Well, there you have it. FromSoftware made a showing at Microsoft's E3 press conference to show off its new title, which it previously teased last year, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is already one of the best E3 2018 games to come out of the entire expo.
Not it's not Bloodborne 2, as many suspected, but something else entirely, though Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice still looks to be set in the mould of the studio's previous action-adventure RPGs, particularly with its focus on hack-and-slash combat and a richly detailed world.
Set in what looks to be a mythological construction of Feudal Japan, the game is directed by Dark Souls auteur Hidetaka Miyazaki, and due to release in 2019 (no more specific window was given). You can check out the full, truly resplendent trailer below.
Interestingly enough, it seems as though the main character of the RPG is able to resurrect himself (which is in keeping with the Shadows Die Twice sub-header), which would certainly be a subversion against FromSoftware's traditional fascination with brutally killing the player over and over again in both the Bloodborne and Souls series of RPGs.
Another point of note is the glimpsed grappling hook, which suggests there'll be a renewed emphasis on traversal in keeping with the faster momentum than inevitably comes from a game featuring samurai, ninjas, and yes, katanas.
Also of note, Activision (of all companies) will be publishing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware has previously worked with Bandai Namco, Atlus, or Sony to release its games, but that fact means that, unlike Bloodborne, this game probably won't be exclusive to a single console.
In any case, the title looks utterly fabulous, which is a surprise to absolutely no one who's played a FromSoft game before, and hopefully it'll be out in the early period of 2019, rather than right at the tail end.
To stay up to date with E3 2018, check out our E3 2018 schedule, and see exactly where to mark your calendars for each upcoming press conference.
