Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Action / Adventure
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
Release date: 17/07/2020
The setting of the 13th century of the feudal era in Japan is brought to stunning realism with Ghost of Tsushima. Jin Sakai, the samurai warrior who battles the horde of Mongol invaders led by Khotun Khan. Tsushima island is your homeland that is amid a bloody war. Jin and his clan must fight back to stop the invaders but at what cost?
This game captures the stunning sense of Japan from the sights, the sounds, the people, the rituals, and the beautiful scenery. From battles on the beach, traversing the wooded forests to the snow-capped mountains. Jin progresses through the game like the changing of seasons, the horrors of war, justice, duty all wrestle within you as you fight the Mongol invasion. The environment is every changing from sunny days where the impressive Japanese architecture is meticulously recreated. The vibrant colours of flowers and the transition to autumn fill the screen with tons of gold, yellow, red, and brown. Animals inhabit the world and are just as present as the inhabitants of Tsushima who are caught between the samurai and the Mongols. The open world of this amazing island is your playground and you can roam as you please.
Jin struggles with the pain and suffering of his subjects in Tsushima, to overcome the invaders he must break from the tradition of the samurai and become a Ghost. This inner conflict against his tradition and upbringing challenges his understanding of the world. Jin must adopt and adapt to a new style of combat to save his beloved island from the armies of Mongols. Throughout the game, Jin will forge alliances with unlikely allies to help him in his quest.
Ghost of Tsushima draws heavily from open-world adventure games. The core mechanics involve you navigating this intriguing island. As Jin discovers more of the island you discover more about his past, his insights on life, and what makes the life of the samurai. Your playstyle will dictate how you approach missions and battles. The game has fantastic combat and fighting system, it’s intuitive and simple but has a wide variety. Sword fights are a common occurrence with cinematics that enhance your immersion. The one on one combat is vivid and enthralling, you can feel every strike, the clash of swords, and the demise of an opponent in front of you. Very little mercy is shown through the game, vengeance underlies every action.
Between the battle and exploration of the island, you will encounter, puzzles, stealth missions, and platformers. The mix of all these elements gives the player a wide variety of gameplay aspects to master. As you progress through missions and the game, you can level up and pick certain aspects of your character to improve, whether it’s fighting style or what side tools you have.
The cinematics adds to your immersion in the game, the voice acting (subs or dubs) is superb adds another sense of realism. Visuals, colours and the architecture allow for a stunning backdrop to an amazing story that has many twists and turns. The music, sound effects, and the environment transport you to a bygone era of folklore. This game transports you to another place and time which such realism and stunning gameplay with a well-thought story that underpins everything. Ghost of Tsushima combines fantastic storytelling with amazing visuals and action. It’s a fantastic adventure game, a must buy.
Overall: 9/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
