‘Sifu’ spring update will add difficulty options and 'advanced training'

“Sifu” has been one of the most discussed games of the year so far. But along with its well-received gameplay, design, and narrative, the martial arts-themed title has also generated some debates on whether or not it should have more flexible difficulty modes. The good news is that Sloclap confirmed the game would be more accessible with the addition of new difficulty options in an upcoming update in spring.

Sloclap released the 2022 content roadmap for “Sifu” on Tuesday, providing details on major changes coming to the game throughout the year. Three items are listed under the spring update, including difficulty options, “advanced training,” and outfit selection.

The level of difficulty in completing “Sifu” has been one of the main reasons that players either love it or find it frustrating at times. The game launched without difficulty options, and Sloclap previously explained it was by design that the game is tough and gets tougher as players progress.

In “Sifu,” players start as a young student of kung fu with a life-long goal of avenging the death of their family. They have to fulfill this mission alone and face many opponents along the way, making the game’s level of difficulty at launch somewhat realistic.

In an earlier interview with GamesRadar+, “Sifu” producer Pierre Tarno noted that kung fu “literally means mastery through practice.” And the developers want players to feel as if they have also mastered the martial arts in the game through the failures in completing missions. “If the game were too easy, if we gave that fantasy right away to players, that feeling of practice and mastery would not really be felt,” Tarno explained. “So there is a strong learning curve.”

Reactions to the upcoming difficulty options are quite mixed. Some want “Sifu” to remain the tough game as it was at launch, while many welcome these choices to allow more players to enjoy the game.

Sloclap also confirmed on Tuesday that the game is getting an “advanced scoring” feature in summer, along with gameplay modifiers and new outfits. These gameplay modifiers will be expanded later on, and more outfits will be added throughout 2022. In the fall, “Sifu” will get a replay editor, and the new game mode Arenas will be released in winter.