Sifus stunning martial arts combat will appeal to a generation of kung fu fans

Sifu, the newest game from Absolver developer Sloclap, feels like exactly the kind of shot in the arm the roguelike genre needs. Far too many of that style of game favors sword and board combat in medieval or otherwise indeterminate but distant past fantasy settings. Sifu is a refreshingly modern take on the die-and-restart style of play that ditches the sword in favor of these hands.

I got to play a bit of Sifu in a hands-on preview that demos the first half of the second chapter. The preview dropped me right into the action — no tutorial mission, no story explanation, just a destination simply known as The Club. The preview makes you fight your way through the club, battling simple minions that go down in one or two punches to heavy...

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