Coming from a native japanese person, this game is oblivious to actual japanese history. It dances with fantasies of japanese stereotypes like "honor" while ignoring the undercurrent of actual samurai life, which is both far less honorable and far more mundane than depicted. It would be one thing if this was designed to be fantastical, but it isn't. Sucker Punch designed this game with the goal of accurately portraying Japan's culture and history, and they failed at that. To say otherwise would be a disservice to the memory of the samurai themselves.
Besides, the game is just bland open world AAA kitsch with a big map and picturesque locations made by crunching underpaid developers and artists. Which is to say, it's a game that isn't bad, but isn't memorable either. A game that entices the senses but never the imagination, that gives the illusion of enjoyment while leaving you empty in the end. It's a AAA game in 2020 and that's all I really have to say.
Besides, the game is just bland open world AAA kitsch with a big map and picturesque locations made by crunching underpaid developers and artists. Which is to say, it's a game that isn't bad, but isn't memorable either. A game that entices the senses but never the imagination, that gives the illusion of enjoyment while leaving you empty in the end. It's a AAA game in 2020 and that's all I really have to say.
Whoever had the idea that an ode to Akira Kurosawa should be built on soulless ubisoft mechanics needs to resign as an artist.
I had a raging erection every moment that I was playing this game. Before even finishing the prologue I had to be rushed to the emergency room at least 12 times due to the blood being diverted from my major organs.
While Ghost of Tsushima is undoubtedly a visually attractive game, I believe that it lacks depth outside of its gameplay and plot. My impression of it was only made worse after my second playthrough. I want to concentrate on what it accomplished well before discussing the drawbacks. The sword fights were really fantastic, and I really enjoy the gameplay. This game with a samurai theme is everything I could have ever desired; the plot seems to have been taken directly out of a Kurosawa vault.
However, I think the game ultimately has the ubisoft issue; while it's not nearly as horrible as other titles, the game environment isn't engaging, and the extra activities are meaningless filler. Most of the side missions weren't worth the time.
The game just drags on, and by the midway point, I just want to stop playing.
I can see why this game is so popular; it would have been incredible to my 13-year-old self, but as a masterpiece, it just fails to measure up.
However, I think the game ultimately has the ubisoft issue; while it's not nearly as horrible as other titles, the game environment isn't engaging, and the extra activities are meaningless filler. Most of the side missions weren't worth the time.
The game just drags on, and by the midway point, I just want to stop playing.
I can see why this game is so popular; it would have been incredible to my 13-year-old self, but as a masterpiece, it just fails to measure up.
If you're impatient I'm just gonna sum it up in this convenient haiku
same formula again
braindead stealth AI, cant see you
the world is pretty
Now as for my true elksters? go ahead and read below.
Assassin's Creed: Tsushima's two biggest strengths are the insanely well-designed world and the great ending. Both of these are done so well that if not for those things it would be seen as another Days Gone or whatever that werewolf game was, order 1738 or something. Because it's literally assassin's creed. Open world, climb tower, free outpost, find collectibles, tailing missions, go here kill that, sneak here, climb that, dcuo machinima cutscenes. Every mission is the same and it sort of feels like red dead redemption 2 how restrictive it is. The combat tried to be different from AC by adding some different sword stances and enemy weapons, with each stance countering a different weapon. In the beginning, it's fine, with fewer enemies and you don't have all the stances so some guys still pose a threat. But by the end, you can take care of most enemies with a couple of swings of your sword if you're in the right stance. Break their posture EZ and kill when they're stunned for half a decade. How did they balance this easiness? add more enemies!! now, because there's no lock on- the game attacks the enemy closest to you. So if you're in the shield stance and attacking a shield guy, but a spear guy comes up close on your left, the game thinks that you want to attack spear guy and your guy drops everything and jumps 9 nautical kilometers to the left to lunge at this guy with the wrong stance, you get parried, shot with a fire arrow and you are killed. Now onto the next point... the stealth is undeniably inarguably objectively factually and truly GARBAGE!!!!! Do you know how stupid and terrible it is? If you stand on a table the enemy cannot see you. I was playing on normal mode. Also quick side tangent... I swear the Batman Arkham games ruined stealth forever. Don't get me wrong, every single Arkham game is goated. God tier. But I think it may be to stealth games what Half-Life and Halo were to FPS games. Great games on their own, but started a trend of other games copying them, failing, and making everything boring and sucky. So now every FPS game is slow and story-based like half-life but forgets that half-life had no cutscenes at all and you could just walk away if you wanted. In Halo, you could only carry two weapons but there was a large variety of different weapons with lasers and explosives and different stuff and not 9 variants of an assault rifle or whatever. Arkham games had the stealth be walking up behind an enemy and using a prompt to knock them out, and you can't carry their bodies. This was OK because the bodies were a fear tactic first of all- you can't ghost batman rooms. (for those non-stealthers joining us today ghosting means moving through an area without touching any guards or getting spotted.) And second, walking up behind them was the tough part. But seriously in this one forced stealth segment, I walked through this castle and all the enemies were standing alone looking off the mountain practically wearing "STAB ME" capes. It's a nothing sandwich of stealth. I'm making an official decree - if your stealth game doesn't allow you to move bodies, it is not a stealth game. Unless it's Batman. CASE CLOSED!!!!! Now for the plot... I got some stuff to say and I'm going to get a little philosophical so please take an IQ test before reading forward unless you are confident in your intelligence. Reader discretion is advised. Ok... So this games whole schtick is Honor vs Evil. At the beginning of the game, Jin starts off as a super cool, honorable, and awesome samurai. Is never mean, always cool and kind. No sneaking, sticking to his code. Early on he is taught by his uncle (best character in the game, ez) Shimura to be kind even to your enemies, give everyone respect and dignity. This is definitely not historically accurate but it’s an awesome trope, the honorable warrior. The conflict isn’t actually about the Mongols invading; they are just the spark for the real conflict of the game which is Jin slowly becoming evil out of necessity as the Mongols use cheap tactics to gain an advantage. This is a cool idea for a story even if I don't like the idea of the message that the only way to defeat a cheater is stooping to their level but who cares. It’s a cool story but it doesn’t have any harmony with the gameplay. Sure the stealth is easier than the combat, but I didn’t like the stealth at all so I just played combat for everything. Aside from the forced stealth segments which were stupid, I was 100% honorable. I know this game’s whole theme is about Jin’s downfall, but explaining it as Jin started sneaking instead of fighting is strange, because I didn’t sneak and anyone who played like me will feel like there is a split between the story and the gameplay. The best thing I could think of was a splinter cell double agent style honor meter. But even then that would ruin the whole theme. I dunno, but what they did right here didn’t work for me. Feels like cutscene stupidity.
Finally, after all that hate I wanna talk about the two good parts of the game. HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE!!!!! THE OPEN WORLD!!!! It’s genuinely breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t know if this is blasphemous to god or whatever but I think sucker punch outdid god on Tsushima's nature. So much variation and so much fun stuff tucked away in there. It’s so omega Giga god tier. I don’t know how else to put it. Like bro imagine this open world on halo infinite. Would’ve demolished the world with its amazingness. But what do I know, I’m only the most important and significant game reviewer on Backloggd.
And the next thing that the game did amazingly was the ending. Your ending has got to be shaq level to get me to care about it if I didn’t care about the story so far. But man. There are spoilers following this, just warning you.
I’m so glad the ending focused on the best parts of the game. Jin and Shimura, the 1v1 duel system, the beautiful scenery, and the classic conflict of honor vs evil. I got the ending where I killed him. I thought I was dishonorable for Tsushima’s sake enough, and even though the island will lose its Jito I owed it to Shimura as my uncledad to let him go out with style and honor. The ending made me think of the ending of metal gear rising, and again anything that reminds me of metal gear rising is awesome.
same formula again
braindead stealth AI, cant see you
the world is pretty
Now as for my true elksters? go ahead and read below.
