Sifu's new trailer shows off stylish, brutal 3D martial arts action in a modern club setting. The trailer shows the game's combat intensity off and gives viewers a great look at the low-poly aesthetic.
Sifu is an upcoming martial arts 3D beat 'em up from independent developer Sloclap, initially revealed at the February 2021 State of Play. The game will feature highly stylized visuals and intense martial arts-inspired combat.
Ever since Sifu was revealed months ago, Sloclap has steadily revealed more ab0ut the game through its Twitter feed, but the gameplay trailer shows a more in-depth look at a single level of the game. With this more focused showcase, players can glean more details about the game's level design and how the combat will play into the environment, as well as getting a good look at Sifu's visual style.
The trailer shows off an intense action scene set in a club, with the player character using a wide set of Pak-Mei kung fu techniques to take on multiple hostiles at once. The environment of the club also plays a role in the combat, with the player able to vault over couches and grab objects to smash over enemies' heads. The extra power afforded by the hardware of the PS4 and PS5 means Sifu will be a far cry from a PS2 classic that tried to deliver a similar concept, Jet Li: Rise to Honor. Considering Sloclap's previous work on Absolver, Sifu's combat system will likely have a lot of depth and room for player mastery.
The entire trailer appears to be showing off one level, with jump-cuts between the major scenes, showing that at least some of the final game's levels will take place inside tight environments, with objects around to use to the player's advantage. The previous reveal trailer for Sifu showed more varied environments, so it seems the Summer of Gaming trailer is intended to give excited players a closer look at the moment-to-moment gameplay.
While Sloclap's previous game, Absolver, is beloved by some it never saw huge popularity. The massive showcases Sifu is appearing at shows that Sloclap wants to make this game a hit, and the question remains if the studio can deliver with only one other game to its name. Sloclap will have to learn some important lessons from Absolver if Sifu is going to be a success.
Sifu releases for PC, PS4, and PS5 in 2021.