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7 tips to help you stay hidden in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
If you want success in Sekiro you need to be able to stay stealthy and here's how you can achieve it.
FromSoftware’s latest action-adventure game, Sekiro, introduces a lot of elements previously unseen in both Dark Souls and Bloodborne. These include the introduction of prosthetic devices that can alter your character’s abilities and the addition of skills trees, which have replaced the points-based progression system from previous games.
Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the increased overall focus on stealth. Unlike in previous games, you can now dispatch of enemies quietly from the shadows, like the ninja you’ve always wanted to be. This approach adds a whole new layer to combat, encouraging you to think about how you enter a situation and who to take out first.
The following is a guide that details all you need to know about being sneaky in Sekiro. It will look into different ways you can avoid being detected and what additional upgrades you can take advantage of to remain unseen. Also, just as a warning, there are some slight boss spoilers ahead, so if you want to experience the game entirely unspoiled, look away now!
1. Hide in the environment
Hang on ledges to hide from enemies
© FromSoftware
There are a number of actions that you can perform to decrease your overall presence in an environment. You can ledge hang, cling tightly onto walls, or crouch inside of weeds and under buildings. Before entering a hostile area, it’s worth getting to higher ground and making a note of any notable landmarks that you can use to get through the environment unseen. You can do this with the nightjar monocular, found in the building above the Chained Ogre. A bit of forward thinking goes a long way, letting you sneak past enemies without necessarily having to engage in combat.
2. Memorize enemy placements
As well as landmarks, it’s also worth memorizing where enemies are placed within the level. The majority of enemies will stay in the same spot and remain there until provoked, which means you can plan your movements around them without too much difficulty. Once you know where enemies are, you can then either execute them by creeping behind them and waiting until a flashing red circle appears or simply sneak on by leaving them none the wiser.
Also, as a bonus tip, if you do decide to fight, try to prioritize eliminating the larger enemies first, like the bigger troll-type creatures. As if things do go wrong, you’ll have a better chance of getting back into hiding quickly and safely.
3. Locate shortcuts
Try out alternative routes
© FromSoftware
It’s genuinely remarkable how many shortcuts there are to be discovered in Sekiro. The world is stacked vertically on top of itself and this means that there is plenty of room for exploration. While travelling through an area, it’s therefore wise to keep an eye out for any branches or nearby ledges that you can grapple to. This will sometimes lead you around the back of a difficult enemy blocking the way, and is especially helpful when confronting tough mini-bosses.
4. Use Gachiin’s Sugar
Use items like Gachiin's Sugar to avoid detection
© FromSoftware
If you are struggling to remain hidden, there is also an item you can use to improve your chances of avoiding detection. Gachiin’s Sugar suppresses the sounds you make and conceals your presence for roughly 30 seconds, making it a great tool for sneaking up on the more vigilant enemies.
There are three ways to obtain Gachiin’s Sugar. You can discover it naturally in the world, purchase it from merchants, or collect it from the body of enemies you have defeated. Having a steady supply of sugar will make assassinations far easier to perform, as you’ll be able to circle around enemies in cover.
5. Acquire the Suppress Presence Skill
For this next tip, it’s important to understand how progression works in Sekiro. Whenever you kill enemies, you will receive a slight boost of XP, which contributes towards making a skill point. However, should you die, that amount will then reset to the last full skill point you hit. So, if you’re on the cusp of hitting level 2 and die just short of it, you will sadly have to farm your way back up again from level 1. Once you’ve collected some skill points, you can then spend them at a Sculptor’s Idol to acquire new abilities.
This is important to know in regards to stealth as there is one latent ability called Suppress Presence, which reduces an enemy’s ability to see you while in stealth. Obtaining this skill will help you remain better hidden while crouched in foliage and clinging to ledges. It requires 2 skill points to purchase and can be found under the Shinobi Arts skill tree.
6. Acquire the Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu Skill
Acquire various skills to help you along the game
© FromSoftware
Ninjutsu Skills are obtained in a slightly different way however to Shinobi Arts. Ninjutsu Skills are more commonly rewarded for defeating Shinobi, such as in the case of the Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu Skill.
This ability is rewarded for defeating Genichiro, Way of Tomoe at the top of Ashina Castle and can be equipped to create a cloud of blood red smoke after a public execution. To trigger this, simply attack an enemy with a deathblow from behind. Then when the second red circle appears, press the prompt again. You should now be able to regain the element of surprise, re-entering stealth for a brief period of time.
Also, two quick notes: the move costs 6 spirit emblems to use and it can also not be used on mini-bosses, so keep that information in mind when performing an assassination.
7. Acquire the Puppeteer Ninjutsu Skill
Another useful Ninjutsu skill you can pick up for stealth is Puppeteer Ninjutsu. This can be obtained through beating the Folding Screen Monkeys boss fight, which you can access from interacting with the table in front of the Buddha, in the Senpou Temple main hall. It’s worth noting, though, that you’ll need to beat Genichiro atop Ashina Castle first before you are able to attempt this.
Puppeteer Ninjutsu lets you manipulate enemies to attack others in the immediate area, causing a diversion. It costs 5 spirit emblems to use and is great for sneaking around highly populated areas.
