
I’ve been struggling with some big hurdles lately and I was thinking to myself last night… “gosh, I could use a break” and I decided that I can give myself that break. I don’t have to be so hard on myself. We can all do better, but part of that is treating ourselves better. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, and give yourself more wiggle room to solve life’s problems.
Best of luck, you got this!
Making UA-cam videos, especially ones as well made as yours Otter, is a massive accomplishment. It’s not a small thing you haven’t quit this UA-cam channel, and you should feel proud!
Thank you! I really put a lot of myself into these more recent videos, so thank you. 😊
The deck in Absolver tells you where the move is gonna put u in the stance, I love the game and I think you jus didn’t pay enough attention to Absolver ; but Sifu is Goated and I’m glad you tried Absolver !
Sir, I'm 5 minutes or so into the video and I want to tell you something 1, I'm glad you didn't quit on Sifu. The game is fuckin brilliant and I love it. 2, welcome to the martial arts. You may not actually be learning a martial discipline but this is what it is. I've been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for 3 years or so now. It still baffles me how much I've learned and how much I still need to learn. I would absolutely wreck the guy I was 3 years ago, but I'm not even close to my black belt. Sifu shows that you can't just make martial arts work for you. You have to be disciplined and patient. Looking forward to the rest of your video.
Amazing to see a video game that can be looked at as therapeutic.
I've been finding a lot of games like this, especially during and after 2020
For my first run of this game, I've been working at trying to complete it on the hardest difficulty without aging up at all.
Pure hell. I spent sixteen hours on the first mission alone. 13 hours on the second, and I'm still working on it. That damn club is hellish.
Wow this essay!!! I really related. Its corny but Elden Ring was this game for me. It helped me reframe failure to learning. Instead of "wow i died again" I started asking, "hmmm what can I do differently." Thank you again for this video!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I made a similar video to this on Elden Ring a few months ago actually. Very similar experience for me
I'm not even going to lie, the end there brought me to tears reflecting on my own experiences. Keep up the fantastic work, man
I was crying while editing that last part tbh. 😅
Yknow, I felt the same way about Sekiro for the longest time, never came back until basically every other game I owned at the time was thoroughly beaten. And upon that return, I spent most of the first few hours griping in a not too dissimilar way until, something clicked suddenly and I went on to finally beat the game and snatch up a few secret bosses along the way. You're not wrong in the assumption that your primary survival tool has gone from dodge rolling to parrying, and improving that skill is gonna get you furthest. I think the issue with that lies in the fact that the game does a pretty wack job of explaining or demonstrating to new players like us that its not the "Only" tactic or even a perfectly consistent one. There are plenty of subtle interactions between various enemies and certain movements or ninja tools, [I basically never used ninja tools to this day though so its not super necessary] for instance you can use the kick jump on various enemies to reposition in a fight with multiple targets or to avoid and counter certain boss attacks. Gradually picking up on different enemies' weaknesses while you gain new skills and a pretty generous store of heals keeps most of the game from ever feeling overwhelming once you get locked in, and the environments are some of the most fascinating to explore in FromSoft's catalogue. I guess what I'm getting at is basically : Sekiro is a pretty sharp step-up in difficulty almost no matter what kind of gamer you are, "Do or Die" really isn't an exaggeration and you're gonna need to diligently learn the game to complete it, but humans always unconsciously seek more stimulating experiences when we've gotten comfortable or skilled enough where we're at, and I believe anyone who didn't believe they could do it just wasn't at that point in their own skill development yet. Keep Sekiro in mind when you find yourself kinda bored of where you're at somewhere down the line, this game demands concentration and growth that can wake you up and make you feel alive!
I still haven't killed the demon of hate yet tho ;_;
Wow. Just wow honestly. I just saw this vid today and I loved it. Thank you for uploading this to UA-cam.
