Was Sifu’s final cutscene worth the frustration I endured to see it? Not really, but at risk of sounding like I’m quoting some misattributed kung fu aphorism, the experience of mastering Sifu’s combat is what mattered and I couldn’t get enough of it. That’s down to some of the most enjoyable melee combat ever – fluid, funny, improvisational – and a devilish structure that taunted me with its contemptible fairness.
Sifu is a singleplayer-only brawler with just five levels, each of which ends in a two-stage boss fight. Except for the final boss’ annoying immunity to certain attacks, there are no tricks. The bosses can all be defeated just like any other opponent, and the opening credits even show you how to fight them. When you make it to the second phase of a boss fight, Sifu even restores all your health. It’s so charitable that every time I died, I said a few short words of gratitude through my clenched teeth.
You aren’t even kills you. Thanks to a magic talisman, the protagonist can be resurrected on the spot, which causes them to age one or more years – the penalty increases each time the talisman is used. That gives you more than ten chances to kill all five bosses while blowing through the hero’s 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
