Sifu is a demanding game that requires you to master the art of kung-fu, while seeking revenge on the ones who murdered your family. The main character possesses a magic talisman that revives them after dying, but the catch is that each death adds to their age. Your goal is to reach the end of the game before your talisman runs out of magic, and before you die of old age. Seeing as how Sifu is one of the most brutally difficult games released in recent memory, you’ll want to come prepared with as much knowledge as possible. In this beginner’s guide, we’ve got you covered with 11 tips and tricks to help you become the Sifu.

Abuse those invulnerability-frames

There are certain attacks you can unleash that temporarily leave you invulnerable to other opponents while the animation plays out. These are known as invulnerability-frames (i-frames) and you’ll want to take full advantage of them. One of the most common moves that fall into this category is the Triangle + Circle finisher, which occurs when you break an enemy’s Structure. This move not only instantly eliminates your opponent, but it’s also an effective way to avoid getting hit by someone else. Likewise, holding the Circle button on a downed enemy will also temporarily give you i-frames.

Learn the combos

It’s easy to want to button-mash in Sifu, especially at the start, but we recommend going into the pause menu to see what combos you have at your disposal. Some of them, like the Square + X Directional Throw can be invaluable during combat, but you might not know it if you fail to check out the list of combos. Keep an eye on additional combos you can unlock from the Skill Tree.