Sifu is a game that will push fans of the beat 'em up genre to their limits. It will see you riding a fun high on a string of fast-paced combos, punching your way through waves of enemies, until two tricky moves send you right into the ground and make you a year older.
The mechanic of aging the protagonist up every time he dies is an extremely unique one, and it also reflects how much older the player feels after finally defeating Yang. As a beginner, learning the best combos in the game is the only way you stand any chance of reaching the halfway point without hitting the dreaded 70s.
Controls listed are based on the PS4/PS5 controller.
8 Crotch Punch
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Left Stick Up, Left Stick Up + X |
There's an element to the Crotch Punch that makes it equal parts satisfying and juvenile. Regardless of the feelings it brings out, it's also very effective. It's a dodge for high strikes turned into an attack that can also stun certain enemies (For obvious reasons). It deals good damage, and any dodge turned into a way to attack the enemy is something that you should keep in mind while playing. It lands at the lowest spot of this list for not being quite as effective with crowd control as many of these other combos.
7 Back Breaker
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Triangle, Triangle, Square, Triangle |
This is a bit of a cumbersome combo that's easy to mess up, especially for newer players to the beat 'em up genre and its many long combos. But Back Breaker is a combo worth learning nonetheless.
It's a damage-heavy combo that ends in your opponent being put on the ground. Sending an opponent to the ground is exactly where you want them in order to perform a finisher. Plus, it's without a doubt one of the more gratifying animations for any of the combos in Sifu. You can really feel that elbow to the back as it's taking place.
6 Duck Strike
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Hold Square |
What makes the Duck Strike so useful is its ability to strike opponents behind you. When you notice a group of enemies beginning to circle up around you, you're in a very precarious position. But once you've mastered the duck strike, you'll be able to hit enemies in front and behind you without needing to dodge and turn around every time you want to hit somebody at a different angle. It's not the biggest damage dealer, but few other moves allow you to hit someone you're not directly looking at.
5 Snap Kick
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Left Stick Up, Left Stick Up + Triangle |
The Snap Kick is all about range. This is a combo that lets you quickly close the gap between yourself and an enemy with a long-reaching kick. It is one of the most effective tools you have for hitting enemies at a distance when no weapons or throwables are present. It's a great move for opening fights. For difficult bosses where keeping your distance while also doing damage is necessary, rushing in with a Snap Kick and then dodging away quickly can be very effective.
4 Sweep
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Left Stick Down, Left Stick Up + Triangle |
An essential factor of Sifu is crowd control. Many deaths accumulated by players come from being hit by a combo from two or three different enemies at once. It's extremely dangerous when they all start to crowd around you.
The Sweep is one way to help with this. It's a simple combo with good range that renders an enemy helpless on the ground, giving you more time to deal with the enemies that are still standing. Once you're into it, you'll find yourself using this useful move over and over again, and there's only one other crowd control move that lands higher on the list.
3 Push Kick
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Square, Square, Triangle |
The Push Kick is the ultimate combo for crowd control. Not only does it push an enemy away from you with a hard kick, but it also causes damage to any other enemies the pushed enemy collides with on their trip backward. The combo takes a bit longer to pull off than the quick and easy sweep, making you more vulnerable to having the combo stopped by a strike from an enemy. But the damage and extra crowd control it yields make this a combo worth spamming over and over.
2 Spin Hook Kick
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Triangle, Triangle, (Pause) Triangle |
There are other combos that let you perform a roundhouse kick in Sifu, but this is definitely the best one. The Spin Hook Kick can take some time to get right, since you need to become familiar with the amount of time necessary to pause between the second and third hits. But once you do get it right it is oh-so-satisfying to repeat over and over again. It's a powerful kick with a lot of range that will send the enemy straight to the ground. Very few other moves match Spin Hook Kick's power.
1 Palm Strike + Chasing Trip Kick
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Left Stick Down, Left Stick Up + Square, Triangle |
This combo combines a lot of important aspects for a powerful Sifu strike. It's fast, easy to pull off, strong, and knocks the enemy over. The Palm Strike pushes the enemy back, which can affect other enemies around as well. And the Chasing Trip Kick that follows will put the enemy on the ground where you can finish them off or focus on any other enemies that may be crowding around you. If you can master this combo along with the others on this list, and combine it with a mastery of the ever-important dodge roll, you'll be well on your way to beating Sifu like a pro before reaching your 70s.