Recently I’ve been immersing myself in the fascinating world of Sekiro – Shadows Die Twice, the absolutely riveting 2019 Game Of The Year winner by the Japanese developer FromSoftware that also gave us Bloodborne and Dark Souls.

Sekiro’s story is set in medieval Japan during the Sengoku period and is greatly influenced by the many mythology and folklores told during that era. It is a notoriously challenging game with a steep learning curve, but one heck of a gaming experience.

This excellent art book features the huge collection of concept art created during the making of the game, over 300 pages of content. The first half of the book showcases “imageboards” – art work for the many elaborate and stunning set pieces found in the game, and the 2nd half explores character, creature and weapon designs.

The imageboards for the numerous sets are very detailed and I am certainly impressed by how the concept artists’ art works are so faithfully reproduced in the actual game ( the images found in the book are actual concept art work and not screen captures of in-game graphics ).

Although the sets and locations found in the game are fictitious, many of them are based on actual places found in Japan. Senpou Temple for example ( image above ) is likely modeled after the UNESCO site Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. This grounds the fantastic elements of the set design with something tangible, adding an extra level of realism.

Tough as it is, I am thoroughly enjoying my time in Sekiro right now, and one of the highlights of the game is the incredible set and character designs. This book is the perfect volume to explore the superb concept art work used to create this game. Highly recommended.

Sekiro – Shadows Die Twice Official Artworks 隻狼 book details :

– Dimensions – 11.6 x 8.4 x 1 inches
– softcover, 304 pages
– Full color, in Japanese ( book contains mostly art work )

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