Assassin's Creed: Tsushima's two biggest strengths are the insanely well-designed world and the great ending. Both of these are done so well that if not for those things it would be seen as another Days Gone or whatever that werewolf game was, order 1738 or something. Because it's literally assassin's creed. Open world, climb tower, free outpost, find collectibles, tailing missions, go here kill that, sneak here, climb that, dcuo machinima cutscenes. Every mission is the same and it sort of feels like red dead redemption 2 how restrictive it is. The combat tried to be different from AC by adding some different sword stances and enemy weapons, with each stance countering a different weapon. In the beginning, it's fine, with fewer enemies and you don't have all the stances so some guys still pose a threat. But by the end, you can take care of most enemies with a couple of swings of your sword if you're in the right stance. Break their posture EZ and kill when they're stunned for half a decade. How did they balance this easiness? add more enemies!! now, because there's no lock on- the game attacks the enemy closest to you. So if you're in the shield stance and attacking a shield guy, but a spear guy comes up close on your left, the game thinks that you want to attack spear guy and your guy drops everything and jumps 9 nautical kilometers to the left to lunge at this guy with the wrong stance, you get parried, shot with a fire arrow and you are killed. Now onto the next point... the stealth is undeniably inarguably objectively factually and truly GARBAGE!!!!! Do you know how stupid and terrible it is? If you stand on a table the enemy cannot see you. I was playing on normal mode. Also quick side tangent... I swear the Batman Arkham games ruined stealth forever. Don't get me wrong, every single Arkham game is goated. God tier. But I think it may be to stealth games what Half-Life and Halo were to FPS games. Great games on their own, but started a trend of other games copying them, failing, and making everything boring and sucky. So now every FPS game is slow and story-based like half-life but forgets that half-life had no cutscenes at all and you could just walk away if you wanted. In Halo, you could only carry two weapons but there was a large variety of different weapons with lasers and explosives and different stuff and not 9 variants of an assault rifle or whatever. Arkham games had the stealth be walking up behind an enemy and using a prompt to knock them out, and you can't carry their bodies. This was OK because the bodies were a fear tactic first of all- you can't ghost batman rooms. (for those non-stealthers joining us today ghosting means moving through an area without touching any guards or getting spotted.) And second, walking up behind them was the tough part. But seriously in this one forced stealth segment, I walked through this castle and all the enemies were standing alone looking off the mountain practically wearing "STAB ME" capes. It's a nothing sandwich of stealth. I'm making an official decree - if your stealth game doesn't allow you to move bodies, it is not a stealth game. Unless it's Batman. CASE CLOSED!!!!! Now for the plot... I got some stuff to say and I'm going to get a little philosophical so please take an IQ test before reading forward unless you are confident in your intelligence. Reader discretion is advised. Ok... So this games whole schtick is Honor vs Evil. At the beginning of the game, Jin starts off as a super cool, honorable, and awesome samurai. Is never mean, always cool and kind. No sneaking, sticking to his code. Early on he is taught by his uncle (best character in the game, ez) Shimura to be kind even to your enemies, give everyone respect and dignity. This is definitely not historically accurate but it’s an awesome trope, the honorable warrior. The conflict isn’t actually about the Mongols invading; they are just the spark for the real conflict of the game which is Jin slowly becoming evil out of necessity as the Mongols use cheap tactics to gain an advantage. This is a cool idea for a story even if I don't like the idea of the message that the only way to defeat a cheater is stooping to their level but who cares. It’s a cool story but it doesn’t have any harmony with the gameplay. Sure the stealth is easier than the combat, but I didn’t like the stealth at all so I just played combat for everything. Aside from the forced stealth segments which were stupid, I was 100% honorable. I know this game’s whole theme is about Jin’s downfall, but explaining it as Jin started sneaking instead of fighting is strange, because I didn’t sneak and anyone who played like me will feel like there is a split between the story and the gameplay. The best thing I could think of was a splinter cell double agent style honor meter. But even then that would ruin the whole theme. I dunno, but what they did right here didn’t work for me. Feels like cutscene stupidity.
Finally, after all that hate I wanna talk about the two good parts of the game. HOLY MOLY GUACAMOLE!!!!! THE OPEN WORLD!!!! It’s genuinely breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t know if this is blasphemous to god or whatever but I think sucker punch outdid god on Tsushima's nature. So much variation and so much fun stuff tucked away in there. It’s so omega Giga god tier. I don’t know how else to put it. Like bro imagine this open world on halo infinite. Would’ve demolished the world with its amazingness. But what do I know, I’m only the most important and significant game reviewer on Backloggd.
And the next thing that the game did amazingly was the ending. Your ending has got to be shaq level to get me to care about it if I didn’t care about the story so far. But man. There are spoilers following this, just warning you.
I’m so glad the ending focused on the best parts of the game. Jin and Shimura, the 1v1 duel system, the beautiful scenery, and the classic conflict of honor vs evil. I got the ending where I killed him. I thought I was dishonorable for Tsushima’s sake enough, and even though the island will lose its Jito I owed it to Shimura as my uncledad to let him go out with style and honor. The ending made me think of the ending of metal gear rising, and again anything that reminds me of metal gear rising is awesome.
The story was touching at moments and par for the course of an adventure rpg. But my god the combat, the graphics, the music are unparalleled. This is a masterpiece. I wanted to dock it .5 just because I think the characters could be a little more interesting and have a little more personality. I am spoiled by the characters we see in things like Mass Effect, Baldur's gate etc. Anyway. AMAZING game. play it! 5/5
Como um grande entusiasta de histórias orientais, e em especial os samurais, isso aqui foi puro deleite pra mim. Não só como um fã dessas histórias, mas como um fã de histórias boas. Todo o desenvolvimento, os dilemas morais que o protagonista enfrenta e o final épico são coisas belíssimas.
You can now replay duels, meaning this game now edges its way to Good Game status.
Ghost of Tsushima started with a very strong story which made me rush into the main quests but that’s not the way to play it, because when you progress you’ll notice that the story doesn’t really matter in this game. It’s kind of games that let enjoy the beauty of it’s world and atmosphere, completing optional quest, leveling, and finding supplies. The graphics is one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever seen, and I guess this is the best thing of it along with It’s gameplay, as for someone who adore samurais I really enjoyed it. But honestly It has the same problem with “almost” any Open-World game for the past generation, all the optional activities and quest are the same and repetitive which makes the exploration worthless. The soundtracks were beautiful I wish if they used them more frequently, they’re only been played at the end of each Act..
Lastly, With it’s captivating visuals And satisfying gameplay, It has a few issues that prevented me from fully enjoying it.
Lastly, With it’s captivating visuals And satisfying gameplay, It has a few issues that prevented me from fully enjoying it.
Let me start by saying, it was a great advantage to wait for the ps5 to play this game. The biggest strength of GoT is it's technical polish and sheer beauty on display. It was a true next-gen experience for me - not only because it ran at a butter smooth 60fps with NO noticeable framedrops at all, but also (and I don't say this lightly) this is just one of the most beautiful open worlds ever built in a game. And the devs sure know how to play out this strength. The best content this game has to offer, shines because of the beauty of this world. Exploring paths to a shrine, writing haikus with sensational views in front of you and just riding into the sunset on your horse through grasslands with unbelievable fidelity and level of detail. The HUD is only visible if you need it in a fight, the atmospheric music is minimalist and everything from menus to cutscenes is just suuuuper polished and clean. The cinematography is pure art and deserves the highest praise. For me this is right up there with the all-time great RDR2, at least visually. Because what made RDR2 so special for me, was its world building and this is something that sadly was average at best in GoT, as mind-boggling as this was for me. The world is beautiful yes, but its practically empty. You have a handful of side tasks, that are repetitive collectibles, you have side quests that are boring and uninteresting with generic stories and than you have the main story, that picks up after a while, but never really captivates.
It just feels lazy and uninspired in every term of the world design, this is as generic as open world games get and that's a shame. The npcs never really move from their spot, they do the exact same thing for as long as you play this game. Enemy AI is as terrible as it gets. Often time you slaughter an entire camp, just to find two or three more guards just a couple of feet away standing still in front of their tent. This happens almost every single time you capture a camp, which is basically 90% of the mission design. No matter what you do, or who you do it with, you end up at some place and just kill every living thing. There is just no variety in the mission design. The only reason this is kinda bearable, is because this game has such a robust fighting mechanic. Fighting is FUN and super stylish. I totally get, why they released the Legends mode as a separate multiplayer experience, because it would've been a waste to only experience it in the singleplayer world.
It's such a shame I did not enjoy my time in this world more. It should've been a much better experience, but Sucker Punch missed the mark here and ends up delivering a slightly better than average AC clone, that’s just much much more stylish.
Also: bonus points for Kurosawa-Mode <3
It just feels lazy and uninspired in every term of the world design, this is as generic as open world games get and that's a shame. The npcs never really move from their spot, they do the exact same thing for as long as you play this game. Enemy AI is as terrible as it gets. Often time you slaughter an entire camp, just to find two or three more guards just a couple of feet away standing still in front of their tent. This happens almost every single time you capture a camp, which is basically 90% of the mission design. No matter what you do, or who you do it with, you end up at some place and just kill every living thing. There is just no variety in the mission design. The only reason this is kinda bearable, is because this game has such a robust fighting mechanic. Fighting is FUN and super stylish. I totally get, why they released the Legends mode as a separate multiplayer experience, because it would've been a waste to only experience it in the singleplayer world.
