Duty, Compassion and Honor
The end of a console generation is an exciting time. Many game developers release their most polished titles, having the experience of watching the landscape unfold and new ideas take root. Developer Sucker Punch shows that it definitely has a grasp on the power of the Playstation 4 with their latest release, Ghost of Tsushima. With top-notch visuals, a compelling narrative, and an authentic cinematic feel, this game will be remembered well into future generations.
Your Legend is Now
Ghost of Tsushima feels like an old friend that you just reconnected with. The hallmarks of fantastic games of the generation are shown off here in spectacular ways, but all seem familiar in this gaming landscape. The continent of Tsushima is vast with many opportunities awaiting the astute explorer of the huge continent. Exploring this vast Japanese landscape is an incredible thing to behold with some of the best visuals to date on the console. The rolling plains, the shoreside cliffs, and misty forests are all teeming with danger and opportunity with the wind as your guide. At times the game looks like a painting or picture-perfect image, making it the perfect opportunity to show off the Photo Mode of the game. This is all experienced by little to no load times during gameplay, making for an unprecedented feeling of smoothness and polish. This is to say nothing of the fantastic performances by the actors who give authentic, emotional performances throughout.
Ghost of Tsushima’s story is an engrossing one. You are Jin Sakai, last survivor of the Samurai who stood against the Mongol Invasion. After falling to the invading forces of Khotun Kahn, you begin your mission to retake the island in styles evocative of Japanese cinema. Unity, loss, personal honor, betrayal and other themes unfold in magnificent fashion to create a staggering amount of narratives to follow across the land. The characters Jin meets on his journey are full of personality and charm, whose stories can be pursued to further flesh out their character. This makes getting to know your allies a personal and fulfilling experience deeper than that found in titles such as Mass Effect or The Outer Worlds. The result of it all is a narrative that is engrossing as it is moving, with twists and turns that will make your jaw drop, especially if you go out of your way to do side missions before the main storyline. Experiencing this title in the Kurosawa Mode, an homage to the great Samurai Film director Akira Kurosawa, is a cherry on top for any fan of his work and a fun compliment to today’s modern graphical fidelity.
The Way of the Samurai
It would not be a mistake to call Ghost of Tsushima a ‘Samurai Simulator’ of sorts. Progression is rooted not only in combat and experience, but in tradition and the art of these ancient warriors. Various locations on the map are exclusively reserved for activities such as surveying landscapes for haiku inspiration, having a moment of reflection in a hot spring, or paying tribute to the Kami of the land. These experiences are all necessary to become a stronger warrior, giving the game a unique feel by offering interesting and engaging alternatives to simply looking for the next fight or overcoming platforming challenges.
The combat is, unfortunately, one of the weaker parts of the game. Being surrounded by enemies without a reliable way to lock-on or re-focus on one means that after some legendary stand-offs, the ensuing melee can be difficult to navigate. While you are given ample tools and skills to control intense, action-packed sequences, you will always need to contend with a disorderly camera. The lack of any sort of dynamic camera focus or control undermines the entire battle system at times, making the optimal route to victory retreating to an area where you can see all your foes before attempting to fight. Couple this with the fact that the game will remove enemies from an area, or purposefully push you beyond them, if you die more than a few times and you get a form of patronizing frustration not found in most games like it. This makes combat a mixed bag outside of the intense boss fights and quite the jarring experience when compared to the polish the rest of the game shows off.
A Timeless Tale
Ghost of Tsushima is a once in a lifetime gaming experience. The lacking combat does surprisingly little to hamper the amazing qualities on display here, as the strong narrative and visuals must be experienced to be believed. The tale of Jin and his struggle against the Mongolian Invasion, differing points of view and his own honor are well-told and emotional. The characters feel alive, with strong personalities that evolve over time to create moving experiences that will leave lasting impressions. The amount of care placed into the details of creating an authentic Samurai experience is palpable and you will find yourself in awe of the designs and atmosphere that bring this rendition of Japan to life.
There aren’t many games out there like Ghost of Tsushima. It is certainly not a perfect game, but one that feels indicative of a new era of gaming. It blurs the line between cinematic and gaming experiences with how it handles the gameplay loop, engrossing you in what it means to be Jin Sakai and what that means to the people of Tsushima in their darkest hour. It is a mistake for any PS4 owner to not pick it up.
