While Sekiro shares some elements of the Soulsborne games, I cannot stress enough that if you go into this game expecting Dark Souls, you are going to have a bad time. The games that Sekiro shares a bloodline with is the Tenchu series, and if you go into Sekiro expecting Tenchu you are going to have a much easier time adjusting.

GAMEPLAY AND DIFFICULTY:
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Sekiro is a lot harder in some aspects than Dark Souls, while being easier in others. Stealth and the ability to move in a 3rd dimension gives a new freedom to handling mobs of enemies while the upgrade system provides a much more concrete progression path than is typically present is Soulsborne. The deflection and posture system are easy to learn but have a high skill potential making those that master it a force of nature. Using your skills and shinobi tools can level the playing field against a mob of enemies or a boss if used correctly, and skill upgrades can provide a powerful bonus or boost in power, changing how you play. All in all the difficulty curve is as much mental state as it new system and style.

SOUND AND PRESENTATION:
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The sound design and art direction in Sekiro is the quality you would expect from a veteran studio like FromSoftware. From the arterial spray effects to the ambient atmosphere everything sounds and looks like Dark Souls run through a Kurosawa film. The animations are all top notch, from the look on an enemies face and you ram your sword through their neck to the nimble executions themselves. Sekiro does an amazing job of making you feel nimble and dangerous. Back flip off an enemy to stun them so you can land on them in an execution or sneak around cutting throats, either way it looks and sounds as good as it feels when you manage to wipe the area clean of enemies.

CONCLUSIONS:
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Sekiro is a departure from Soulsborne is ways that can only herald good things from a developer that is known for delivering top notch story, atmosphere and gameplay. The gameplay changes will put some who came in expecting souls off at first but a mental adjustment will improve the way you look at this game. Its a game that is well worth your time and money but that has the caveat that not everyone will enjoy it, as it retains the hardcore difficulty of previous FromSoftware games