Sifu

Sifu's brutal learning curve and unique structure that requires you to beat it in just one lifetime are significant barriers to overcome, but on the other side is truly one of the best modern action games around.

Sifu's unique aging mechanic and top-tier combat make the journey from a headstrong student to a wise kung fu master utterly thrilling.

An elegant martial arts meditation on temporality and self-possession, set in a loving but touristy idea of China.

Sifu will test your patience, but learning how to coolly dismantle a room full of goons with virtual kung fu is worth the pain.

Like Hades and Returnal, Sifu is a run-based game where each attempt is an opportunity to get further than your last. But unlike those games, its execution is needlessly complex, and it's really, really hard to tell if you're making any permanent progress.

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

Mastering Sifu's combat system takes a high degree of dedication and practice, but like a true martial artist, you must push through the practice pains before you reap any rewards.

Spectacular gain is preceded by drawn-out pain in this martial arts adventure where fighting prowess is the carrot and ageing is the stick

“Sifu” is a no-nonsense arcade brawler that can be played in short bursts or long sprints, depending on the commitment to perfect each level run. Despite its high skill ceiling, it offers a rare treat in video game martial arts: a brutal balletic presentation — if played well enough. If anything, it’s worth playing just for the first level.

Sifu is a master of hand-to-hand combat, injecting its kung-fu showdowns with exhilarating fluidity, tactical depth and cinematic scale. Its structure is harder to fully embrace, though, as it demands a lot of repetitious dedication to even reach the final stages. At times that feels needlessly punishing, but the thrill of the fight should help pull you through.