It's such a shame I did not enjoy my time in this world more. It should've been a much better experience, but Sucker Punch missed the mark here and ends up delivering a slightly better than average AC clone, that’s just much much more stylish.
Also: bonus points for Kurosawa-Mode <3
Sometimes I think myself as an insane person when I can't see the reason of the praise for a new hot release and this game is one of them.
Don't get me wrong I had fun of this game, especially the beginning hours, but like every ubisoft style open world title of this generation, it padds it's content too much to the point game itself becomes too thin.
Gameplay is.. (Played on Hard)
Pretty challenging at first. Enemies loves to guard or attack, you realize best way to deal with them is with parrying or if it's a red attack, then it's dodging and countering. Just spamming attack is never a good option and I liked that a lot.
Then new enemies get introduced that are harder to get an opening for, so only way to deal damage to them effectively is with stances/movesets you get throughout in the story, I enjoyed that too. Not just that you also get pretty fun gadgets to use throughout in your game as well and most of them is just in the first quarter of this game! (Remember this)
Side activites is kinda.... and just 5-6 types there is, so it's meh but it wasn't repeated a lot in the first quarter so I didn't get bored at all.
Side missions are mostly the same thing that is about some npc wants help and wants you to save their captured loved one, you go there then kill the enemies then you find their loved one dead, they thank you then start crying then that's the end of it. They copy this format toooo many times throughout in the game to count, but hey! At least they are not that many in the first quarter of the game!
Then there are important marked side missions too! They look story rich at first with telling a tale about important weapon masters, but when you do one of them, you kinda did most of them... with how it repeats the same story of a master teacher's loved one turned to the bads and you need to help them in this journey to save them from this regret. Also they didn't even put full cutscenes on them. At least theere are ones that is nothing to do with weapon masters and just about dueling and they were kinda fun. But don't worry about it's repetition for now because you don't see much in the first quarter of the game.
Yeah I was actually having fun in a game that uses an ubisoft style gameplay that is about clearing enemy camps, doing the samey 6-7 side activities trillion times and doing samey side missions, imagine my suprise! I was really having fun!
(Because content repeat was actually on the reasonable state at first)
But then the first part ended and the second part started.
It was fine. They added a 2-3 new types of side activites onto it, I liked especially the duels ones... and also they add 2-3 harder types of enemies. That was nice as well... But unfortunately a bit of repetitiveness started. Yet still it was in the level of 4/5 at least.
Then the finale the 3rd part started and this time it didn't even add much to the game and reuse a lot of activities and enemies. (Only thing it added was a white winter theme to everything I guess...) AND THIS TIME.... I WANTED TO SEPPUKU MYSELF.
Story is a mixed bag too...
It starts with an attack... Mongols are coming to our land... We get our blade and we attack them head on with honor! But... Their attacks are too strong and dirty so they manage to beat us and our army down. When we almost die, a thief helps us to heal and teach us how to be stealthy(that isn't fun to play), even tho we don't like dirty fights, we accept to do this for saving our uncle because this is the only way. Then story stops.
You clean lots of enemy camps, then finally manage to save our uncle, but leader Khan escapes. You follow him, then he escapes again and again...
Until game reminds itself that, other than a shitty villain there is actually an ideology of honor here somewhere at there, so it reintroduces that at the end of the game. Finally game starts to go somewhere at the damn end! And the game ends shortly after...
Unfortunately I felt nowhere near satisfied tho. Because not just that there were also other a lot of problems too. Game uses cheaply made rpg looking far away conversation camera is one that infiruates me, or attacking npcs results with them screaming then suddenly sitting down like nothing happened is another one that takes me out of the atmosphere.
Saying this unfortunately pretty heartbreaking for me because it looks good! it plays good! But unfortunately that's not enough. Like I said at the top of the review, it spreads itself too thin and make everything feel repeated to the mindboggling degree...
But you know what? They could make it work it they wanted. It's messy pacing, it's unnecessary amount of repeat content, it's inconsistent presentation with npcs etc. They could make it all work with just one thing.
With not making it a ubisoft style unnecessarily giant open world game.
Don't get me wrong I had fun of this game, especially the beginning hours, but like every ubisoft style open world title of this generation, it padds it's content too much to the point game itself becomes too thin.
Gameplay is.. (Played on Hard)
Pretty challenging at first. Enemies loves to guard or attack, you realize best way to deal with them is with parrying or if it's a red attack, then it's dodging and countering. Just spamming attack is never a good option and I liked that a lot.
Then new enemies get introduced that are harder to get an opening for, so only way to deal damage to them effectively is with stances/movesets you get throughout in the story, I enjoyed that too. Not just that you also get pretty fun gadgets to use throughout in your game as well and most of them is just in the first quarter of this game! (Remember this)
Side activites is kinda.... and just 5-6 types there is, so it's meh but it wasn't repeated a lot in the first quarter so I didn't get bored at all.
Side missions are mostly the same thing that is about some npc wants help and wants you to save their captured loved one, you go there then kill the enemies then you find their loved one dead, they thank you then start crying then that's the end of it. They copy this format toooo many times throughout in the game to count, but hey! At least they are not that many in the first quarter of the game!
Then there are important marked side missions too! They look story rich at first with telling a tale about important weapon masters, but when you do one of them, you kinda did most of them... with how it repeats the same story of a master teacher's loved one turned to the bads and you need to help them in this journey to save them from this regret. Also they didn't even put full cutscenes on them. At least theere are ones that is nothing to do with weapon masters and just about dueling and they were kinda fun. But don't worry about it's repetition for now because you don't see much in the first quarter of the game.
Yeah I was actually having fun in a game that uses an ubisoft style gameplay that is about clearing enemy camps, doing the samey 6-7 side activities trillion times and doing samey side missions, imagine my suprise! I was really having fun!
(Because content repeat was actually on the reasonable state at first)
But then the first part ended and the second part started.
It was fine. They added a 2-3 new types of side activites onto it, I liked especially the duels ones... and also they add 2-3 harder types of enemies. That was nice as well... But unfortunately a bit of repetitiveness started. Yet still it was in the level of 4/5 at least.
Then the finale the 3rd part started and this time it didn't even add much to the game and reuse a lot of activities and enemies. (Only thing it added was a white winter theme to everything I guess...) AND THIS TIME.... I WANTED TO SEPPUKU MYSELF.
Story is a mixed bag too...
It starts with an attack... Mongols are coming to our land... We get our blade and we attack them head on with honor! But... Their attacks are too strong and dirty so they manage to beat us and our army down. When we almost die, a thief helps us to heal and teach us how to be stealthy(that isn't fun to play), even tho we don't like dirty fights, we accept to do this for saving our uncle because this is the only way. Then story stops.
You clean lots of enemy camps, then finally manage to save our uncle, but leader Khan escapes. You follow him, then he escapes again and again...
Until game reminds itself that, other than a shitty villain there is actually an ideology of honor here somewhere at there, so it reintroduces that at the end of the game. Finally game starts to go somewhere at the damn end! And the game ends shortly after...
Unfortunately I felt nowhere near satisfied tho. Because not just that there were also other a lot of problems too. Game uses cheaply made rpg looking far away conversation camera is one that infiruates me, or attacking npcs results with them screaming then suddenly sitting down like nothing happened is another one that takes me out of the atmosphere.
Saying this unfortunately pretty heartbreaking for me because it looks good! it plays good! But unfortunately that's not enough. Like I said at the top of the review, it spreads itself too thin and make everything feel repeated to the mindboggling degree...
But you know what? They could make it work it they wanted. It's messy pacing, it's unnecessary amount of repeat content, it's inconsistent presentation with npcs etc. They could make it all work with just one thing.
With not making it a ubisoft style unnecessarily giant open world game.
One of the nicest and most visually impressive games I've ever played; A game that, despite its flaws, has an unique charm and soul.
The characters and story are solid, telling some of my favorite fables of all fiction. The way the characters react to tragedy and to love is simply too real. The fashion the tales are developed is nothing short of compelling and engaging; I get genuinely interested and anxious for what's to come next after a certain event. And even though this is truer for "character tales", even the casual side-quests I happen to activate by pure accident are phenomenal. The feeling I get from idly roaming across the island fetching some collectables and, out of nowhere, cross by a down-to-earth and heartfelt story is indescribable. And honestly, for as good as the main story is, I think the game's true identity lies within its side content. The tales bring just that much more weight and meaning to the island of Tsushima.
