Sifu Release Date Moved Forward Because Dev Went So Smoothly

Good news: Developer Sloclap’s kung fu action game, Sifu, has had its release date moved forward to February 8, 2022 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via the Epic Games Store. It was previously set to launch two weeks later on February 22. The accompanying release date update trailer description explains, “We have made good progress on getting our game ship-ready and we are excited to be able to launch Sifu two weeks earlier than anticipated.” More combat, as well as Sifu’s aging-based gameplay feature, can be seen on full display in some new videos.

More information Sifu beyond the updated release date was revealed in two PlayStation.Blog posts today, with one focusing on the kung fu combat, while the other examines that aforementioned aging mechanic. On the former, Sloclap marketing manager Felix Garczynski explained that the team wanted to strike a balance between realistic combat and aesthetics and was inspired by the likes of Oldboy, The Raid, and John Wick. This means actively weighing options in fights against groups of multiple enemies while remembering to block, dodge, and use your foes against one another.

“The player will start with an offensive kit able to deal with any opposition, but it will take you some time to learn the different properties of the techniques available to you,” Garczynski said. “You can mix strong and fast attacks to build combos, on a single enemy or going from one opponent to the other. And as you progress and unlock new skills, you will have more options available to fit your playstyle and how you like to approach challenging situations.”

Sifu’s aging progression, meanwhile, will have you controlling your age with an ancient pendant that is fueled with life energy, meaning you start the game with a limited, manageable resource. Death screens offer a moment to reflect on mistakes before getting back up to fight with less health and more attack power. You only get older in Sifu, and eventually, you could fall victim to a game over if you reach a certain age. It’s OK, though, as Sloclap explained that a save point is created at the beginning of each chapter. You’ll lose your unlocked skills and have to keep the age you reached the chapter at, but at least you can get back into the fight without much time lost.

Sifu was first set to launch sometime in 2021 before a small delay pushed it into 2022, but the updated release date should help make up for it.