Everything you need to know about Sifu, Sony’s kung fu exclusive

Ever since Sifu was announced during a February 2021 PlayStation State of Play, it’s been one of the most anticipated upcoming Sony exclusives. After all, its memorable art style and in-depth combat are stunning, leaving a lasting impression on fans of action games.

Beyond its presentation, Sifu is a nuanced experience, with an authentic combat style and fascinating gameplay mechanics. It’s a third-person action-adventure game about a kung fu student who seeks revenge on the assassins who murdered his family. Sifu will also take us on the journey of the student becoming the master. But what else do we know about Sifu, and when can we get our hands on it?

When is the Sifu release date?

Sifu launches on February 8, 2021. It was initially slated to launch on February 22, but was actually moved up a couple of weeks, which doesn’t typically happen in the video game space.

Who is the Sifu developer?

Sloclap, the French studio behind the 2017 game Absolver is developing Sifu. The developer only has these two games under its belt, but judging by the positive reaction to Sifu, Sloclap has earned our trust.

What are the Sifu platforms?

Built in Unreal Engine 4, Sifu will launch for PS4, PS5, and PC. Unfortunately, this means the game won’t come to Xbox or Nintendo Switch, at least not any time soon. Absolver did launch for Xbox One, so it’s possible Sifu will migrate to other platforms at some point.

Is there a Sifu trailer?

There are several Sifu trailers and we highly suggest checking all of them out. The reveal trailer, which was shown in February 2021, captivated an audience thanks to its prominent visual style and emphasis on realistic combat. Right away, it looks like a mix between a fighting game and a 3D action-adventure.

Combat is at the heart of Sifu, and its choreography team focused on giving the player an authentic experience. Sloclap demonstrated this as part of a behind-the-scenes video featuring some of the game's developers, as well as Benjamin Colussi, a kung fu master consulted to help with Sifu’s choreography.

Since combat is so integral to Sifu, we’re glad Sloclap put together a video that focuses on gameplay. In it, you can see just how combat will work, with an emphasis on parries, and using the environment to your advantage.

What does Sifu mean?

A “sifu” is a teacher or master. In this case, the main character becomes a master over the course of the game. However, the Sifu also gets older throughout their journey, leading to some interesting gameplay mechanics.

What is the Sifu gameplay like?

Sifu will feature complex combat and third-person exploration. Its gameplay is inspired by the Pak Mei martial art, with an emphasis on authenticity. Of course, authenticity won’t overpower the fun factor, so it isn’t 100 percent accurate to martial arts. But as Colussi explains, the depiction of kung fu in most movies and games is unrealistic, and the team at Slowclap wanted to go in a different direction with Sifu.

In this game, there are no difficulty options, so it’ll likely be a challenging experience that isn’t for everyone. One interesting feature is tied to the aging mechanic. As your character ages, they become more powerful, but at the same time have less health. This is an absolutely brilliant idea, at least on paper, and we’re curious to see how it functions.

There will also be the implementation of shrines, which are used to heal and unlock new abilities. This will hopefully add variety while encouraging exploration.

Sifu will be released on February 8, 2022.