The game has, however, one major issue: the massive amount of collectibles dissuate me from pretty much everything I've just described. I had to mentally separate the already started tales from actually exploring in two sections of the game, otherwise one would drag the other down. Matter of fact, I left the exploration content and completion aspects for last, and of course I gave up halfway across. I really enjoyed activities such as pillars of honor, hot springs and specially writing haiku, but the others are just too overwhelming. Inari shrines are a concept I do not disapprove; it's a cool idea, but they throw it out of the window when there are fourty fucking nine of them. It just gets... boring after some time... And that's a theme with the others as well. Bamboo striking has a cool mechanic and I can't give too much crap to the shinto shrines, but all of them together just pile up to a dull, repetitive and tiring chore (and those are the ones the game gives me the courtesy of showing on the map, ugh...). Were it up to me, the game could have half of those removed and focus on bringing more artefacts/records instead... Y'know, things that are actually different from one another and encourage exploration.
But now, no matter what I'm doing, whether it being chasing the billionth fox or climbing a mountain, I will be doing that amidst an absolutely stunning scenario. The setting in this game is so well done it's worthy playing for this reason alone. Some of my most intimate moments with Ghost of Tsushima were about me just... looking at the horizon, with Jin's cape against the wind... and me slowly... moving my analog to get the most of the view... Gosh, I don't even wanna count how much time I spent doing just that smh. It's just... that this is one of the few games that make me feel - truly feel - as if I am but a nomad embarking on an important quest, wandering a cruel yet beautiful world.
And although it's not the best thing ever written, I liked the story a lot too. I wouldn't complain if the cast members were to have more dialog and interactions outside their own campaign, but they already cause enough an impact from the participation they do have within the main story. And I adore the conceit of "disenchanting principle"; a practical example of how at times man-made concepts and ideals are just that - not worth more than actual human lives. A theme that though clearly leans towards fitting on the 13th century's setting, was also brilliantly done in a way it is also relevant for today's dilemmas.
The slow realization that this game would not be about a stoic and typical samurai that's untouchable, but about a flawed, confused man giving his all in order to protect his friends and people would already be excellent, but Ghost of Tsushima tells about it through its gameplay, a touch I find simply genial.
Ghost of Tsushima is not a perfect game, didn't even join my all time favorites nor anything, but it is a game I admire and respect deeply. I didn't 100%'d it because I believe it would lose part of the charm of blindly exploring the island as I progress through the story. I've opened 100% of the map already. I don't think it would be the same... but if I ever replay it, ya better BET I will!
The characters and story are solid, telling some of my favorite fables of all fiction. The way the characters react to tragedy and to love is simply too real. The fashion the tales are developed is nothing short of compelling and engaging; I get genuinely interested and anxious for what's to come next after a certain event. And even though this is truer for "character tales", even the casual side-quests I happen to activate by pure accident are phenomenal. The feeling I get from idly roaming across the island fetching some collectables and, out of nowhere, cross by a down-to-earth and heartfelt story is indescribable. And honestly, for as good as the main story is, I think the game's true identity lies within its side content. The tales bring just that much more weight and meaning to the island of Tsushima.
The game has, however, one major issue: the massive amount of collectibles dissuate me from pretty much everything I've just described. I had to mentally separate the already started tales from actually exploring in two sections of the game, otherwise one would drag the other down. Matter of fact, I left the exploration content and completion aspects for last, and of course I gave up halfway across. I really enjoyed activities such as pillars of honor, hot springs and specially writing haiku, but the others are just too overwhelming. Inari shrines are a concept I do not disapprove; it's a cool idea, but they throw it out of the window when there are fourty fucking nine of them. It just gets... boring after some time... And that's a theme with the others as well. Bamboo striking has a cool mechanic and I can't give too much crap to the shinto shrines, but all of them together just pile up to a dull, repetitive and tiring chore (and those are the ones the game gives me the courtesy of showing on the map, ugh...). Were it up to me, the game could have half of those removed and focus on bringing more artefacts/records instead... Y'know, things that are actually different from one another and encourage exploration.
But now, no matter what I'm doing, whether it being chasing the billionth fox or climbing a mountain, I will be doing that amidst an absolutely stunning scenario. The setting in this game is so well done it's worthy playing for this reason alone. Some of my most intimate moments with Ghost of Tsushima were about me just... looking at the horizon, with Jin's cape against the wind... and me slowly... moving my analog to get the most of the view... Gosh, I don't even wanna count how much time I spent doing just that smh. It's just... that this is one of the few games that make me feel - truly feel - as if I am but a nomad embarking on an important quest, wandering a cruel yet beautiful world.
And although it's not the best thing ever written, I liked the story a lot too. I wouldn't complain if the cast members were to have more dialog and interactions outside their own campaign, but they already cause enough an impact from the participation they do have within the main story. And I adore the conceit of "disenchanting principle"; a practical example of how at times man-made concepts and ideals are just that - not worth more than actual human lives. A theme that though clearly leans towards fitting on the 13th century's setting, was also brilliantly done in a way it is also relevant for today's dilemmas.
The slow realization that this game would not be about a stoic and typical samurai that's untouchable, but about a flawed, confused man giving his all in order to protect his friends and people would already be excellent, but Ghost of Tsushima tells about it through its gameplay, a touch I find simply genial.
Ghost of Tsushima is not a perfect game, didn't even join my all time favorites nor anything, but it is a game I admire and respect deeply. I didn't 100%'d it because I believe it would lose part of the charm of blindly exploring the island as I progress through the story. I've opened 100% of the map already. I don't think it would be the same... but if I ever replay it, ya better BET I will!
One of the best open world games I've ever experienced. There is a lot to love about this game. The combat is so good, it's basic light and medium attack are the base but this is built upon by weapon switching stances, staggering, parrying, dodging and special moves like the heaven strike and blade dance, with all these options combat feels interesting and intense. Parrying feels especially fun. Stealth is lame though, wind chimes feel mediocre to use, enemy ai isn't very adaptive or smart, the layouts don't feel well designed for stealth. But this is fine, I rarely did stealth and it rarely forced you to do stealth so this was ignored. Sometimes with combat the camera can interfere, and sometimes Jin can get stuck occasionally, feels slightly rough around the edges, but it's still amazing. Open world activities are very run of the mill sort of. Enemy camps, and stuff to collect. A lot of the activities like the hot springs or the honour monuments dont offer much besides just going to them and collecting your reward. However other activities like the bamboo strike or shrines offer more, especially the shrines as they offer platforming challenges. The side quests are pretty fantastic, most if not all of them have proper stories, all fully voice acted with unique characters and stakes. Some side quests are ongoing throughout the game like Masakos story. These side quests feel very well designed and high effort, they are very good. The graphics are insane like most Sony exclusives, except it has very beutiful Japanese scenery to look at and it's open world, unlike something like TLOU2 where that game is linear so it's not as technically impressive as this game. However the downside is the framerate is way more inconsistent, this only happens during overworld traversal, during combat it's a non issue, the framerate is serviceable. The story is pretty damn excellent, a game about sacrificing honour to save the land, using poison and dishonourable strategies to win, and how Jin deals with this and accepts it over the course of the game and how other characters react like his uncle and Yuna. Overall, this is one of the best Sony exclusives ever made and definitely 2020's best game not including rereleases. Raw game.
yeah yeah the combat is slick and the story is very good but what really put this over for me is the bajillion hat and mask and armor combos i can pull off. u can’t stop an invasion if u don’t look cute u dig?
é dificil de acreditar q esse jogo roda no PS4, os cenarios desse jogo são MARAVILHOSOS, tanto q tive q parar vários momentos pra tirar fotos
mas o jogo não é só gráficos, todo o resto é incrível, como personagens, historia, trilha sonora, combate
um jogaço q todos precisam jogar .
mas o jogo não é só gráficos, todo o resto é incrível, como personagens, historia, trilha sonora, combate
um jogaço q todos precisam jogar .
appropriate in many ways as the apex of open world game design this generation, hysterical in others. on the one hand it's one of the blandest and most by the numbers maps i've ever seen. on the other hand the crux of the narrative revolves around the main character making the hard choice to do stealth kills instead of "Go Loud." sadly the latter aspect isn't funny enough to carry it
Sucker Punch succeeds in making a better Assassin's Creed than Ubisoft...
As an Assassin's Creed fan, I've always wanted an AC game set in Japan. Well, we finally got it, and it's leagues better than any actual AC game we've gotten in years.
Sucker Punch takes the open world checklist formula and absolutely streamlines it in a way that makes it feel like you're never actually doing a checklist. Every collectible has value and is actually fun to get. Fast travel is the easiest it's been in any other open world game, so jumping around to get a missed collectible is quick. The world design is what encourages exploration, not just the need to find the next question mark on the map.
I've played over a dozen games with photo modes in them and have never really cared much for them. I'll usually open it once to look at it and snap one obligatory photo, and then never touch it again.
In Ghost of Tsushima, I spent almost as much time taking photos as I did actually playing the game. That's due to a combination of the most insanely robust photo mode I've ever seen in a game, and a very photogenic gorgeous world.
