Summary
FromSoftware games likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceare known for their high level of challenge. Though they can be quite difficult, they also have deeply engaging and immersive qualities that easily attract players. Bosses, in particular, are what many remember FromSoftware games for, as they usually offer visually pleasing spectacles mixed with active and aggressive combat. While most are remembered as difficult battles,the Folding Screen Monkeys inSekiroshows a different take on boss fights, one that should be considered for the next FromSoftware title.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis a game whose combat focuses more on timing and precision than character builds. Its many bosses require a careful mixture of offensive and defensive play, as even the slightest hint of hesitation or impatience can lead to death. Although this is true for the majority of its bosses, the Folding Screen Monkeys boss slightly deviates from that idea. This type of enemy plunges players into a large area and forces them to figure out how to use the different mechanics within the environment to win. The boss' concept is unique even among FromSoftware titles and the company’s next Soulslike game could benefit from using it again.
Why the Folding Screen Monkeys Concept Should Be Reused
Games developed by FromSoftwareusually contain bosses who can be overcome through sheer combat ability. This is not the case for the Folding Screen Monkeys inSekiroas it mostly focuses on exploration, information gathering, and attentiveness. This type of enemy deviates from the usual boss fights in the game, giving players a fresh new experience.
There are a variety of compelling reasons why this type of boss should be reused in the next title, like how it allows for unique designs tied to how each enemy should be hunted. Additionally, the developers can get creative with how players solve the puzzle-like fight, and the environment can be created to be more open-ended with the tools and mechanics the players can use to traverse it.
Out ofthe many bosses inSekiro, the Folding Screen Monkeys have the most potential when used as a reference for one of the next FromSoftware game’s major enemies. Its distinct qualities can be reused or modified on a new boss to give players a fight that’s both different from the norm and memorable.
Implementing a Folding Screen Monkeys Style of Boss in the Next FromSoft Game
With FromSoftware titles having expansive worlds, ample opportunities are available to include a fight similar to the Folding Screen Monkeys.Open-world games with rich folklorecan easily tie in a boss with puzzle-like mechanics into its main story. The next FromSoftware Soulslike will most likely have rich and expansive environments with interesting tales, and a new boss is a good way to help tell them. While the monkeys inSekirodid not take up too much of a crucial role in storytelling, a new boss in the future FromSoftware game could do the opposite. Having each enemy tied strongly to the main plot is a good way to fully immerse the player in both the story and the fight.
Such a boss fight can also be introduced as a side quest instead of being part of the main storyline. While unique,Sekiro’s Folding Screen Monkeys' deviation in combat style is not something every player will appreciate. Just like how some of the bosses andlocations in Soulslike games andSekiroare optional, so too can this type of fight. This design gives the players the choice to experience it or not, giving them more freedom. The next game can also provide a good reward for beating such a boss, giving players the incentive to consider it rather than completely ignore it.
Some ofthe hardest Soulslike bossesare the most loved and memorable, but those that offer a new experience can be just as appreciated by the players. Should a boss in the next FromSoftware title consider taking a page fromSekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s book, then the Folding Screen Monkeys would make a good example of what can be revisited.
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.
