How's the environmental storytelling in Sekiro?

[signal]

The Souls series is usually mentioned as a top tier example of this, so for those who have either finished or progressed pretty far (and generally enjoy environmental storytelling) how does Sekiro rank compared to the other modern From Software titles?

Spoiler

Is there something that surpasses the iosefka clinic ladder in Bloodborne

 

[Apophis]

Almost non existent. It's basically boss after boss after boss.

 

[MadMod]

Almost non existent. It's basically boss after boss after boss.

Click to shrink...

Not as extreme as this comment, but from the first areas of the game, theres a decent amount. Especially if you look out for it. Also bosses are part of the from soft experience, I'm not gonna lie.

 

[MiguelBañón]

I can guess there's something similar related with the locked fake wall that's near by the shrine, but besides that I haven't found nothing more so far. I've just started the game tho.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

It's there, but it's less pronounced. It's certainly not boss after boss though, it takes ahwile before you'll fight your first one.

 

[Strings]

Almost non existent. It's basically boss after boss after boss.

Click to shrink...

???

There's a ton. Senpou Temple is by far my favourite so far, where the way the enemies are laid out and introduced, I was sneak killing them all and starting to wonder if they were maybe non-hostile, and then once they started fighting back, maybe blind, before seeing a bunch of

Spoiler

dead kids hog-tied and littered around the place, tucked away in corners

along with all the windwheels and chanting. One of the best areas they've ever done imo.

 

[laxu]

There's a fair amount of subtle hints on what has occurred like

Spoiler

the hidden bodies around the temple

.

 

[Jangowuzhere]

About on par with previous games.

The storytelling and worldvbuilding is also built properly through dialogue and cutscenes as well. No more having to piece together obscure item descriptions, which I very much appreciate.

 

[DosaDaRaja]

Well, you meet some horrifyingly creepy enemies

Spoiler

Like actual, in-game spoilers

Spoiler

like the giant ape you behead that magically comes back to life. Twice, and also calls its mate to assist in making you shit your pants in undeath the second time.

 

[Pascal]

???

There's a ton. Senpou Temple is by far my favourite so far, where the way the enemies are laid out and introduced, I was sneak killing them all and starting to wonder if they were maybe non-hostile, and then once they started fighting back, maybe blind, before seeing a bunch of

Spoiler

dead kids hog-tied and littered around the place, tucked away in corners

along with all the windwheels and chanting. One of the best areas they've ever done imo.

Click to shrink...

Yeah Senpou Temple is one of my favorite areas in any FromSoft game. It somehow manages to pull off a perfect balance of tranquil beauty and horror. It's outstanding.

 

[Grudy]

It's there, but as much as I try I can never find these by myself. Once I finish the game and start reading up on the story and stuff I'll know sure. Right now though it does feel less prominent than bloodborne or DS1

 

[RestEerie]

how many hours of youtube content can vattividya produced from a single misplaced texture on the wall? Can't wait for find out!

 

[Apophis]

It's there, but it's less pronounced. It's certainly not boss after boss though, it takes ahwile before you'll fight your first one.

Click to shrink...

Well it's basically that. I also count the minibosses obviously.

 

[signal]

how many hours of youtube content can vattividya produced from a single misplaced texture on the wall? Can't wait for find out!

Click to shrink...

Thirteen. If a connection to prior games can be made, double it.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

???

There's a ton. Senpou Temple is by far my favourite so far, where the way the enemies are laid out and introduced, I was sneak killing them all and starting to wonder if they were maybe non-hostile, and then once they started fighting back, maybe blind, before seeing a bunch of

Spoiler

dead kids hog-tied and littered around the place, tucked away in corners

along with all the windwheels and chanting. One of the best areas they've ever done imo.

Click to shrink...

Yeah this area really turned me around on many aspects of the game.
That was the point where they really started winning me over.
Just gorgeous to look at. Super fun to explore. And you learn so much about the world just by looking at the enemies and examining their behaviour.

 

[Deleted member 11038]

There is less environmental storytelling, but more interactive storytelling. I mean, you can hear what soldiers think about the events of the game, you can experience changing events with soldiers moving along with you as you defeat the fire bull for example and they opening the door to the castle because they feel safe. Also,

Spoiler

during the ending part of the game you can pratically see a real time struggle and invasion between two opposing forces a bit like Farron Legion soldiers killing themselves over and over.

This is not a forsaken land where everyone is either already dead, hollow or crazy, it's very much a living world. But even then when you will arrive at one point of the game you will have strong hints about how the Curse was spread and its effect on people. But you need to connect the dots in typical Miyazaki storytelling.

 

[Deleted member 984]

The storytelling is far less minimalistic in Sekiro. There is some environmental storytelling but not to the extent in other FS games. The story is very straightforward and doesn't require you to do much legwork to piece it together as it drip feeds tid-bits to you throughout and there are also the red mist story apparitions that fill in details around characters.

 

[Saint-14]

Not as much as the Souls games.

 

[ThreepQuest64]

It's not dominant, it's subtle and definitely there. You have much more NPC interaction, and cutscenes than in previous games (which is still not much by today's standards; there is no 2 minute cutscene around every corner).

 

[Pillock]

Sekiro is actually telling a story as opposed to inferring one. Not saying one way is better than another it's just different.

 

[Uraizen]

Well, you meet some horrifyingly creepy enemies

Spoiler

Like actual, in-game spoilers

Spoiler

like the giant ape you behead that magically comes back to life. Twice, and also calls its mate to assist in making you shit your pants in undeath the second time.

Click to shrink...

Just an fyi for ya.

Spoiler: Alternative

If you have the mortal blade already when you fight him then you can kill him for good during his second phase. I had no idea you could fight his mate in a rematch.

 

[Ryu bogard]

I like the more traditional story telling in Sekiro. The style of story telling from the souls games always made feel I missed out because I wasn't smart enough.

 

[60fps]

I like the more traditional story telling in Sekiro. The style of story telling from the souls games always made feel I missed out because I wasn't smart enough.

Click to shrink...

Yea I totally get what you mean. I'm pretty far into DS3, and after some dozens of hours I took my time to reflect on what has actually happened so far plot-wise, and what I came up with was: Nothing. I woke up as an undead in a apocalyptic land, went to slay my way through some dark areas with creepy enemies, beat a boss, went to the next area, rinse and repeat. You occasionally get some abstract text snippets like in item descriptions that add a tiny bit of flair, but that's it. If there is any story in DS3 I haven't noticed it, after 45 hours in the game or so. If Sekiro adds some actual plot, this is highly appreciated.

 

[signal]

Sekiro is actually telling a story as opposed to inferring one. Not saying one way is better than another it's just different.

Click to shrink...

Objectively worse!!! (for me)

But guess that is an obvious outcome of its more direct storytelling.