Playing through Act 1, the story felt like it took the back seat to the world. I was enjoying running around, exploring, and fighting off the invaders.
That quickly took a turn in Act 2 and I became fully invested in not only Jin's story, but the stories of all of his companions.
After a slight lull in the beginning of Act 3, it finishes strong.
Really the only negative I have on the game is that it doesn't really do anything new. It truly does feel like they set out to make a better Assassin's Creed than Ubisoft - and that's exactly what they did. The world is gorgeous, it's fun to explore, getting collectibles isn't boring, the combat is fun, and the story is great, but it all feels incredibly safe.
It's a solid 4-star game that I wish took a couple more risks.
As an Assassin's Creed fan, I've always wanted an AC game set in Japan. Well, we finally got it, and it's leagues better than any actual AC game we've gotten in years.
Sucker Punch takes the open world checklist formula and absolutely streamlines it in a way that makes it feel like you're never actually doing a checklist. Every collectible has value and is actually fun to get. Fast travel is the easiest it's been in any other open world game, so jumping around to get a missed collectible is quick. The world design is what encourages exploration, not just the need to find the next question mark on the map.
I've played over a dozen games with photo modes in them and have never really cared much for them. I'll usually open it once to look at it and snap one obligatory photo, and then never touch it again.
In Ghost of Tsushima, I spent almost as much time taking photos as I did actually playing the game. That's due to a combination of the most insanely robust photo mode I've ever seen in a game, and a very photogenic gorgeous world.
Playing through Act 1, the story felt like it took the back seat to the world. I was enjoying running around, exploring, and fighting off the invaders.
That quickly took a turn in Act 2 and I became fully invested in not only Jin's story, but the stories of all of his companions.
After a slight lull in the beginning of Act 3, it finishes strong.
Really the only negative I have on the game is that it doesn't really do anything new. It truly does feel like they set out to make a better Assassin's Creed than Ubisoft - and that's exactly what they did. The world is gorgeous, it's fun to explore, getting collectibles isn't boring, the combat is fun, and the story is great, but it all feels incredibly safe.
It's a solid 4-star game that I wish took a couple more risks.
Over the years I've slowly become numb to "good presentation" in games. The oldest revision to my Top 25 list is primarily games that got by just by looking and sounding good. Unfortunately, as time has went on, presentation doesn't do much for me. It's sticking gold trim on a door: Worthless if the door sucks.
I bring this up to save you a much longer review.
I was told for years that Ghost of Tsushima was the one exception to Sony's deluge of flavourless overly cinematic AAA tripe. That it was their one earnestly good game. My PC recently had a critical fuckup that left me stuck with just a PS4 for a weekend, so I figured I'd try this out.
And... It has excellent presentation. It looks beautiful, and it's the only one of these 'cinematic' games I think actually managed to capture the style of the movies it's aping. The soundscapes across Japan are amazing, and the voice actors bring a fantastic sense of atmosphere to a world that's almost literally on fire.
But I peeled back the stickers, stared into its depths, and what did I find?
Another Sony open world game. Shadow of War but with infinitely more cash and immeasurably fewer ambitions behind it.
It is painfully derivative. Stumbling upon my first Standard Far Cry outpost made me double over in hysterics (and headbutt my fridge, so precarious is my sofa's placement) and the standard RPG skill tree even moreso. I don't exactly resent Sucker Punch for doing what they do best, but for all this game's visual and auditory artistry, it's not really all that different from the last few Big Open World games. Modern AC, RDR2, The Witcher 3, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Shadow of War, Mad Max... Take your pick, man. It's the same as it ever was.
Perhaps the worst part is that, had this not released into a genre which is both incredibly prolific and deeply incestuous with regards to its influences, it would most likely be a masterwork that people gush over for decades to come until hbomberguy makes a "Ghost of Sushi Mama sucks, and here's why" video. But, at least to someone who has played an obscene amount of these games, I can't really praise it for anything because the best parts of this game are either a too-obvious homage to samurai cinema, or mechanics and ideas ripped from games almost old enough to go to college.
Don't get me wrong, the game isn't bad. It plays well enough, nothing broke on me, and it's balanced competently enough that I never felt my playstyle was explicitly stronger than anything else, but... Much like every other AAA Sony title, though, it's safe, which is so much worse. Safe is, and always has bee, boring.
Bad is memorable. Good is memorable. Boring is forgettable.
I bring this up to save you a much longer review.
I was told for years that Ghost of Tsushima was the one exception to Sony's deluge of flavourless overly cinematic AAA tripe. That it was their one earnestly good game. My PC recently had a critical fuckup that left me stuck with just a PS4 for a weekend, so I figured I'd try this out.
And... It has excellent presentation. It looks beautiful, and it's the only one of these 'cinematic' games I think actually managed to capture the style of the movies it's aping. The soundscapes across Japan are amazing, and the voice actors bring a fantastic sense of atmosphere to a world that's almost literally on fire.
But I peeled back the stickers, stared into its depths, and what did I find?
Another Sony open world game. Shadow of War but with infinitely more cash and immeasurably fewer ambitions behind it.
It is painfully derivative. Stumbling upon my first Standard Far Cry outpost made me double over in hysterics (and headbutt my fridge, so precarious is my sofa's placement) and the standard RPG skill tree even moreso. I don't exactly resent Sucker Punch for doing what they do best, but for all this game's visual and auditory artistry, it's not really all that different from the last few Big Open World games. Modern AC, RDR2, The Witcher 3, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Shadow of War, Mad Max... Take your pick, man. It's the same as it ever was.
Perhaps the worst part is that, had this not released into a genre which is both incredibly prolific and deeply incestuous with regards to its influences, it would most likely be a masterwork that people gush over for decades to come until hbomberguy makes a "Ghost of Sushi Mama sucks, and here's why" video. But, at least to someone who has played an obscene amount of these games, I can't really praise it for anything because the best parts of this game are either a too-obvious homage to samurai cinema, or mechanics and ideas ripped from games almost old enough to go to college.
Don't get me wrong, the game isn't bad. It plays well enough, nothing broke on me, and it's balanced competently enough that I never felt my playstyle was explicitly stronger than anything else, but... Much like every other AAA Sony title, though, it's safe, which is so much worse. Safe is, and always has bee, boring.
Bad is memorable. Good is memorable. Boring is forgettable.
Sony has had their fair share of open-world titles, to varying success. More often than not, they fall under traditional open world cliches most prominently set in stone by the likes of Far Cry 3; where some open world games like Dark Souls or Wind Waker prioritize exploration, other open world games like inFamous Second Son or Marvel's Spider-Man are more about finding collectables and liberating enemy camps - both of which to clear the map and add towards a 100% completion goal. Ghost of Tsushima, at first glance, tries to have it both ways.
One thing I initially liked a lot about this game is that there is no clear way to clear the map or where the collectables are - you must let the wind guide you. At first, it’s awesome just being led around this gorgeous world and finding its hidden secrets naturally. It feels like a real place with lots of hidden depth that I, Jin Sakai, am really exploring. Quickly, though, this pretty facade falls apart.
There's little in the way of actual exploration in this game. More often than not, the most efficient way of finding something is choosing from a menu what you want to find and then spamming the windpoint in the direction of level-ups. Rarely will something surprise you in this game without you directly asking to see it.
It really is a shame, too, BECAUSE the game looks so good. this game has been praised to no end about its environmental visuals, and it truly is something to praise, even for its mechanical purpose. Trees and grass swaying in the direction of the guiding wind looked and felt incredible, and in some story missions that didn’t have clear guidance there was usually a nearby fire blowing in the direction of progress.
And those visuals hold up in the combat and enemy animations, typically with very obvious telegraphs that were consistent but varied enough to sometimes catch me off-guard. Combat as a whole generally felt very good, minus some moments where I couldn’t parry out of a combo-ender. The only real problem is its variety.
Taking this game as just its linear missions and campaign, it’s quite short. Only about 24 missions in all, most with a very strong focus on combat. Problem is, new enemy types only appear per Act (of which there are three) and even then, there are only really about 5 to speak of. That may seem like plenty for a short game, but any variation they get is typically just more health or at worst, forcing certain strategies like dodging instead of letting the player parry (which seems like a decent mix-up, but functionally it’s an identical system, both even have the same upgrade that lets you get extra damage off if you do it at the last second.)
That wouldn’t be a problem if the player had a wide variety of options to handle opponents with, but you don’t. Parry, dodge and guard break is your lot as far as base samurai combat goes. There are also ghost weapons that usually function more as wide, enemy-clearing bombs or one-shot insta-kills like the kunai or bow, but more often than not I would just use them to eliminate the more annoying enemy types like brutes so that parrying the other guys would be more enjoyable. I guess this could be construed as a good thing, but as it stands they feel like more and more ways to make your character overpowered than making combat more interesting to engage with.
