As Epic Games wraps up its holiday giveaway, the penultimate free title has been revealed. Sifu, the acclaimed beat ’em up from 2022, is available for download at no cost until 11 a.m. tomorrow, January 1. This game marries sleek, cinematic martial arts action with the relentless retry spirit typical of roguelikes, but each defeat comes with the inescapable toll of time.
That might sound a little heavy-handed. Every time your character perishes, a magical amulet resurrects you, but you age slightly in the process. With each demise, you’ll notice your character grows visibly older and becomes more vulnerable to damage, although your attacks gain increased power. As you age, some abilities may become inaccessible, essentially transforming you into a delicate weapon. While you might be able to deliver devastating strikes, it only takes one blow to end your journey.
If you let yourself get too old, dying will send you back to square one for the level. Fortunately, it seems that the key to maintaining youth lies in taking down bosses; defeating mini-bosses or finishing specific areas can shave off a year from your death count. Just try to steer clear of taking damage—after all, a few hits can really affect your character’s appearance.
The giveaway features both Sifu and its Arenas Expansion. If you’re interested, you can also grab the Art of Sifu artbook for just an extra $5.
Make no mistake: Sifu is a challenging experience, yet it balances that difficulty with an engaging combat system that keeps you coming back for more. You can download Sifu for free from the Epic Games Store until tomorrow.