Awww thank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😇
@@filmotter this made me remember how I used to play sifu so much lol. Like I was good at the game. (at least I thought I was) I completed the story mode over and over so many times. That's how much I enjoyed the game. I haven't played the game in months but I might get back to the game again. (Idk why I just said all of this but yeah)
@A Luigi and Terry main (Isacknuts) hell yeah! Also if i remember correctly they're adding an arena mode soon? If they haven't already done it.
@@filmotter I heard it's already out
@@luigiandterrymain6446 oop! I need to get on it, then! 😅
My ADHD held me back so much, i gave up within 1 hour. This video just motivated me to re-install it and try again
Let me know how it goes! I'm glad I could encourage you to try again. :D
the uploader is a gay niɡɡer
Unreal video. This is the definitive take on this game, and is exactly what I needed to hear to finally pick it up soon. Thank you so much for sharing your personal experiences through this, and I can’t wait to share this video with more people. If anyone ever brings up this game, this will be the only video that matters. Keep on going!
Wow, that's high praise! Thank you so much. And I'd love to know what you think of Sifu once you've played it.
My new year's resolution is to watch and share every single Otter video! And it was so satisfying watching you conquer Sifu, I'm glad you persisted.
I'm glad too! It was interesting how INTO IT I got over the course of playing. Now I've started playing it off stream and just basically getting through the levels with my eyes closed to relax. Such a stark difference from where I started lol
@@filmotter The training montage is over, I'm so proud 🥲
It really felt like a training montage in real time! I'm the Rocky Balboa of Sifu... or something
I have a shitty attention span but in a similarly determined fashion I decided to stick through the whole thing.
Great video man. I thought it would have more views, and you more subscribers. Script is fantastic, as is the pacing. The delivery of your narration has some pleasing and soothing quality that made me feel the message.
This is my favorite video of yours yet :) Tightly, powerfully written with a genuinely moving ending. Wasn't sure where you were going with the section on the sparing mechanic, but it "teaching you how to quit" brought it together beautifully. Your experience sounds pretty similar to mine with Celeste, but even with that game's genius it doesn't really teach to let go like that with gameplay. The personal touch you brought to this script was another strong choice. Overall, very good shit 👑
Skye!! That is so kind of you. I really appreciate you saying this. And I'm glad the personal side of things added to the video. I was nervous it wasn't gonna hit.
I was looking to pick this up for my series s. I came across your video and I can't believe how it effected me. I'm someone just like you, not very proud of my life choices so far, yet to reach a point in life where I can make someone proud. I have spent days dwelling on that, but I'll remember your words my friend. I subscribed to you and I WILL follow anything u make.
Also picked Sifu up, thank you for that too.
I'm right there with you. And I hope Sifu treats you well!
Fantastic video! This literally felt like a therapy session at moments throughout the video. Absolutely a masterpiece.
Another banger video from Otter? Not at all surprised actually.
Aww thank you Jinzee. I'm glad you dig it :D
the uploader is a gay niɡɡer
This video made my decision to get the game, your video was quite touching thank you for taking the time to make such quality content
That's really kind of you to say! I hope you enjoy Sifu!
Thanks for putting up this video, its really nicely and wholesome made. The scope of martial arts is way broader than about violence and this video showed it good, to begin to understand that we are part of a net
Listening to this, I felt like I was listening to myself do a video essay. So much of what you talked about resonated with me as a mid 30s adult. Thank you.
Incidentally, Sekiro is not about revenge at all. It’s about choosing who to serve. And achieving redemption through that choice.
Wow, this is what Kung fu is all about! There's so much to unpack in this video! Good job man!!
Thank you! I'm glad you dig it!
I got recommended to your channel a little while ago by kolpeshtheyardstick, and I have since watched all of your video essays and some of your let's plays. I love your style of writing and analysis! I don't play a lot of video games (broke student with little downtime haha TT), but I really do love them and what they can do for us. So I really appreciate how you show all the wonderful ways games can tell stories, impact us, and teach us something more. It's a whole other way for me to interact with and understand all sorts of games I didn't know about. This was a great video. I'm at a bit of a crossroads right now with lots of regret and anxiety over what I should or could have done - your ending really hit home. Thank you.
