Sifu
79 /100
Based on 33 reviews

Sifu Reviews

Check out Sifu Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 33 reviews on CriticDB, Sifu has a score of:

79

Game Page

Put simply, SIFU is a fantastic game. It’s everything I wish more modern video games were. Short (the game can be beaten in just a handful of hours if you’re good enough) but with an absolute stack of replay value. Be it via the brand new Arenas mode or through the games collectibles, modifiers and high score chasing. There’s even a surprisingly in depth and creatively open photo mode and replay editor that allows you to take some beautiful artistic shots or create awesome clips of your action. Virtual Photographers and Video Editors should have a blast with this. Unfortunately...

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Pure Xbox
March 27, 2023
8/10

Sifu is possibly the best beat ‘em up we’ve played in a long time. It’s a refreshing take on the genre, and in the words of Cobra Kai’s Johnny Lawrence, it will make you feel like a “badass” when the fight is going your way. At the same time, it can be quite ruthless. Either way, you’ll probably be thinking about your next run when you aren't even playing it, which is a sign of just how great it is.

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Destructoid
February 13, 2022
9/10

It’s a razor-thin wire to walk in making this feel rewarding. Too far on one side, and it’s masochistic; too far on the other, and it’s not enough of a challenge. Somehow, Sloclap strikes dead center. Sifu is a challenge worth taking on and overcoming. It’s a story of vengeance with a little heart at the end, and though it might not land perfectly, it’s got a lot of style and action to back it up.

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Toms Guide
February 10, 2022

Sifu's incredibly satisfying combat can make you feel like an action-movie hero, but its challenging encounters and roguelike progression could leave less dedicated players feeling defeated.

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Game Informer
February 8, 2022
7.3/10

Mastering a martial art takes years – if not a lifetime. Disciples must hone their bodies to the point that they perform every attack, every counter, every movement with pinpoint precision. A skilled warrior must move without thinking. Likewise, mastering Sifu's combat system takes a high degree of dedication and practice. Like a true martial artist, you must push through the practice pains before you reap any rewards.

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Videogamer
February 8, 2022
8/10

The coup of Sifu is that this process mirrors that of the hero; I was continually tempted to ditch my progress and start afresh, furnished with new knowledge at the expense of a little more life.

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PC Gamer
February 7, 2022
85/100

Mastering videogame kung fu in a half-remembered dream.

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NaN%

Fans of beat-'em-ups or kung fu movies will instantly fall in love with Sifu. If you can handle replaying levels multiple times, it's a must buy.

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The Escapist
February 6, 2022
Unscored

Nonetheless, I found myself completely enamored with Sifu. It’s absolutely dripping with style, from its painterly aesthetic to its incredible sound design that uses dynamic music to heighten and lower the tension like a well-paced film does. Sifu is the new gold standard for the beat ‘em up genre, and if you don’t mind meeting the challenge, you’ll absolutely love this game. Sifu is out February 8 for $39.99 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Epic Games Store.

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TechRaptor
February 6, 2022
9/10

Sifu's a revenge-fueled romp through five spectacular levels combined with a complex and exciting combat system. Just don't get too burned out by the bosses -- they're tough!

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CGMagazine
February 6, 2022
9/10

Sifu may be the most definitive martial arts game to date, offering unapologetic roguelike combat that rewards patient players with full mastery by the end.

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Game Rant
February 6, 2022
9/10

Sifu is a one-of-a-kind rogue-like that marries an engaging setup with sublime combat mechanics. It scratches that integral itch that fuels subsequent runs, and it tries its best to avoid the feeling that time has been wasted. Progression exists in many different forms, but Sloclap's standout title pulls off one of the more impressive versions of it. Sifu shows players they are actually getting better at the game.

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ShackNews
February 6, 2022
4/10

I played the 2nd level of Sifu so many damn times trying to grind my way through unlocking more moves that I’m sick of it. I get that there’s a grind to it, but I think most games like this put a carrot on the end of the stick. Grinding through Sifu felt like just being beaten with a stick. I think it's also worth noting that Sifu was developed by a European development team and some aspects of the game do come off as culturally tone-deaf. I suggest checking out this article by Khee Hoon Chan for more about...

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The OuterHaven
February 6, 2022

Sifu is one of those games that sounds amazing in concept but is flawed in its execution. Playing as the unnamed martial arts master feels badass when it works, but once those deaths start to pile up, Sifu becomes such a punishing game that, more often than not, it will see you rage quitting the game for something more balanced and refined.

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TheSixthAxis
February 6, 2022
4/10

Sifu is a game that I wanted to love. I had high hopes for it being one of my game of the year contenders, but it left me feeling intensely deflated instead. It's a game that confuses the precise mechanical difficulty of Sekiro with a forced difficulty brought on by simply giving bosses armour. I find myself irrationally angry with Sifu. Sifu is a game that had exceptional potential, but squandered it on the wrong lessons.

