With the odd exception, Sony’s first State of Play in 2021 could have been an email.Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time opened withathree-minute trailer detailing its PlayStation 5 upgrade. All its graphical improvements were the bare minimum expected and didn’t deserve a full trailer, especially when the game is already out. When a presentation starts with such a mediocre announcement people expect it to ramp up, but Crash Bandicoot 4 was a perfect representation of what came next. Most of the show consisted of trailers and developer commentary for previously announced games. It was a slurry of minimal updates on 2021 experiences like Returnal, Knockout City, and Oddworld: Soulstorm.About halfway through the presentation, Sloclap’s authentic Kung Fu brawler Sifu cemented itself as the best announcement of an otherwise lackluster showcase. Even as the State of Play ended with a surprise Final Fantasy VII Remake announcement, we couldn’t stop thinking about the stylish combat and intriguing concept of Sifu. The trailer opens with a black and white photograph of a presumed Kung Fu master. A student is paying respects to the older man, much like how Cobra Kai’s Daniel LaRusso honors Mr. Miyagi in his home dojo. Right then we were impressed by the comic book-esque art style and the animated movie look. Given a later shot of an underwater environment with beams of light shining from above, we’re confident Sifu will be a beautiful game.After doing various stretches, the man enters a long green-walled hallway as several individuals turn their heads and scowl. The Kung Fu prodigy suddenly enters a devastating fistfight reminiscent of Netflix’s Daredevil. He uses a combination of quick punches, stylish kicks, timed parries, and environmental takedowns. In one scene, the student knocks an enemy out with a steel pipe before hurling it at another adversary. Developer Sloclap promised their game will depict an authentic replication of Pak Mei Kung Fu, a practice said to have been created by the Shaolin elder of the same name. This style reinforces close range strikes and the entrapment of enemy attacks. Pak Mei users often strike with an open, claw-shaped hand. So far as we can tell, Sifu honors this art with great care, translating into brutal free-flowing gameplay.The student often pushed enemies into the wall and strategically used the environment. This demonstrated to great effect how players must adapt to their surroundings and plan their moves accordingly. Careful timing and resourcefulness are essential for survival since Sloclap promised a challenging gameplay loop. Speaking of difficulty, the hallway scene ends when a foe dodges a punch before killing the protagonist with a swift upward slash of a sword. While on the ground, the man’s black hair grows longer, wrinkles embed into his cheeks, and a full beard fills out his face. He stands back up, faces his killer, and steels himself for another fight. Thus we have our main conceit for the game: the player revives after death but ages a bit more with each resurrection.
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