You know when you’re playing a game and you just stop and say, yep this thing fucking rules. That was me about two hours into reviewing Ghost of Tsushima. This is hands down the most fun I’ve had on a PlayStation exclusive game since Horizon Zero Dawn. Ghost of Tsushima is essentially Red Dead Redemption 2 if it included fun missions and cut all the bullshit. It’s the best ninja game I’ve ever played (Sorry Ninja Gaiden) and I can’t get enough. Excuse me while I gush in this review but it’s a game that hit all the right chords with me. I’ve been lukewarm on developer Sucker Punch’s other titles like the Infamous series, but I truly love what they have done with this game and I hope this is the start of a much bigger franchise.
Ghost of Tsushima has you in control of Jin Sakai as you take him from his humble samurai roots into becoming an unstoppable Ghost. He’s one man on a mission to see who is cake and who is not. Ok not actually, but dude’s limbs go flying off and blood spurts across your body as you take down hundreds of Mongols and other threats over the course of the 30+ hour game. Sucker Punch has done a great job creating a living breathing feudal Japan and I found my curiosity taking me all across the map, constantly abandoning my present mission. There was always something to see and explore. Players will be prompted to follow golden birds who will take them to secret locations and help open up the map if they choose. There is trouble and mystery seemingly around every corner and wandering the map by both foot and horse felt like a joy. Yes, it reminded me of the first time I discovered just how amazing the open world was in The Witcher 3. Sure, you can fast travel to locations you’ve previously been but you’d miss out on a big part of the exploration in the game. This is an incredibly gorgeous environment to explore and no bears, enemies, or other forces could get in my way.
Along your journey you will come across one of four types of missions or quests called ‘Tales” in Ghost of Tsushima. The main narrative being Jin’s Journey, side quests are titled Tales of Tsushima, special questions are Mythic Tales, and then there is Everything Else which include open world activities, collectibles and fun easter eggs. Mythic Tales have you taking on legendary creatures that will surely please most fans who are looking for some good ol’ hack ‘n’ slash fun.
Each mission can be played multiple ways, usually boiling down to stealth or violence. My impatient ass usually went for the action route unless forced into using stealth tactics. I prefer all the action and the combat is truly satisfying. As you progress in the game you unlock different warrior stances that will help you take on different foes. You can change stances on the go forcing you to plan out your attack depending on the enemy attacking you. This will be extremely helpful on the harder difficulty levels. That said the game does have some creative ways to sneak up and kill your enemies, though I never found stealth as satisfying. The stealth segments have been done to death in games and I’ve lost interest in sitting in high grass to evade the enemy. I’d much rather go in and raise hell.
When I think back to this game’s first reveal at E3 in 2018 I thought the combat would be much more akin to Dark Souls or Sekiro but it is much more arcadey and fast paced than I had imagined. I prefer the quick combat as it makes each battle incredibly fun, frantic and fast and I’m not constantly dying forcing me to repeat missions. Between rolling (which can be a little chaotic) and classic blocking and waiting for the perfect moment to strike I felt like I was a real warrior. Combat feels fun and furious and made me want to battle everyone I could along my journey.
My favourite addition is the Kurosawa mode which turns the game black and white and gives it the feel of an old samurai movie, namely an Akira Kurosawa movie. Kurosawa created such classics as Seven Samurai, Rashoman, Yojimbo and many more groundbreaking influential films (It’s worth watching a few before you tackle this game later this week). This mode does take away from the overall beauty of the game and feels more like novelty than something I’d want to use for the entire duration of the game. Despite the glitches and dropping frame rate this game is simply stunning. I loved travelling through the woods taking in the sights and sounds around me. Paired with the incredible atmospheric soundtrack I felt fully immersed. Seriously, this game is absolutely stunning.
Ghost of Tsushima is not without its problems however. Aside from the glaring glitches, clipping and graphic rough patches it’s very gamey, thankfully gamey is just what I was in the mood for. This of course won’t be everyone’s cup of tea especially coming off the stellar The Last of Us 2. This game is a little rough around the edges, and despite a few updates since it was sent out for review it still feels like it could use some more fine-tuning. This is a game full of video game tropes and actions. I’m honestly confused how my peers are going to review this game and will be interested in reading their opinions. For me the good far outweighs the bad. In no way is the game unique and sure, many people I’m sure will compare it to the Assassin’s Creed franchise or The Witcher 3, but I find it’s just different enough and certainly fun enough to stand out on it’s own.
The game is full to the brim with wonderfully fleshed out characters, hundreds of things to do, a map that is huge but not barren, a good story and a combat system that can become surprisingly deep. Especially when you mix in how different armour and items affect your skills. It’s got some RPG-lite elements which add another layer to the game. Seeking out all the costumes in the game became my main priority pretty early on in my review.
For fans who are excited for Ghost of Tsushima you’re in for a real treat. This will probably be the last AAA game review I do for a while (at least until fall) so I wanna go out on a high note by stating that, Ghost of Tsushima fucks. It accomplishes its job of making you feel like an actual samurai and that’s all I could ask for.
This review was conducted on a PlayStation 4 Pro and a copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.
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