History YMMV / Sifu

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The intro sequence, which is a sendup to ''Film/SnakeInTheEaglesShadow'', is absolutely striking. The combination of fluid animations, beautiful cinematography, and impactful minimalism make for a sequence that instantly sucks people in. [[https://youtu.be/fp3cvwblFIs Take a look.]]

* FanNickname: Fans have referred to the unnamed player character as "Sifu Guy" or the more gender-neutral "Student". Occasionally, since the main antagonist is named Yan and wears white, the black-garbed protagonist is called "Yin" as well.

** It also slowly developed one with ''VideoGame/GodHand'' fanbase, thanks to its high-octane, fast paced, dodge-centric, and [[NintendoHard absolutely punishing gameplay]], with ''God Hand'' players citing that ''Sifu'' can be considered a SpiritualSuccessor of ''God Hand'' in many ways.

** It also slowly develops one with ''VideoGame/GodHand'' fanbase, thanks to it's high-octane, fast paced, dodge-centric, and [[NintendoHard absolutely punishing gameplay]], with God Hand players citing that Sifu can be considered a SpiritualSuccessor of God Hand in many ways.

* FriendlyFandoms: The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' fandom gets along pretty well with the players of ''Sifu'' or are even a part of its own player base/fandom, thanks to being a fellow BeatEmUp that shares a lot in common[[labelnote:*]](taking place in a modern and urban Asian setting with a protagonist that is well-versed in martial arts and fights through large swathes of {{mook}}s alongside a few allies)[[/labelnote]]. Although if that wasn't enough, there are a few mods that even adds characters from ''Yakuza'' or soundtracks to the game.

* FriendlyFandoms: The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' fandom gets along pretty well with the players of ''Sifu'' or are even a part of its own player base/fandom, thanks to being a fellow BeatEmUp that shares a lot in common[[labelnote:*]](taking place in a modern and urban Asian setting with a protagonist that is well-versed in martial arts and fights through large swathes of {{mook}}s alongside a few allies)[[/labelnote]]. Although if that wasn't enough, there's a few mods that even adds characters from ''Yakuza'' or soundtracks to the game.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: [[spoiler:Sparing bosses]] on a Wude run can be this if you're accustomed to hitting the takedown button(s) as soon as the prompt appears.

* FanNickname: Fans have referred to the unnamed player character as "Sifu Guy" or the more gender-neutral "Student".

* ThatOneLevel: Moreso than any other, '''The Club''' stands out as a brutal gauntlet. Of the five levels it is easily the toughest due to a number of factors; first, the level is ''long''. It is by far the longest in the game, easily taking 30 minutes of runtime when most take upwards of twenty. It is packed to the gills with tough encounters, swarming you with tough enemies and dangerous minibosses. The shortcut barely skips any of the level, and at the end of it all sits Sean, who is far from a pushover. This is likely the first level the player will hit a roadblock on due to the sheer DifficultySpike between the previous level, The Squats, and this. It's honestly kind of fitting that the BloodKnight that is Sean has the hardest level in the entire game, considering his philosophy of "[[SocialDarwinist Weeding out the Weak.]]"

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Beijing composer, Howie Lee blends traditional Chinese instruments with contemporary electronic music for a very unique and authentic soundtrack perfect for the often tense and action-packed scenes of the game.

** The music for The Club in particular is suitably high energy for the fights in the neon light-filled night club, kicking if off with the pulse pounding electronic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YACqiV9nBU&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Crash the Dance Floor".]] It then slows down, becoming more tense with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo-n_-T5HUk&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Clash In the Pit"]] while incorporating more traditional instruments as The Student discovers the underground fight club within. As they delve into the deepest recesses of The Club, it's become almost entirely traditional instruments with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJ10BnHPKs&ab_channel=SoundtrackStudio "Blood Is On Fire",]] matching The Club having somehow transformed into an ancient Chinese village perpetually aflame. The song is especially dramatic and atmospheric for the fierce battles with Sean's personal "Disciples".