Duels are awesome though.
I have a lot of nits to pick with this game, but I do want to stress that it is a very enjoyable experience. Combat is viscerally satisfying, but lacking in the kind of mechanical depth that'll keep me coming back to it. Exploration is gorgeous, but still sometimes feels more like chasing waypoints than truly partaking in a world. I didn’t touch on it, but the story can occasionally be powerful and well-written, though often doesn’t dedicate enough to its themes of honor and tradition to make anything truly special, perhaps barring the ending.
A lot of this game is good, sometimes even great, but it's not confident enough in itself to really thrive.
One thing I initially liked a lot about this game is that there is no clear way to clear the map or where the collectables are - you must let the wind guide you. At first, it’s awesome just being led around this gorgeous world and finding its hidden secrets naturally. It feels like a real place with lots of hidden depth that I, Jin Sakai, am really exploring. Quickly, though, this pretty facade falls apart.
There's little in the way of actual exploration in this game. More often than not, the most efficient way of finding something is choosing from a menu what you want to find and then spamming the windpoint in the direction of level-ups. Rarely will something surprise you in this game without you directly asking to see it.
It really is a shame, too, BECAUSE the game looks so good. this game has been praised to no end about its environmental visuals, and it truly is something to praise, even for its mechanical purpose. Trees and grass swaying in the direction of the guiding wind looked and felt incredible, and in some story missions that didn’t have clear guidance there was usually a nearby fire blowing in the direction of progress.
And those visuals hold up in the combat and enemy animations, typically with very obvious telegraphs that were consistent but varied enough to sometimes catch me off-guard. Combat as a whole generally felt very good, minus some moments where I couldn’t parry out of a combo-ender. The only real problem is its variety.
Taking this game as just its linear missions and campaign, it’s quite short. Only about 24 missions in all, most with a very strong focus on combat. Problem is, new enemy types only appear per Act (of which there are three) and even then, there are only really about 5 to speak of. That may seem like plenty for a short game, but any variation they get is typically just more health or at worst, forcing certain strategies like dodging instead of letting the player parry (which seems like a decent mix-up, but functionally it’s an identical system, both even have the same upgrade that lets you get extra damage off if you do it at the last second.)
That wouldn’t be a problem if the player had a wide variety of options to handle opponents with, but you don’t. Parry, dodge and guard break is your lot as far as base samurai combat goes. There are also ghost weapons that usually function more as wide, enemy-clearing bombs or one-shot insta-kills like the kunai or bow, but more often than not I would just use them to eliminate the more annoying enemy types like brutes so that parrying the other guys would be more enjoyable. I guess this could be construed as a good thing, but as it stands they feel like more and more ways to make your character overpowered than making combat more interesting to engage with.
Duels are awesome though.
I have a lot of nits to pick with this game, but I do want to stress that it is a very enjoyable experience. Combat is viscerally satisfying, but lacking in the kind of mechanical depth that'll keep me coming back to it. Exploration is gorgeous, but still sometimes feels more like chasing waypoints than truly partaking in a world. I didn’t touch on it, but the story can occasionally be powerful and well-written, though often doesn’t dedicate enough to its themes of honor and tradition to make anything truly special, perhaps barring the ending.
A lot of this game is good, sometimes even great, but it's not confident enough in itself to really thrive.
Absolutely worth playing! Combat is great with plenty of depth, the story is solid, and travelling across the open world and checking off things to do comes naturally during regular play.
Definitely check it out if you have a PS4.
Definitely check it out if you have a PS4.
sucker punch managed to make a better open-world ubisoft game than ubisoft has in over a decade. with that said, it is still an ubisoftesque game.
A game of contradictions. Within its interesting story, it's a conflict of generational divide, and the differences that bring us together and push us apart.
In its game design, it's a constant battle between great concepts and wonky executions.
One of the most serene, gorgeous open worlds in gaming, yet it's empty for so many long stretches. SuckerPunch employs obnoxious breadcrumb elements and map markers to steer you towards every noteworthy thing on the island without encouraging you to explore, as if to acknowledge that beyond story content and small upgrade spots, it's just a beautifully modeled wasteland.
The combat soars in the cinematic, intense duels you encounter with legendary swordsmen. Outside of that, standard enemy combat is a fucking mess. The lack of a controllable lock-on will have you spinning around for enemies to stab like a slab of meat on a merry go round. You'll hit allies by accident, you'll get pulled in the direction of a new enemy right as you're about to finish off another one, and in general any combat scenario with more than 3 opponents at once is a nightmare.
Let's get back to aesthetics quick. Here's a game that wants to revel in the beauty of its period setting, yet it becomes hilarious how much mother nature can turn into another enemy type at the worst moments. Having an epic, emotional duel against a setting sun? Get ready for that sunlight to obscure the color-coated signals of your enemies attacks. Need to lay down some firepower to protect an ally? The particle effects from the flames will literally obscure your ally so much that you won't be able to hit the enemies attacking them. The efforts to go as realistic as possible end up hurting the gameplay.
And let's not forget the Kurasowa of it all. The woefully understated performances in this are worlds away from the expressive, interesting characters Akira would populate his films with. And while the cutscnes often offer some inspired compositions, they pale in comparison to the masterful blocking, layering, and intent Kurosawa brought to every picture. The much touted "KURASOWA MODE" display filter was shut off minutes into the game when I realized that I was fighting my fellow troops instead of enemies, because everything can look the same in black and white unless the production design is specifically crafted to make things stand apart!
Aside from its mildly compelling story, this is the most over-hyped and under-delivered PlayStation exclusive I've experienced to date. A pale ghost drifting in the shadows of flesh and blood open world games that actually stick the landing.
In its game design, it's a constant battle between great concepts and wonky executions.
One of the most serene, gorgeous open worlds in gaming, yet it's empty for so many long stretches. SuckerPunch employs obnoxious breadcrumb elements and map markers to steer you towards every noteworthy thing on the island without encouraging you to explore, as if to acknowledge that beyond story content and small upgrade spots, it's just a beautifully modeled wasteland.
The combat soars in the cinematic, intense duels you encounter with legendary swordsmen. Outside of that, standard enemy combat is a fucking mess. The lack of a controllable lock-on will have you spinning around for enemies to stab like a slab of meat on a merry go round. You'll hit allies by accident, you'll get pulled in the direction of a new enemy right as you're about to finish off another one, and in general any combat scenario with more than 3 opponents at once is a nightmare.
Let's get back to aesthetics quick. Here's a game that wants to revel in the beauty of its period setting, yet it becomes hilarious how much mother nature can turn into another enemy type at the worst moments. Having an epic, emotional duel against a setting sun? Get ready for that sunlight to obscure the color-coated signals of your enemies attacks. Need to lay down some firepower to protect an ally? The particle effects from the flames will literally obscure your ally so much that you won't be able to hit the enemies attacking them. The efforts to go as realistic as possible end up hurting the gameplay.
And let's not forget the Kurasowa of it all. The woefully understated performances in this are worlds away from the expressive, interesting characters Akira would populate his films with. And while the cutscnes often offer some inspired compositions, they pale in comparison to the masterful blocking, layering, and intent Kurosawa brought to every picture. The much touted "KURASOWA MODE" display filter was shut off minutes into the game when I realized that I was fighting my fellow troops instead of enemies, because everything can look the same in black and white unless the production design is specifically crafted to make things stand apart!
Aside from its mildly compelling story, this is the most over-hyped and under-delivered PlayStation exclusive I've experienced to date. A pale ghost drifting in the shadows of flesh and blood open world games that actually stick the landing.
DE QUE SERVE UMA HONRA QUE PODE TE CUSTAR TUDO?
Ghost of Tsushima é um dos jogos que eu mais queria jogar antes mesmo de pegar meu PS4. Sou completamente apaixonado pela cultura japonesa e por obras jidaigeki, sejam elas filmes, mangás ou, nesse caso, jogo. Então, era quase certo que eu ia amar o que o jogo tinha pra me oferecer. E ainda assim eu consegui ficar surpreso.
Primeiramente, a ambientação é linda. O recurso do vento guia, que eu achei incrível, me fez querer explorar cada vez mais o mapa. Direto eu parava de ir pro objetivo marcado e ia fazer algum objetivo secundário ou ia pra algum ponto lindo do mapa (que são vários) só pra brincar no modo foto. O combate é extremamente delicioso, dá gosto de aparar ataques, usar as diferentes posturas pra enfrentar os diferentes tipos de inimigos, de entrar nos confrontos e nos duelos. O sistema de progressão do jogo também é muito bem feito e a sensação de recompensa é enorme, principalmente quando tu desbloqueia posturas, aprende movimentos novos e ataques míticos. As atividades secundárias também são muito legais de fazer e eu poderia ficar horas só escrevendo haikus e indo em águas termais.
