Revealed somewhat nonchalantly at the end of a PlayStation Blog post, developer Sloclap has stated that Sifu will be launching two weeks earlier than previously announced. Sifu will now be releasing on February 8th instead of February 22nd.
The PS Blog post on Sifu had much to say about how combat works in the game as well. Having previously made the 2017 martial arts game Absolver, Sloclap is applying its knowledge of the combat art to a single-player game this time around. Marketing Manager at Sloclap, Felix Garczynski, explains that the team wanted to draw heavily from martial arts films such as Old Boy, The Raid and John Wick. Felix explains that the close-quarters combat found in those films was especially inspirational to the team, and led to Sifu having the classic aesthetics of those films. Faithful animations, camera framings and above all realistic combat, will lend players the feeling they are the main character of a kung fu movie.
Felix explains that Sloclap designed a system titled Structure that emulates the real ferocity of breaking an enemy's stance. Both the player and their enemies have stagger gauges which, upon filling, will allow the player to initiate a powerful takedown on their opponent effectively ending the fight. If the player's gauge is depleted they will find themselves incapacitated for a short duration leaving themselves open to attacks. Blocking attacks will fill the gauge quickly and, Felix says, the act of parrying in Sifu will create opportunities to immediately stagger an enemy without filling the gauge. There will also be unlockable skills to aid players in building up combos.
In Sifu, players will also need to make use of their environments, effectively tossing furniture into enemies' feet, ducking under or diving over tables, throwing items or fashioning weapons from objects around them. This acts as a way for players to clear the gap to an opponent in a quick fashion while also putting them off-guard. When finally getting in the vicinity of an opponent, players can utilize what Sloclap calls Focus. This technique is a resource that builds up over a fight and allows the player to enter a slo-mo state, wherein they can target a weak point and enact a devastating attack that can seriously disable or wound the enemy. Different focus attacks will be part of unlockable skills as well, creating even more customization for the player's character.
Seeing as Sifu was releasing the same day as other high-profile releases such as the Destiny: The Witch Queen expansion, this earlier release date will be a good spot to let this highly inventive martial arts game a chance to breathe. Hopefully, Sifu will find its audience to make it a rousing success for developer Sloclap.
Sifu releases February 8, 2022 for PC, PS4, and PS5.
Source: PlayStation Blog