Ghost of Tsushimais Sucker Punch’s latest IP, with especiallyimpressive sales on the PS4considering it is so different from anything else they have done in the past. Players are getting to live out their samurai film fantasies as they work to take back the island of Tsushima from the Mongol invaders.
The game is yet another open world game introduced into a market that is slowly becoming supersaturated with open world games, but it uses several techniques to set itself apart from other titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandThe Witcher 3to become another groundbreaking title in an ever-growing genre of games.
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Striking Down Fantasy
Ghost of Tsushimaprides itself on its lack of supernatural elements. Whereas many open world games feature some fantasy or otherworldly elements to spice up the environment,Ghost of Tsushimaforgoes these sort of gimmicks in favor of a stronger focus on their environment and the story itself. This is arguably one ofGhost of Tsushima’s strongest elements. The lack of fantastical distractions allows the player to be truly immersed in the world that Sucker Punch has created in its historically-based island of Tsushima. Jin’s story, as well as the story of the residents of Tsushima, take the lead. It also goes a long way to help players be immersed in the world, because Sucker Punch has done an excellent job at making their depiction of Tsushimafeelreal.
Ghost of Tsushimaeven goes so far as to explicitly debunk supernatural elements in its story, further proving the point that thelack of supernatural elements was deliberate. When Jin in confronted with “supernatural” issues like ghosts and demons that are hunting people down, Jin sets out to prove that they are simply myth, and the real culprits are human - usually bandits doing gruesome murders for profit. The closestGhost of Tsushimacomes to the supernatural are the expertly-crafted Mythic Tales, which usually tell of heroes of old who were gifted with some powerful ability or gear.
Even in these cases, Jin is able to learn and master the abilities and proves that they are not quite as substantial as the myths claim - though are still impressive feats of swordsmanship. The Heavenly Strike ability is a very swift attack, but it certainly isn’t lightning speed. And the ronin who is wearing the “demon-enchanted armor” can still be killed just like any other swordsman.
It’s also worth mentioning that the lack of supernatural elements in the world allows the scenery and landscapes to really be front-and-center. There is no questioning this game’s beauty, especially considering how so many players are loving thein-depth photo mode thatGhost of Tsushimahas. It also really grounds the combat back to how the samurai fought in feudal Japan. There are no mystic teleporting abilities, no invisibility, just sword stances and small devices to allow Jin to appear as a Demon or Ghost to the Mongols. The grit of the sword combat is unlike most, and it truly feels like the player is assuming the role of a true-to-life samurai who is a master of the blade. There are no unexplained abilities tied to it at all, just Jin’s practice and study.
Reinventing the Quest Structure
Another difference betweenGhost of Tsushimaand other games is the way that Sucker Punch handles the quests. First and foremost they are not titled quests, but instead “Tales” in-game. Right out of the gate this makes it feel like more of an epic journey, where Jin is making history while also learning more about the history of Tsushima and its residents in the process. Jin is writing the Tale of Tsushima as he fights to liberate it from Mongol control.
There are four major types of Tales in the game: the Main Tale (Jin’s Journey), Character Tales, Tales of Tsushima (smaller side-quests), and Mythic Tales. Outside of the main Tale, the game really excels during the Character Tales and the Mythic Tales. The Character Tales each follow one of the game’s main supporting characters and tells the story of their past and what they are currently struggling with amidst the Mongol invasion. The first two that players will be introduced to are Lady Masako and Sensei Ishikawa, who each have a prolonged side-quest line that will span across all three parts of Tsushima’s map.
These also help give more historical context to the culture of Tsushima during the time, as the game isbased on real historical events. These are some of the best stories that Tsushima tells thanks to the fantastic character writing for both Jin and the supporting characters. Masako’s story in particular is a master class in pulling at the player’s heartstrings as she tries to cope with her grief. While in Act 2, Norio and Jin learn together what it means to struggle with survivor’s guilt. Outside of the main quest in parts, these Character Tales feature some of the best writing in the entire game.
Mythic Tales are a separate style of quest, meant to be more challenging than the standard Tales, but the rewards are significantly better. Each starts with a beautifully animated ink portrayal of an old Japanese myth regarding a powerful former denizen of Tsushima. Jin is tasked with tracking down more information (or sometimes gear) about this figure to keep it from falling into Mongol hands.
Sometimes it will be information on a powerful sword technique that can break through defenses, while other times it isa powerful set of armorthat will “make the wearer unkillable” in battle. While the stories make the abilities and items sound more powerful than they actually are, the journey to uncover these items or techniques is more often than not incredibly satisfying and rewarding. An honorable mention definitely has to be made for the Six Blades of Kojiro Mythic Tale. While the reward is nothing extraordinary, the quest itself is incredibly challenging and fun.
A Guiding Wind
One last thing that really makesGhost of Tsushimastand out is how it guides the player around the map.Tsushimafeatures no traditional waypoints or compass feature. In fact, most of time the game will auto-hide the HUD so players can focus on the world around them instead of where their next objective is. Instead, the game has several unique and creative ways to guide players around the map. The simplest way is by using smoke signals to highlight points of interest. When Jin looks around, he can see white and black smoke from different points in the map indicating that something is in that area.
While Jin is wandering around, golden birds can swoop in and guide Jin toward a point of interesting like a Hot Spring orBamboo Strike challenge. Additionally, Foxes can be found throughout the world and if players follow them to their shrine, then Jin will be rewarded with a potential charm slot increase. While all of these features are great and reward players for exploring, the greatest tracking innovation thatTsushimaintroduced was the guiding wind. Players can select a point on their map, and the wind will guide Jin toward that location.
This is how the game handles “Waypoints” and does so in such a way that it feels organic and part of the world rather than an obtrusive UI icon. Players can also set the wind to track certain collectables (if players invest Technique points into it) or quest locations, all without having the screen be cluttered by UI, letting the players enjoy the beautiful scenery while also being guided toward their next objective.
Ghost of Tsushimais without a doubt a big hit for many players around the world, and iseven a massive success in Japan. There’s no question thatGhost of Tsushimais a great send-off for the PS4 console generation, and it’s in part thanks to the exceptional realistic writing, clever open-world design, and fleshed out supporting characters.Ghost of Tsushimawill likely be one of the Game of the Year contenders for 2020, and will certainly be a game people will talk about for years to come.
Ghost of Tsushimais available now for PlayStation 4.
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