I'm looking forward to all you have coming next!!
Love me some Kolpesh!
And I'm happy the video and the rest of my work seems to have spoken to you. I really appreciate it. I put so much work into all of it so I'm glad it shows through. :D
whats cool about sifu is that even though you permanently unlock every combo or max out the other skills you are still forced to "just get good"
True!
I got this video recommended to me after I finally got the true ending of Sifu lol.
It took many mistakes and many ways to learn new moves. Everytime I got close to the end, I kept getting stuck either because I was too old or not fast enough. I just didn't have the heart to go back to 20. I just took a break for a long time. Then I got back and went back with a heavy heart. Then I tried to fight a little differently. I went back and learned and trained. I got decently good. So I defeated every enemy and every boss after learning all their moves and new ways of countering. Once I defeated Yang I felt good, but then I started all over again and attained Wude. It felt like a spiritual Journey really. This video really hit the nail on the head on my experiance.
I'm glad you could relate! I feel like this game really felt like a meaningful achievement when I beat it.
This video felt real emotional to me
Otter, I'm not even going to try and make a silly comment for this video. This is, in my honest opinion, your best video yet. From the writing, the editing, and the message, I've been left absolutely floored. I'm proud of you and excited to see where your future takes you.
Noob being genuine? WHAT? This isn't what I signed up for!
But thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really went out on a limb here. So I'm glad it seems to have paid off.
There is no fucking way you only have 3k subs. This video is so well edited, well written and an excellent watch. I really hope the best for you in the future. You earned a sub from me, that's for sure.
I appreciate it! Sharing the video is always a good way to help. 😊
I genuinely love your video, but I do think that Sekiro isn't as into revenge, but on ending the cycle of immortality. It also teaches a very similar lesson about doing the right thing, as it has even more endings compared to Sifu. I don't want to shout spoilers right from the get go, but there's a huge reason why I love BOTH of these games for indirectly teaching me that doing the right thing is genuinely worth it in the end.
I started this game last night and got through to the museum on medium difficulty before bed. My favorite thing about this game might not even be the fighting, but the theme. The game's title has multiple meanings. Sifu is a master, obvious theme with martial arts masters. The secondary meaning isn't as a title, but an instruction. MASTER. Master your skills, master your enemy knowledge, master your ability to absolutely demolish this game. The most enjoyable way to play the game is to play with the knowledge that its not a game you are meant to step into and complete without hard work.
You can beat it at the age of 70 in your first run, sure. But the game pushes you to try again and again to lower your death counts and spare the bosses, to gradually unlock your permanent skills and make each run quicker, decimate enemies faster, and become a SIFU.
As a dark souls lover and a competitive person, i can see myself playing this game for years to come, attempting to achieve a no weapon run, or a no-hit run, or even just a run where i can stay under the age of 30.
I beg of you to give Sekiro another try. When it clicks it's just so unique, that's why people compare it to a rythm game. My first playthrough I gave up on the final boss fight, cause I was sucking so bad. Some time later I played the whole thing from beggining and finally was able to beat that boss.
Truly one of the greatest fighting games of all time, this game took many hours of my life and I want none of them back; least of all the ones spent sparing the bosses.
My God, deep introspection through engaging gameplay. I'm impressed. I really hope you get bigger and do more content like this -- it's what UA-cam should be about. Really well done!
Thank you for the watch.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. And thank you for the kind words!
Failing up is what this game is, you're always getting better, always. You got killed 100 times? You got better 100 times too.
Taking that philosophy into real life is a life changer ♥️
100%! Love the way you put that
Good stuff man. I'm happy for you, glad you made it through the game and gained so much from it. I still go back to master mode now and then but it's more like, returning to comfort. Practicing my art. It feels good.
Love the punchline at the end, glad this game is getting your appreciation!
