Sifu: Walkthrough of Level One “The Squats”

Sifu, the kung fu fighting game for PlayStation and PC, channels classic kung fu films with the battles against hordes of enemies, the use of weapons, and the use of the environment. Even the first level can be challenging for beginners and impatient players, setting the stage for the difficulty throughout the rest of the game.

Below, you will find your step-by-step walkthrough of The Squats, including the boss fight with “The Botanist,” Fajar. Note that you will need to replay this level to complete the Detective Board for the level and – depending on your skill – to end the stage at a younger age.

Making your way up and through the apartment building

You begin outside a gate (hit D-Pad Up for some more info when prompted) that you must vault up using X and battle the few enemies in this alleyway. After taking them out, head inside the building and continue.

Head to the back door, where you can grab two things to add to the Detective Board for the area: Skull Letter and Avenue Door. The latter will end up being a shortcut once you get the keys from Skull Brothers. Head into the room beside and grab the pipe or bottle (pipe is recommended), then work your way up the floors and take out the enemies you come across. Note that an enemy will sprint at you from the room on the second floor with junkies (hit D-Pad Up when prompted for more info).

At the top of the stairs you’ll find two enemies (with a bottle on the ledge) to take out, then hit D-Pad Up when prompted for the helpful hint. Make sure you sprint by holding R2 to access the next area. Take out the three enemies here (they may grab bottles), then hit the Purple Mist on the kitchen counter.

From Oldboy to your first upgrade

Grab a bottle if your pipe has broken (most likely) and prepare for a fight straight out of Oldboy. You enter a long, narrow hallway with many enemies. Some will have weapons, including a pipe, so prioritize disarming them and using the weapons against them.

After you defeat them, head up the staircase and into another hallway. There will be rooms on both sides with two enemies each, though in the right one the second enemy is outside and somehow doesn’t notice the fight behind her; vault to her and take her out. You can then head to the next area from either room or the hallway, and grab a bottle for a fight.

One of the enemies here not only has a pipe, but seems to be under the influence of drugs. This means you cannot perform a takedown and will have to defeat him by slowly whittling down his health. Don’t be surprised if you end up dying here once or twice, especially if you can’t time your Deflects (Parries) and Dodges correctly.

As you leave the area, hit D-Pad Up for some more info. You’ll encounter your first Shrine to unlock upgrades (not skills). There are nine total upgrades. Most have three levels, but one has four levels and one has two levels for a total of 27 upgrades.

Here are the upgrades based on maximum age.

• Structure Reserve (Max Age 60): Increase maximum Structure.
• Health Gained on Takedowns (Max Age 40): Increase health gained on takedowns.
• Weapon Durability (Max Age: 25): Increase weapon durability.

Here are the upgrades based on stage Score.

• Structure Regain: Increase Structure gain on successful avoid.
• Focus Regain: Increase Focus regain on successful avoid or parry.
• Parry Impact: Increase impact of parry on opponent Structure.

Here are the upgrades based on experience points.

• Focus Reserve: Add half a Focus Bar. This upgrade has four levels.
• Weapon Proficiency: Improve weapon damage and impact on opponent Structure.
• Death Counter: Reset your Death Counter to zero. This upgrade has two levels.

It’s recommended that you focus on Weapon Durability first as it’s unlikely you’ll gain not only enough experience to unlock the Weapon Master skill, but permanently unlock the skill. Increasing durability is more advisable than Weapon Proficiency since more damage is done with weapons anyway, so increasing the time you have weapons should pay off more early. It’s also the most restrictive upgrade by age, and it has three upgrades.

From juggernaut to Skull Brothers

Make your choice and continue, hopefully with weapon in hand. Vault up and prepare for a battle with three foes. Note that during playthrough, an enemy fell in the gap between buildings, eliminating them from battle without a takedown. After you take care of them, grab a brick if it’s still there and sprint forward, readying yourself for a juggernaut.

Use the brick for a quick advantage, then note that the game will assist you by telling you how to avoid throws: hold L1 and hit down on the left stick. You’ll know he’s readying for a throw as he puts his arms out wide and circles of orange form. He’ll also throw heavy attacks you can’t block – but can parry – that will be signaled by his limbs turning orange. Check the Drug Money on the back table as well.

Proceed. If you drop down, you’ll see a guy in the first bathroom with his back turned to you. With this, all you need is one strike to trigger the takedown sequence. Proceed through the door into a room with many enemies, one carrying a pipe and under the influence. Be careful here, but after you’re done, head into the back room.

Here, you’ll find a Club Flyer that actually adds to the Board for The Club and Sean, “The Fighter.” There is also a fresh pipe here and one by the door into the next area for you to grab. Head into the hallway and hit the end of the hall first to trigger the Metal Gate. Then, head into the door to the left for a fight against Skull Brothers.

Sprint at one with the pipe to try and take one out quickly. Once you defeat them, you get the Bunch of Keys, which is described as, “Moving through the warehouse will be a lot easier with these keys.” These keys actually open the shortcut through the Avenue Door. There is also another upgrade Shrine here, so make sure to hit an upgrade before leaving.

From the hangar to Fajar

Enter into the hangar now. You can either go down and take on all those enemies or use a bit of stealth. If you head to the left, there is a lone enemy on the ledge. If you can defeat him without alerting the enemies on the ground, you can then head around the backside and grab a fresh pipe from a table. Beware as many of these enemies will grab bamboo staves and a few are under the influence.

After defeating them, grab the Purple Flower on the table and proceed. Make sure you have a bamboo staff or a pipe. Here, you’ll meet three foes, one a juggernaut. He is actually rather easily defeated with a weapon as a few strikes trigger a takedown. Note that one of the three will also have a staff to strike you with.

Proceed, sprinting if you want, and make sure you hit the upgrade Shrine on the way! After entering the next building, be sure to grab Keycard 206 and check the Private Room Door. The Keycard is for The Sanctuary level and you will have to replay the level after obtaining Flower’s Key in the same level. That’s the only way to complete the Detective Board for The Squats.

Head up and prepare for your first true boss battle of the game against Fajar, “The Botanist.”

Defeating Fajar

Fajar is no easy boss. He is agile and strong. He has three main attacks. He will most likely spam leaping off of a table and landing with an axe kick, followed by an upward kick, if you keep your distance. He also has a long sliding attack that will ground you. His third is just a series of quick strikes. If you can, throw him into the surrounding tables and don’t get trapped yourself.

In the second stage, he will turn the warehouse into a bamboo field, using the bamboo to hide and launch attacks. Here, he wilds the same machete he used to slice your throat eight years ago. Apart from leaping out with a slicing attack, Fajar will also launch a charged attack with his machete (you can tell when it’s coming). This is in addition to some of the attacks you saw in the first phase.

Whittle his health and Structure down enough to trigger the takedown sequence, which will lead to a cinematic and your first level cleared.

What’s different about the shortcut?

If you take the shortcut through the Avenue Door, you face far less enemies – including the first juggernaut – and instead head almost straight to Fajar.

Once you exit through Avenue Door, You will find a small group of enemies and an upgrade shrine on the ledge above. Hit that and proceed. You really won’t face more than one or two enemies at a time as you proceed, hitting another shrine along the way until you hit the hangar. Then, the paths meet.

Replay the level with the keys and hit the shortcut if you’re not happy with the age you ended The Squats. All of the Detective Board findings will still be unlocked, so you just have to worry about the upgrades and bettering your age.

Now you have your step-by-step walkthrough on how to complete the first level of Sifu, The Squats. Can you make it through without dying even once?