SIFU: Self-Fulfillment & Revenge

By Jacob Guynup
Staff Writer

Martial arts have become a staple in movies and TV shows. Many are well-shot masterpieces like the Ip Man series and Oldboy, while others lean towards the more comedic side like Kung Fu Hustle. The point is, there is a lot of appreciation for martial arts on the big screen, but what about in games?

Sifu is a martial arts beat ‘em up style game developed and published by the studio Sloclap. It is an incredibly unique experience that focuses heavily on art direction and complex combat mechanics.

The story follows a nameless protagonist that embarks on a long quest for revenge after his father was killed while he was still a child. The game takes place across five levels, with enemies reflecting the fighting style of a respective boss and member of the gang connected to your father’s murder. The game focuses heavily on complex and incredibly unique mechanics. The combat, for example, takes lots of time to master, as the game gives you very little information about how the combat system works beyond the very basics, expecting you to just play the game and improve by yourself over time. This is actually something I love and respect most about Sifu. The game never really holds your hand through any section of the game. It throws everything it has at you, never once making it easier if you consistently lose.

The most unique thing about this game is hands-down its aging system. Whenever you die in combat, you won’t automatically lose the level. Instead, you will wake up to fight again, but your age will increase by how many deaths you experience in a level. The older your character is, the less health they will have, but the more damage they will do.

Overall, Sifu has become one of my top 5 favorite games of all time because of how it stands apart from the crowd. It’s a love letter to martial arts media. I would rate this must-play game a 9.5/10.