Glad you enjoyed the video! And yeah, I feel like this game needs a lot more recognition than it's gotten. :D
I strongly recommend finishing sekiro I did the same thing I would pick it up put it down then i just persevered after dying probably 400 times to the final boss I got his move set down and beat him it was the most satisfying thing I’ve experienced in a game
I stopped at the point where you were gonna explain the second playthrough because I don't want any spoilers or thoughts on that given I haven't gotten through it myself, but I do wanna touch on the stuff you talked about so far, as well as share my own experience and thoughts.
I wanna start by saying that I agree with what you said about what kind of difficult of a game sifu is. This steep learning curve is what attracts me to challenging games like it. Picking it up day 1 I already knew my end goal: getting *so* good at controlling my own character that I can make difficult fights look like movies where I'm the protagonist.
That is the exact kind of itch I love to scratch with these challenging games: the focus I have to keep up over long periods of time, the rush I get through entire fights, the combos I use to style on everyone only because I can control my character so effortlessly. Getting to that point thought meant that I get to learn and master the mechanics of the game that you mentioned are what kept you wanting to not give up on it: the right balance of a difficult but versatile and fun combat system, as well as the additional motivation from the fairly straightforward but engaging story/purpose you have.
That's why I didn't have myself an honest go against the first boss until I knew I was *fully* ready, having spent the time unlocking and mastering all the moves as best I knew how.
Before too long, I beat the first boss with only 1 year added to my age, sweeped the second stage with zero deaths and, to my surprise, the artist and CEO where beaten in the first go (though I did have to go back to beat them with fewer deaths). That said, the first two bosses were pretty simple pattern following fights, the following (artist and CEO) were such a big spike in difficulty, design and fun, but the final boss- man, it was an experience. I feel like that boss forced me to see a new skill ceiling to the way I was fighting, and as you can imagine for me it felt incredibly rewarding and amazing. Going into the trials and fighting the simple dudes afterwards was like night and day. Before the final boss, I would rate myself a 9,5/10 in combat, *after* the fight, solid 11/15. This goes back to what you said about how you can tackle fights and objectives. Build your own fighting style consisting of a different set of moves, terrain, levels of aggressiveness, etc.
Storywise, for me it was at the CEO's stage where the game started dropping clues. Tiny nuggets of lore that if put together, raised more questions than answers. I very honestly picked up this game for the fighting and not the story, and that must have had something to do with how hard the realization hit me at the end, when the last piece of the puzzle connected all the others together, which what what you explained in the part of where you've gotten the "bad ending". (I'm being kinda vague so not to spell it out for the peeps who wanna play through the game, even after having seen your video (at least up to the point I did)).
My bottom line is: It took very little for this game to become one of my favourites of all time. Combat, expression, story, replayability, as well as other traits you can like in a game: graphics, animations, pacing, etc. It's a gem.
And mind you, you don't *have* to tackle this game like I did to enjoy it. I just know from experience that people like me will appreciate it for all the points I raised. As long as you're up for the challenge and the fact that you can't cheese it like filmotter mentioned, you should absolutely give it a shot.
Finally A Sifu Analysis Video. Awesome.
Wait you don't want to talk about the second part of the artist?! After her first phase that second one is a cake walk
Great video!
Don't want to be *that* guy, but.. "The CEO took me ages"
Her only combo is up, up, down and she uses it during all the fight.
And the second stage of "The Artist" is easier than the first stage.
Still, great video!
Something about about your videos is very comforting like I want just to sit down and listen to you with a cup of hot cocoa. This video is no exception to being that kind of comforting, that is to say it's very good.
Dani, only because I worked so hard to get this one up on time and put my heart out there in a personal way... I'll say THANK YOU. And finally accept your compliment. :P
Also hope you're feeling a little better!
Wonderful video man, Be proud of yourself it's important for improving your work and yourself. Keep striving for what you want and take your failures with you to succeed in the future. The game succeeds in motivating you and telling a narrative in a direct yet indirect ways a bit better than others.
