Sifu’s Early Access Period Is Broken On PlayStation

Sifu’s early access period was supposed to begin today on PlayStation, but players who preordered are finding themselves unable to play the game.

Anyone who was hoping to get their hands on an early digital copy of the upcoming martial arts action game Sifu might be in for disappointment as numerous players have been reporting issues with the early access download. This early download was meant to serve as a bonus for pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition of the hotly anticipated 2022 game– a practice that is common on both consoles and PC alike, with recent releases like Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty: Vanguard offering early beta access for preorder customers.

Sifu is the first game from developer Sloclap since the similarly martial arts-oriented Absolver back in 2017. The review embargo for the game just ended today, and the general critical consensus seems to be that the title is a brutally challenging, visually stunning, and tightly polished experience. The game is currently sitting at around eighty percent on Metacritic, with popular outlets like IGN bestowing a 9/10 rating on the unique indie experience. Sifu earned 3.5/5 stars in Screen Rant‘s own review, despite some concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of content. Overall, the niche action game looks to be in fighting shape, ready to please fans of the genre when it releases in full in a few days.

Related: Sifu Live-Action Adaptation Features Intense Martial Arts

Those who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of the game in hopes of playing it early might not be so pleased, though, as the PlayStation Store seems to be blocking early downloads of the game due to some unspecified technical issue. According to the official Sifu Twitter account (via Push Square), developers are currently looking into the problem with PlayStation. As is expected, the Tweet also apologizes for any inconvenience this may be causing players while promising a swift update.

This is surely a major disappointment for those who shelled out the extra money to play Sifu early rather than on its official release date of February 8. Considering the fact that February 8 falls on a Tuesday–the middle of the work week for many people– this snafu could mean a lot less playtime for potential fans of the game. Those who snagged the Deluxe Edition specifically to play the game early might even be feeling a touch of buyer’s remorse.

With any luck, this problem will be resolved before the end of the day. Fixing this issue and keeping the focus on Sifu‘s positive critical reception will be instrumental in the ultimate success of the game, as it has launched in one of the most competitive months in recent memory; if Sifu wants to compete with the likes of Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, this hiccup will need to be the last of its kind.

Next: Sifu Won’t Have Difficulty Options at Launch, Developer Says

Sifu will be punching its way onto PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC on February 8.

Source: SifuGame/Twitter (via Push Square)

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