Mas agora eu quero focar no ponto que mais me pegou nesse jogo e o que fez eu me apaixonar tremendamente: a história. Eu acho que poucos jogos tem uma história tão ou mais profunda que a de Ghost of Tsushima. Jin Sakai é um personagem extremamente bem escrito, repleto de dramas pessoais, inseguranças e ainda assim um senso de justiça muito grande. Todos os personagens coadjuvantes são muito bem desenvolvidos também e tu te apega a cada um deles. Destaque pra Yuna e pro Lorde Shimura. O Khotun Kahn é um vilão memorável, daqueles execráveis que tu não tem escolha a não ser odiar e querer enfrentar ele o quanto antes por causa de todas as atitudes dele. Poucas vezes também me emocionei tanto com um jogo como aqui. Talvez seja por eu amar cultura japonesa, ter me apegado aos personagens, não sei. Sei que eu acabei chorando sim algumas vezes na reta final do jogo.
E eu simplesmente fiquei completamente envolto no desenvolvimento do Jin e nas questões pessoais que ele enfrenta durante o jogo todo, que chegam a ser filosóficas e fazem até mesmo o jogador se questionar. De que serve a honra de um homem se ela vai contra tudo aquilo que ele acredita? É honrado colocar teu povo e aqueles com quem tu te importa de frente pra morte só por um código? E até que ponto também vai a desonra e o que seria a desonra no fim das contas? Vale a pena abrir mão de um suposto código de gerações quando ele se prova tão falho quanto a falta dele? Manter o povo vivo, mesmo que por ações dúbias diante da tua realidade é realmente uma desonra ou é apenas medo de que na verdade isso mostre que honra é algo relativo quando se dentro de uma guerra?
Sinceramente, é difícil elaborar tudo e todas essas questões que os desenvolvedores colocam pra gente podem render horas de conversas. Independente do que pra um Clã isso tudo significa, sei que, pra mim, foi uma honra poder passar tanto tempo dentro da Ilha de Tsushima e experienciar a história desse que, sem sombra de dúvidas, se tornou um dos meus jogos favoritos.
Ghost of Tsushima é um dos jogos que eu mais queria jogar antes mesmo de pegar meu PS4. Sou completamente apaixonado pela cultura japonesa e por obras jidaigeki, sejam elas filmes, mangás ou, nesse caso, jogo. Então, era quase certo que eu ia amar o que o jogo tinha pra me oferecer. E ainda assim eu consegui ficar surpreso.
Primeiramente, a ambientação é linda. O recurso do vento guia, que eu achei incrível, me fez querer explorar cada vez mais o mapa. Direto eu parava de ir pro objetivo marcado e ia fazer algum objetivo secundário ou ia pra algum ponto lindo do mapa (que são vários) só pra brincar no modo foto. O combate é extremamente delicioso, dá gosto de aparar ataques, usar as diferentes posturas pra enfrentar os diferentes tipos de inimigos, de entrar nos confrontos e nos duelos. O sistema de progressão do jogo também é muito bem feito e a sensação de recompensa é enorme, principalmente quando tu desbloqueia posturas, aprende movimentos novos e ataques míticos. As atividades secundárias também são muito legais de fazer e eu poderia ficar horas só escrevendo haikus e indo em águas termais.
Mas agora eu quero focar no ponto que mais me pegou nesse jogo e o que fez eu me apaixonar tremendamente: a história. Eu acho que poucos jogos tem uma história tão ou mais profunda que a de Ghost of Tsushima. Jin Sakai é um personagem extremamente bem escrito, repleto de dramas pessoais, inseguranças e ainda assim um senso de justiça muito grande. Todos os personagens coadjuvantes são muito bem desenvolvidos também e tu te apega a cada um deles. Destaque pra Yuna e pro Lorde Shimura. O Khotun Kahn é um vilão memorável, daqueles execráveis que tu não tem escolha a não ser odiar e querer enfrentar ele o quanto antes por causa de todas as atitudes dele. Poucas vezes também me emocionei tanto com um jogo como aqui. Talvez seja por eu amar cultura japonesa, ter me apegado aos personagens, não sei. Sei que eu acabei chorando sim algumas vezes na reta final do jogo.
E eu simplesmente fiquei completamente envolto no desenvolvimento do Jin e nas questões pessoais que ele enfrenta durante o jogo todo, que chegam a ser filosóficas e fazem até mesmo o jogador se questionar. De que serve a honra de um homem se ela vai contra tudo aquilo que ele acredita? É honrado colocar teu povo e aqueles com quem tu te importa de frente pra morte só por um código? E até que ponto também vai a desonra e o que seria a desonra no fim das contas? Vale a pena abrir mão de um suposto código de gerações quando ele se prova tão falho quanto a falta dele? Manter o povo vivo, mesmo que por ações dúbias diante da tua realidade é realmente uma desonra ou é apenas medo de que na verdade isso mostre que honra é algo relativo quando se dentro de uma guerra?
Sinceramente, é difícil elaborar tudo e todas essas questões que os desenvolvedores colocam pra gente podem render horas de conversas. Independente do que pra um Clã isso tudo significa, sei que, pra mim, foi uma honra poder passar tanto tempo dentro da Ilha de Tsushima e experienciar a história desse que, sem sombra de dúvidas, se tornou um dos meus jogos favoritos.
the story's pretty cool but i really wasn't big on anything the gameplay had too offer tbh!
Everything about this game is simply beautiful. Story, characters, combat, Tsushima itself. Marvelous
When you're in the thick of this game's core missions, where you're tackling scenarios with a mixture of sneaky, versatile stealth and tense swordfighting action and furthering the storyline of honour and betrayal, Ghost of Tsushima feels like it should be a bit of a classic.
Unfortunately, there's far, far too much time spent doing absolutely fuck all. Some of the worst open world bloat, gating fun combat mechanics behind skill trees and a world map that, although gorgeous to look at, offers little more than distance to travel ensures that you spend more time in Tsushima bored out of your mind than doing all the genuinely brilliant ninja/samurai hybrid stuff. A shame.
Unfortunately, there's far, far too much time spent doing absolutely fuck all. Some of the worst open world bloat, gating fun combat mechanics behind skill trees and a world map that, although gorgeous to look at, offers little more than distance to travel ensures that you spend more time in Tsushima bored out of your mind than doing all the genuinely brilliant ninja/samurai hybrid stuff. A shame.
Really fun, beautiful game with some of the most fun and in depth fighting mechanics I've seen in a long time. I love how many different playstyles are available to you. I love how smooth and fluid the fighting is, and how every fight can either be a walk in the park, or a cinematic masterpiece depending on how you've built Jin up to that point.
This is the game that was supposed to win goty over tlou 2 💀
Full Review + Trophy Review and Tips Below
Ghost of Tsushima is an epic loosely tied to the historical events that took place during the Mongol invasion of Tsushima in November of 1274. You play as Jin Sakai, a Samurai and nephew of the Jito Lord Shimura. The start of the game plays out like the movie “300” as a small army of Samurai Clans face off against an overwhelming force. The Samurai live and die by a code of honor, this code is one of the beating hearts of the narrative and is one that the Mongul Leader Khoutun Khan quickly takes advantage of. With the Mongul army now occupying the island, Jin is the sole survivor of the battle at Komoda Beach and the last person who can drive the Mongul army from his island and protect all of Japan.
Ghost of Tsushima is a fictional retelling of a historical event however if you want to know how faithful the developer truly was to these events, I recommend watching a video by Nirav on the GameLuster Channel on YouTube titled “Historical Fiction is Cool! (ft. Ghost of Tsushima) | What Really Happened When the Mongols Invaded”.
Sucker Punch knocked this one out (pun intended) and gave us one of the best PlayStation Exclusives of this generation and one hell of sendoff for the PS4. Ghost of Tsushima may not have the graphical fidelity and realism of The Last of Us Part II, but it does not need it. I can say with a doubt that this is the most beautiful game I have ever played. The attention to detail in the environment is on another level, from the climate, locations and setting to the foliage and animal life. The implementation of nature as your way point guide is such a smart decision. White and Black smoke will lead you to villages, birds will lead you to hidden places, items or people in need, foxes lead to shrines, the wind to your destination, vapor to hot springs and the list goes on. It is near impossible getting to your next mission without a distraction that you just HAVE to follow.