Sifu and Sekiro are my favorite games simply because their parry mechanics. Having great choreographed feeling fights really adds much more depth vs beat em up, button mashers. Not that I don’t enjoy those myself. But having that back in forth with even the smallest of enemies adds a level of intensity to every encounter
the bit about absolver really resonated with me. as someone who loved god hand on the ps2, absolver seemed like a major advancement of the combo system there, but none of it felt cohesive to me, and i could never get into it. but sifu was free on epic yesterday, and i am completely in love
I really love your honesty bro. It’s rare, even here
I sub
I do what I can! Glad you enjoy it.
One of the best games I've ever played. I also had to drop to student to learn the game well enough to even have a chance at disciple.
Finally beat Wude on disciple. Felt amazing. Then master wrecked me all over on the first level. Sifu does NOT fuck around
I'm seeing a lot of Old Boy influence in here. 3:26 That hallway is straight out of the movie.
How did I never make that connection? You're so right!
You explained it perfectly why I love Sifu so much! I also can't finish open world games.
The algo did its job on this one. GREAT VIDEO!
Thank you! The algorithm isn't always kind to me, but I'll take it!
@@filmotter It was a fantastic video! I loved the connection to life, it really hit home.
very well done, otter. congrats on getting through sifu and reaching youtube partner! and congrats on learning when to let go. i know the daunting "laundry pile" is a metaphor for more than just "laundry" and i hope the things you learned from this game stick with you. i noticed youtube is pushing your videos more and your essays are showing up on my home page for the first time! thanks again for another well made essay.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Violet! It means a lot, especially since this one was a bit more on the personal side.
And I'm glad the youtube gods have started pushing my stuff out there a bit more. So cool to hear that's been happening!
Oh geeze I need to play this! It's interesting because the reasons you say Absolver didn't click for you at 9:09 are the same reasons Dark Souls doesnt really click for me! Sifu kinda seems more like Bloodborne than Dark Souls in some way but then again haven't played it yet! Great video as always!
What an incredible narrative. Thank you for this.
dang Otter why you gotta make me tear up like that! Beautiful video! Beautiful messages! I wasn't expecting that at all! The game seems really cool with all the introspection!
I'm sorry for making you experience emotions! I didn't mean it. I take it all back, cat!
@@filmotter thank you. I am much better now.
@@cat.hexxes oh good! Haha for real though, thank you.
Homie, I just started this game 2 days ago. My friends talked me into trying and for the sake competitiveness, they challenged me to play it on -Master- difficulty.
Just beat the first boss last night and all I can say is: WHAT A GAME
I feel like I m looking and listening to my reflection. The same struggles you have I have them too. The struggle you have in personal and professional life, I have experienced. I had this thought of myself being a quitter.
And then I knew about this game. Being a huge fan of martial arts in cinematography, watching Jackie Chan, Jet Lee and other incredible talents on screen this game has become a gem and a big present. And the odd feelings and relationships I had with this game initially being really hard and annoying that I've almost quit, and then giving it a little more time to grasp the concepts, I felt an incredible amount of pride after dying, and learning, dying , and learning. When I first started the game I was a newbie, who didn't know how to fight and got my ass whooped by everybody . The character gets older with each death, so do you get better. And at the end, after completing this game several times and still playing it to this day I can call myself and the character in the game - A Sifu. Now I have become a true master and can defeat any enemy almost effortlessly.
I really am happy I stumbled upon this video on my youtube recommendations. It is a rare occasion I leave comments on somebody's video, but you just hit the strings inside. I now realize that I haven't been alone having these thoughts and you put it beautifully in this video
I'm glad you felt seen, because that's a big reason in me making this video. I often forget that other people are similar to me in this regard. And since putting this put there, it's been quite affirming to hear that I'm not alone, you know?
Yeah , exactly
You earned another loyal sub, keep it going !
@@entireto8997 I appreciate it so much!
You hit the nail on the head with sekiro. I felt close to 0 player expression. Great video !
