The game is almost upon us, but ahead of its release, and our subsequent review, Adam "Griz" Mathew, our resident Souls-like expert and punterrific wordsmith, went hands-on with Miyazaki's potential next masterpiece.

Though questions do abound around its size, its structure, some gameplay mechanics and a number of departures from previous Miyazaki outings.

Here's a snippet:

"Getting your chop on is a very different experience to both Dark Souls and Bloodborne. I've played the crotch out of everything Miyazaki has ever made, and rocking in with the old tactics had me hitting walls (and death screens) aplenty. For starters, I don't think veterans will find too much success with getting their excessive Dark Souls roll on (Sekiro uses a quick-step instead of a commando tumble, and it somehow feels slightly less controllable and effective).

Also worth noting: your new ability to ceaselessly leap like a jackrabbit isn't much of an escape option, either. Enemy attacks will track you, snip off your ankles and put you on your back for some follow-up pruning. You'd best save it for the obviously telegraphed “unstoppable” enemy attacks designed to sweep your leg harder than a Kobra Kai alumni."

Click here for our full hands-on preview of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.