Chapter 694 - 694: The Consequences of Skipping Class

"This money feels harder to get than in Dark Souls or Bloodborne!"

Zack felt like his brain was hurting.

Compared to the souls and blood echoes carried in Bloodborne and Dark Souls, the in-game money in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice wasn't as prominent.

That's because in Bloodborne and Dark Souls, the amount of souls directly impacted your character's stats, as souls could be used for upgrades.

And that was one of the main uses for souls.

But in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there's no such concept of "leveling up." Instead, you find Gourd Seeds and Prayer Beads.

As for combat memories, which increase attack power, after defeating Genichiro, Zack finally understood where they came from.

Unlike Gourd Seeds and Prayer Beads, combat memories seemed to be rewards for defeating named, significant bosses.

For example, characters like Genichiro Ashina, who appeared in promotional trailers, the giant white ape, and the Divine Dragon.

Killing monsters not only yielded coins but also filled a blue experience bar.

Similar to coins, a portion of this blue experience bar would be lost upon death.

As for the so-called "Guaranteed Ritual," Zack completely ignored it.

On one hand, the chance of this "Guaranteed Ritual" activating decreased with each death. More importantly, he just didn't trust his own luck.

Back in World of Warcraft, Ben's incredibly unlucky streak had overshadowed everyone else's.

But in reality, his luck was hit-or-miss. Zack felt that unless this "Guaranteed Ritual" was 100%, it wasn't very useful.

With one death, his money took a hit. He had managed to learn some skills, though.

But keeping money was really difficult. The "Robert's Firecrackers" he bought from the talking hag on the mountain guarding the bell had already cost him 500 coins.

The main reason was that money was so hard to hold onto. While the shops did sell moneybags, which could be considered a form of bank, the catch was that they weren't infinitely stocked. Sometimes, having them could be beneficial.

This led him to carry nearly two hundred Spirit Emblems. Zack figured he had enough Spirit Emblems to last until the end of the game.

But money, that was truly scarce.

Especially after defeating Genichiro, he discovered a merchant from the Bell Demon's faction nearby who sold a Gourd Seed for a whopping 1000 coins.

It nearly killed him. He had to sell everything he had to scrape together that 1000 coins. He repeatedly used the Idol to farm small enemies. He sold 20-coin pills, the 100-coin bundled Jizo he found in the bamboo grove, and a few coins worth of Ash Balls and ceramic shards – everything he threw into the shop to gather that 1000 coins.

Compared to the challenge of gathering money, Zack found fighting bosses to be far less difficult. At least, that was his feeling so far.

At the training grounds, he only needed about six or seven attempts to defeat Genichiro.

Even though he looked imposing and fierce on horseback, he didn't actually pressure Zack as much as the purple ninja he encountered in Hirata Estate three years prior. In fact, he felt the Blazing Bull was easier to deal with than this boss.

Initially, unfamiliar with his moves, Genichiro's attacks were difficult to parry.

But after a few deaths and getting a bit more used to his patterns, Zack realized it was practically a free win.

Riding his horse out of the castle looked impressive, but when the boss posed, Zack could get in four or five free hits.

His aggression wasn't that high either. He'd just ride around on his horse. When the distance widened, prompts would appear for the grappling hook.

Using the grappling hook to close the distance, combined with a grappling hook attack skill he learned using skill points from the Prosthetic Arm skills taught by the Sculptor, he could even stagger the boss and get in a few more free hits.

Additionally, the firecrackers he bought with his entire fortune for 500 coins could also startle Genichiro's horse.

The horse would stand still, allowing him to dodge Genichiro's attacks. Then, he'd grapple in when the prompt appeared. Plus, whether it was his imagination or not, he felt Genichiro was much squishier than previous bosses.

What's more, striking this boss with the Kusabimaru was different from fighting the early samurai generals. It hardly triggered any clashing animations.

This meant every hit landed solidly on Genichiro, just like with the Blazing Bull.

After a few rounds, Genichiro became another fallen enemy.

Once you properly utilize items and skills, the Souls game becomes too easy, right?

It wasn't just Zack who felt this way. Many players who had played Souls-like games and enjoyed researching different strategies were also surprised by the differences in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Many clever and resourceful players were simultaneously updating guides online as they played.

"This Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Boss Lucas is a bit too much! He's just too easy!"

"Exactly, this Blazing Bull is a freebie. One deathblow to get the first phase, then use the flamethrower for the second. I feel like I'm missing that sense of accomplishment from overcoming a tough challenge."

"Yeah, and these samurai generals, if you're not aiming for Prayer Beads and Gourd Seeds, you can totally skip them!"

"Totally. And Genichiro looked so formidable, but a grapple hook had him completely under control."

"Same here. There's also a Fire Bull in Ashina Castle. Friendly tip: use firecrackers and fireworks; they're very effective."

"Right, the bosses are all pushovers. Conversely, I think the regular enemies are the real challenge. That purple ninja in Hirata Estate three years ago, the Tengu on the roofs of Ashina Castle, and the Taro Soldiers are just so strong."

Of course, many players were also arguing against this.

"Who said that? This Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is ridiculously hard! I've completed Dark Souls on eight playthroughs, but I'm still struggling with the Hunter's Nightmare!"

"Right, the combat system is completely different. Even though the parry sound is satisfying, I've seen countless 'artistic fonts' by now."

"Thankfully, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is VR, unlike the original Dark Souls. Otherwise, one death equaled one cigarette; my body wouldn't just be severely damaged, my wallet would be too."

"Those who say it's easy are just skipping content!"

Regardless, for many players, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice indeed felt much simpler than Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

This was mainly because the game's level design was very well-executed, and the guidance provided was standard.

Combined with the stealth assassination mechanics, most players who weren't too clumsy or those who rushed through without paying attention to the story or crucial information…

…was able to reach Ashina Castle relatively easily and smoothly.

However, starting from this point, many players who previously thought the game was easy began to change their minds as they progressed.

At the same time, they understood a simple truth: what the consequences of skipping content would be.

(End of Chapter)

---

Read +100 advanced chapters on my patre*n

patr eon.com/GustinaKamiya

---