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Spring Content update mainly caters to fans who, despite enjoying the game, find the difficulty to be a tad too much for their liking. The update now has difficulty options, with Student being Easy Mode; the death counter is disabled and the Student ages slowly regardless of how many times you die. For those who enjoyed the game's difficulty, Disciple offers the experience they're familiar with. Master Difficulty caters to those who crave a more punishing experience, which is saying something since ''Sifu'' was plenty difficult well before the update.

* FriendlyFandoms: The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' fandom gets along pretty well with the players of Sifu or even a part of it's player base/fandom, thanks to being a fellow BeatEmUp that shares a lot in common[[labelnote:*]](taking place in a modern and urban Asian setting with a protagonist that is well-versed in martial arts and fights through large swathes of {{mook}}s alongside a few more)[[/labelnote]]. Although if that wasn't enough, there's a few mods that even adds characters from Yakuza or soundtracks to the game.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The intro sequence, which is a sendup to ''Snake in Eagle's Shadow'', is absolutely striking. The combination of fluid animations, beautiful cinematography, and impactful minimalism make for a sequence that instantly sucks people in. [[https://youtu.be/fp3cvwblFIs Take a look.]]

* FriendlyFandoms: The ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'' fandom gets along pretty well with the players of Sifu or even a part of it's player base/fandom, thanks to being a fellow BeatEmUp that shares a lot in common[[labelnote:*]](taking place in a modern and urban setting with a protagonist that is well-versed in martial arts and fights through large swathes of {{mook}}s alongside a few more)[[/labelnote]]. Although if that wasn't enough, there's a few mods that even adds characters from Yakuza or soundtracks to the game.

** Bodyguards are a step up from Disciples, and are arguably the toughest basic opponent to deal with. Their main moveset is fast, they hit very hard, and they specialize in charging grabs that pin you to the floor and open you up for massive damage. If you're not careful, their excellent damage potential and fast grabs can shred your health in seconds.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: The game has 5 short levels with unlockable shortcuts, but the brutal difficulty combined with TrialAndErrorGameplay can turn off some players. Since you can die in only a few hits [[GlassCannon and subsequently have less health when you age past a certain point]], it's not uncommon to finish a level by the skin of your teeth, only to restart it because you got too old.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX93hgqcy9k ''Martial Mastery'']] is a stirring, energetic piece with ominous undertones in the background, pefect for an epic revenge story [[spoiler: with a VengeanceFeelsEmpty moral at the end.]]

** The Master difficulty turned ''Fajar'' into one, as he's way more aggressive and mixes a sweep attack in far more liberally into his combos. If you don't bring your A-game into the fight you're in for a beating.

* BreatherBoss: Sean; could even be considered an AntiClimaxBoss considering the gauntlet you had to run to get to him. His staff gives him good range but that's about it, as his damage isn't great and his moves are fairly predictable - and most of them hit high, so they can be dodged with relative impunity. He does get one sweep in phase 2 but if you're good at dodging his other attacks you can afford to block it, and even if you're swept it's not that big of a deal. And God help the poor bastard if you're actually good at parrying.

* BreatherBoss: Sean can be this, considering the gauntlet you had to run to get to him. His staff gives him good range but that's about it, as his damage isn't great and his moves are fairly predictable - and most of them hit high, so they can be dodged with relative impunity. He does get one sweep in phase 2 but if you're good at dodging his other attacks you can afford to block it, and even if you're swept it's not that big of a deal.

* FakeDifficulty: Sifu is generally agreed to come by the vast majority of its challenge factor quite honestly, but some players have taken exception with the [[CameraScrew behaviour of the camera]] when you get forced up against a wall. Others argue that you should simply avoid ending up in that situation, since there is a strong emphasis on crowd control and spacing, but back on the other hand...you don't suddenly go blind when you get pinned against a wall in a real fight, you just get hit a lot and may find it hard to escape.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Spring Content update mainly caters to fans who, despite enjoying the game, find the difficulty to be a tad too much for their liking. The update now has difficulty options, with Student being Easy Mode and allowing players to continue fighting without worrying about the death counters or aging as both are technically disabled. For those who enjoyed the game's difficulty, Disciple offers the experience they're familiar with. Master Difficulty caters to those who crave a more punishing experience, which is saying something since ''Sifu'' was plenty difficult well before the update.