I really need to try Sekiro again. But yeah, the lack of player expression makes me less keen to do so haha
honwstly absolver is one of my favorite games ever. it sucks that sloclap and their game didn't have the support to truly polish and perfect it. i still come back to it often i bought sifu just yesterday and i am enjoying it though, and it shows promising progress
8:20 if you’re curious by all means to check out Ongbal’s Sekiro videos. I can guarantee you, Sekiro is far from what you’re describing. There is plenty of room for you to choose what to do and use and abuse many and all of the shinobi tools and skills provided you know the situations where they’d fit right in, making hard fights really easy or solving specific problema in flashy, awesome looking ways
Sifu does well at making the player adapt and over come from how well the player progression was executed. Me playing from the moment I installed to now is like watching two different games; the game didn't give me broken tools to just win, the progression system is the player's skill itself which feels natural in the context of martial arts. Everything like totem rewards and skills are just supplementary.
Managed to finally complete the game on hard without dying once, felt great, and also fully completed the arcade mode, and get 3 points in every mode
FIRE! great storytelling!
Thank you! Glad you enjoy it!
It’s so interesting to hear about what sections people found challenging, as the museum imo is the easier of levels, and the 2nd phase of that boss IMO is the easiest in the game.
As someone whose mother's side of the family is Taiwanese, the Chinese word for water has always been pronounced "xuay" or something along those lines. (thanks to how you pronounced it, I even went to Google translate, which just about confirmed my experiences)
Bro you would LOVE dishonored the part where you talk about sifu being the perfect balance of player expression that is Dishonored in a nutshell
I feel you bro for real, thank you for this
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This video is really wholesome :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I think empathy and perseverance through martial arts is the core of sloclap, because thats how absolver worked too.
The primary method of skill progression was acquiring new techniques by encountering and sparring with people who used moves you did not know. and the reason why I say empathy and perseverance is because while you learn to move slowly by blocking, if you learned it well enough to Dodge or Parry the attack you would learn it much more quickly.
Meeting and learning about new people through martial arts. and of course even if one of you should fall in battle it is easy and instant to simply pick them back up.
i got this game for free last month on PS plus and its the best game i’ve played in years. I’m obsessed with it.
it's sooooo good right?
Fun fact: "Wu xing" reminds me a lot of Magic: the gathering's color system. Green is wood, red is fire, water is blue, white is metal and black is earth. I always tought the color psycology was interesting, and brought it to real life, like "if that person was a card, they would be red" or "I gotta think like a green player this time" now that i see that it was heavily inspired by a real type of psychology, i guess my adiction to this TCG really makes sense now.
I saw something in my research for this video that suggested they based the elements in Magic off of Wu Xing. But it seemed to mostly be a rumor. I see that connection, though!
You blessed my recommendation page
What a wonderful videos. Regrets can indeed feel heavy. I struggle with this at times, Hopefully I will get better at letting go.
I'm really glad the video spoke to you!
the uploader is a gay niɡɡer
“Which is why I’m never touching hard mode” as I plan on touching hard mode 😂. Great video
You should if you want to!
*How Sifu taught me to give up*
This is game taught me the opposite. If you're not having fun in a video game anymore, quit.
The revelation came to me once I encountered the 3rd stage. The boss completely destroyed me, which is what it is. However the thought of having to replay large chunks just to get back to where I left off just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I spent about 4 hours replaying stage 2 in order to complete it at an age I was satisfied with but the realization that I needed to repeat the same process on the 3rd stage made me really think things through. I play video games out of enjoyment, not because I want another chore.
Ironically what you said is quite fitting to my experience of the game: "to quit does not have to mean defeat. Mindfully stepping away is not a failure." I don't need to prove anything to myself by completing Sifu, at the end of the day it's a video game. I quit not out of frustration, I consciously quit because I don't need another repetitive task in my life.
Great video essay though, and you've earned a new subscriber.
You can apply that same skil to media and content consumption as well. 😲
Man, you literally took words out of my mouth. Everything you said is what i had in mind!
Thanks for the great work on this video!
I appreciate it! I do what I can!
I'm not crying, you're crying!
Sifu did the same thing to me but specifically sekiro was the real teacher
Amazing video. A different view on the game. Congrats.