Sifu takes a lot of inspiration from various martial arts movies, where the lone protagonist faces off against a group of enemies and manages to emerge victorious through the strength of will and martial arts prowess. Players also do this in the game, including a hallway fight in Sifu inspired by Oldboy, the Korean martial arts film. However, most enemies are no match for the hero, and instead, the real challenge is with the main villain and perhaps their most trusted lieutenants.

In martial arts films, the hero often stands in a circle with foes surrounding them. These enemies kindly attack one at a time, or the hero can block and dodge in a way that they end up defeating all their adversaries. Unfortunately, Sifu doesn't work that way. Fights with large groups of enemies can be challenging encounters and likely will end in death. However, the main character has a pendant belonging to their father with the magical ability to resurrect them after death, but it takes a toll by aging the character. Sifu's aging death mechanics are an interesting gameplay element, but players only have a limited number of times they can die before they fail a level.

Related: Sifu: Beginner's' Guide (Tips, Tricks & Strategies)

Therefore, players still want to avoid death as much as possible, and to do so; they will have to learn to live through group encounters. Players can get the timing down for blocking and parrying, which can certainly go a long way to ensure survival. However, there is still a much better defensive option that can work wonders to keep players from getting overwhelmed, and it's' one that players often forget about: running away.

Surviving Group Encounters in Sifu

Sifu: How to Survive Group Encounters

There's' no shame in retreating from a fight because, in Sifu, it's' more of a tactical withdrawal. After all, there is currently only one difficulty level in Sifu, so players should take advantage of whatever strategies they can to survive. If enemies surround a player, they can run around the area, putting whatever distance they can between themselves and the enemy. They can vault over objects, run around corners, or just retreat to a safe distance. When one enemy gets close, unleash powerful attacks on them until others are nearby, and run again.

In this way, players fight enemies one at a time rather than the whole group. In other words, they are dividing and conquering. Players might find weapons strewn around the area to use against their hapless foes. Eventually, players will be able to use takedown attacks on an enemy, so it's one less to worry about. Repeat this as often as necessary until victory. It's a slow way to win, but it works for most players other than those attempting a speedrun for Sifu.

Additionally, it's' better to take out weaker enemies first. Sometimes there are certain stronger enemies mixed in with a group of regular enemies, and they should be handled last unless the player gets some good hits. In short, the simplest way to survive fighting against a group can be summed up in one word: don't'.

Next: Sifu Developers Offer Day 1 Tips for Players Struggling with Difficulty

Sifu is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.