Game of the Year: #6 - Sifu

We were pretty much sold on Sifu as soon as it was revealed. A gritty but stylised martial arts revenge movie in video game form? Of course we'll give it a go. And we did indeed give it a go — over and over and over again. What we're saying is that Sifu is a difficult game, but don't let that put you off! Persevere with this quest for vengeance and the outcome is oh-so-sweet. Mastering each stage, along with their boss battles, is immensely rewarding, and getting closer and closer to that perfect run is super addictive.

But what really ties Sifu together is the presentation. The level design is immaculate, and the character animations are beautifully smooth. Every fight ends up feeling brilliantly choreographed — at least, once you're got the hang of it! — and overall, the game does an amazing job of capturing that kung fu cinema flair.

And of course, it's worth mentioning that developer SloClap has only made Sifu better since its release. The studio's pumped out several big updates over the course of the year, adding game-changing features like difficulty settings, gameplay modifiers, and even a full replay editor that basically lets you record your run and make a movie out of it. You couldn't ask for more.

There's a simplistic focus to Sifu that's undeniably refreshing. Just a handful of levels to ace, and a handful of bosses to beat in flawless fashion. It's an action game that knows exactly what it wants to do — and does it extremely well.

Push Square's Game of the Year list is primarily decided by an internal staff vote. Our community Game of the Year poll is also taken into account. Feel free to agree or disagree with our list in the comments section below!

You can check out all of our Game of the Year coverage by clicking the link.