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95/100

Sifu is surprisingly difficult, at a level that will deter most players. However, getting past that wall will reward you with an amazingly crafted game that stays true to the developer’s vision, one that celebrates kung fu and its core meaning.

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6.5/10

Sifu is absolutely punishing. This game will make you realize who you are – a clumsy and angry screaming noob. Try it at your own risk.

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Gaming Nexus
February 6, 2022
9.5/10

Sifu is the epitome of a well-made martial arts video game that infuses cultural storytelling, brutal combat and a dash of roguelike. With its beautiful art direction, excellent soundtrack, and immaculate attention to detail, it is sure to rivet the attention of anyone interested.

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Unscored

Sifu is one of the hardest games that I’ve ever played and, if it wasn’t for naively nominating myself to write this review, I would have given up on it in the first couple of hours. And yet here I am, having forced myself through the ordeal and coming out on the other side with an unexpected, yet thoroughly deserving, Game of the Year 2022 contender. It’s just a shame that many players won’t get to see it through to the end.

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GamingTrend
February 6, 2022
85/100

Sifu delivers on its promises of being one of the best Kung-Fu games ever made. With incredible animation work, flowing combat, a beautiful art style, and great music; this indie beat-em-up, roguelite game deserves more than the cult following it will probably receive.

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7.5/10

Sifu is a difficult game, requiring you to master its complex combat in order to enact your revenge. But it could have used a bit more training before entering the arena.

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WayTooManyGames
February 6, 2022
9/10

Way back in 2017, a little studio called Sloclap partnered up with Devolver Digital to release Absolver: a martial arts-oriented game that featured phenomenal controls, but not a lot to do within it. What mattered most was that Sloclap proved they had the chops to create a fun martial arts game based on Hong Kong cinema, something rarely seen in gaming nowadays. They just needed time and money to come up with something special. That something special took five years to make, but it’s finall...

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There has been a lot of hype around Sifu and for good reason. The unique gameplay mechanic of aging every time that you die, gorgeous art style, and slick kung fu moves made it look like an impressive start to 2022. When I was given the opportunity to preview the game a few months back, I even said that Sifu could easily be a 2022 game of the year contender. However, when playing a review copy of the martial arts beat em’ up, I found that Sifu has a plethora of other issues that made me bec...

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GameGrin
February 6, 2022
9/10

A brilliant take on the roguelike genre, Sifu is a game that is hard to beat, but even harder to put down. Timing, patience, and skill will see you to fulfilling your goal and exacting that sweet revenge.

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Digital Trends
February 6, 2022

“A rewarding experience from its start, Sifu delivers challenge after challenge, all of which are too exciting to turn down.”

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GamesRadar
February 6, 2022

Sifu is a gorgeous, original and intelligent brawler whose self-confidence is leveraged by its masterful ageing mechanic and super tight combat.

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Game Skinny
February 6, 2022
7/10

If you're looking for a real beat'-em-up challenge, Sifu's got it, but it's not as fair as it is tough.

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GameSpew
February 6, 2022
8/10

With Sifu, developer Sloclap has delivered one of the most striking and original roguelikes we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Like the process of actually learning a martial art, this is a game that requires practice and patience – and the rewards speak for themselves. The first time we encountered a key target, for example, we aged so much that we died and had to try again. And when we did finally manage to beat him, we did so at an age in the 50s. But after yet more practice, we later returned to emerge victorious in battle at...

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GamingBolt
February 6, 2022
8/10

Despite a couple of hang-ups, Sifu should be commended for injecting a sense of danger and realism back into the beat ‘em up genre.

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MP1ST
February 6, 2022
9/10

With that said, it’ll be interesting to see if Sloclap has any grand plans for Sifu as a franchise, or at least some post-launch support. Whereas Absolver, their previous title, had online backing to keep the fun going, Sifu is a single-player only game that doesn’t offer any procedural generated content that it inspires from. Nothing wrong with a single-player focused game, but having cranked over 30-hours into it and achieving the full Platinum trophy, I’m eager to see what exciting content or game the studio has next, and hopefully this isn’t the last we’ll see of Sifu.

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Sifu is an incredible journey. Featuring top-notch animations, music tracks, and visuals that are hard to match by even a big-budget animation studio, you will find your jaw-dropping as you make your journey through this story of revenge.

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Twinfinite
February 6, 2022

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with Sifu. I know that it's an excellent game. The combat is tight, feels really fluid, and is going to provide a nice challenge for people who want one. However, its gameplay loop and punishing aging system and multiplier, mixed with a lack of proper training and tutorial elements, ruined whatever enjoyment I felt at the start.I have no doubt that a lot of people are going to love that the game is super difficult, especially if you enjoyed Absolver, but I am just not one of those people.

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