Having an engaging open world isn’t the only thing Ghost of Tsushima masters, it also has an incredibly deep and fun combat system. From changing your stances depending on the enemy type, to mythical unstoppable moves and range weapons that include arrows, throwing blades and sticky bombs. You will find yourself using an array of tactics to take down enemies and liberating encampment.
As an example: I would start of an area by challenging the enemy to a standoff where I would quickly take down 5 enemies with 5 swipes of my sword. I would relish in their fear as they crawl on the ground trying to flee. Utilizing a smoke bomb I would chain assassinate the closest enemies and then change my stance to deflect a shield then change again to stagger and defeat a brute. I would immediately turn around and head shot an enemy attempting to rush at my flank and then throw a Kunai to stagger three enemies on the other side. Using the Heavenly Strike I would slice a general in half and then activate my Ghost Stance and take down the final enemies as the rest attempt to escape in fear. This game, when done correctly, is an intricate dance of violence that is endlessly entertaining and fulfilling. Truly makes you feel like a bad ass.
The highlight of the game for me are the 1x1 Duels that will take place in 25 of the most beautiful areas of the game. Here you must rely on your ability to parry, dodge and attack as you fight in an honorable duel to the death with all other items blocked from use. I have never felt so in control in a 1 v 1 fight and I relied on all my senses to learn and outsmart my opponent to secure my victory. My hope is for DLC to be released that further expands on duels as it is easily one of my favorite moments of the game.
I have endless great things to say about the world and gameplay but now I am going to pivot over to the story. The main story revolves around recruiting the remaining warriors of your island to save the Jito, retake his castle and drive the Khan from the island. There are side quests that involve helping the people of the island and more important side missions that revolve around the supporting cast. Here you will join Ishekawa, Lady Masako, Norio and Kenji on their individual journeys as you forge relationships and recruit them join your mission to kill the Khan and save the island. These characters are standouts even if the end results of their individual chapters may not be entirely fulfilling.
I mentioned earlier how Honor and the Samurai Code plays a big part in the narrative. Jin’s internal struggle to uphold the teachings of his uncle weigh on him as he sees his people suffer and die. Khoutun Khan is always a step ahead as he has studied the ways of the Samurai and uses that knowledge against the proud Jito and his warriors. This makes for an interesting dynamic as Jin is forced to attack from the shadows and take what is considered a dishonorable approach to ensure the destruction of the Khan and his army. Stealth in this game is not nearly as satisfying as head on combat however I appreciate that the game does not force you to keep to one play style and in fact rewards you for combining your Ghost abilities with those of your Samurai teachings.
One area where the game notoriously struggles is with the enemy AI. Enemies line of sight are extremely limited and even standing on something where they can clearly see half your body will normally result in them just walking right past you. Enemies will stop attacking you if you are off the ground, for example standing on a hut and if you hide for more than 20 seconds, they typically lose interest and go back to their posts. It does not make the game any less fun but it is a noticeable distraction.
Lastly let me take a quick moment to show appreciation for the Photo Mode in this game. Sucker Punch obviously knew how endlessly beautiful their game was because they packed it with the best photo mode function I have ever seen. Some highlights include the ability to keep the animations on which lead to not just amazing pictures but also amazing video. From changing the time of day to the weather, cloud coverage and particle effects to the wind speed and direction. It makes for some truly stunning pictures and videos to share. The one area of note that it struggles with is Jin’s expressions as they all look relatively the same.
Ghost of Tsushima relishes in the beauty of its open world, giving you endless things to be distracted by and enough heart in its story for you to want to see it through to the end. It has one of the more memorable villains to date with the cunning, charming and strategic Khan and is topped by one of the most satisfying combat mechanics I have ever played. The end of the game has one of the best 1x1 fights I have every played and packs a punch with an emotional and satisfying conclusion.
Outside of some repetition and story beats/characters that fall flat, it packs a punch with an emotional and satisfying conclusion making this is an absolute must play game and a beautiful swan song to the PS4.
Trophies
Difficulty: 4/10
Time: 50 hours
Trophy Guide: Not Needed
Trophy List Score: 10/10
Ghost of Tsushima has one of, if not THE best trophy list of a major AAA game. A trophy list needs to encourage you to use the mechanics of the game, explore its world, recognize you with consistent trophy pings throughout the story and allow you to engage with the game at your own pace. Ghost of Tsushima is an example to follow on a list that not only rewards you but also motivates you to see it through.
There are no missable nor difficulty related trophies in this game. You also will not have to play it more than once to earn the Platinum Trophy. As you journey through Tsushima you will earn trophies for story beats as well as for certain actions like 20 perfect parries, liberating areas and discovering collectibles. You will not have to find every collectible in the game (roughly about 50%) and there are guiding winds and an endless amount of animal support to guide you to all the hidden shrines, springs, haikus and fox dens available.
On top of it all, earning them is just so much fun. A Well placed kick to send a Mongul sprawling to their death, personalizing a scene in the photo mode, killing enemies with your ghost strike, staggering enemies and nailing a fleeing mongul in the back with an arrow after you terrorize them with your combat skills is just so satisfying. You will probably end the game with more than 70% of the trophies already earned which just further motivates you to take a few more actions to complete your list and earn that platinum. Bravo Sucker Punch!
Tips:
- At the start of the game make your way to the Shinto Shrine to earn the “Charm of Inari” which increases the amount of supplies you earn which are needed to fully upgrade your Katana and your Sakai Clan Armor.
- Focus all your upgrades on the sword first (you can spare some for your bow) to ensure you earn those trophies first. If you are like me and you searched every corner and completed every available area before moving on, you will more than likely be maxed out on most of you items of value by start/mid of Act II.
- Travelers Armor helps you find collectibles with a rumble in your controller when near. It will also reveal more of the map as you travel through which helps you find hidden locations.
- Sakai Clan Armor should be the first armor you upgrade as you will need it for the “All in the Wrist” trophy which requires to take out 5 enemies during a single standoff.
- Make manual saves regularly as I have seen people post about glitches but never encountered one myself.
- There are hidden altars in the world that have a sign with a man bowing. There are many across the island so whenever you come across one, swipe down to bow and nature will interact with you in the form of leaves/dragonflies/pedals circling you or birds flying/fish jumping out of the river. You need 10 of these locations for a trophy.
- Lastly, look at the trophy list and save your favorite for last so that you can line it up for the perfect Platinum screenshot. I did mine just as Jin was getting into the hot tub butt naked and I have to say, it was glorious.
Happy Trophy Hunting!
Ghost of Tsushima is an epic loosely tied to the historical events that took place during the Mongol invasion of Tsushima in November of 1274. You play as Jin Sakai, a Samurai and nephew of the Jito Lord Shimura. The start of the game plays out like the movie “300” as a small army of Samurai Clans face off against an overwhelming force. The Samurai live and die by a code of honor, this code is one of the beating hearts of the narrative and is one that the Mongul Leader Khoutun Khan quickly takes advantage of. With the Mongul army now occupying the island, Jin is the sole survivor of the battle at Komoda Beach and the last person who can drive the Mongul army from his island and protect all of Japan.
Ghost of Tsushima is a fictional retelling of a historical event however if you want to know how faithful the developer truly was to these events, I recommend watching a video by Nirav on the GameLuster Channel on YouTube titled “Historical Fiction is Cool! (ft. Ghost of Tsushima) | What Really Happened When the Mongols Invaded”.
Sucker Punch knocked this one out (pun intended) and gave us one of the best PlayStation Exclusives of this generation and one hell of sendoff for the PS4. Ghost of Tsushima may not have the graphical fidelity and realism of The Last of Us Part II, but it does not need it. I can say with a doubt that this is the most beautiful game I have ever played. The attention to detail in the environment is on another level, from the climate, locations and setting to the foliage and animal life. The implementation of nature as your way point guide is such a smart decision. White and Black smoke will lead you to villages, birds will lead you to hidden places, items or people in need, foxes lead to shrines, the wind to your destination, vapor to hot springs and the list goes on. It is near impossible getting to your next mission without a distraction that you just HAVE to follow.
Having an engaging open world isn’t the only thing Ghost of Tsushima masters, it also has an incredibly deep and fun combat system. From changing your stances depending on the enemy type, to mythical unstoppable moves and range weapons that include arrows, throwing blades and sticky bombs. You will find yourself using an array of tactics to take down enemies and liberating encampment.
As an example: I would start of an area by challenging the enemy to a standoff where I would quickly take down 5 enemies with 5 swipes of my sword. I would relish in their fear as they crawl on the ground trying to flee. Utilizing a smoke bomb I would chain assassinate the closest enemies and then change my stance to deflect a shield then change again to stagger and defeat a brute. I would immediately turn around and head shot an enemy attempting to rush at my flank and then throw a Kunai to stagger three enemies on the other side. Using the Heavenly Strike I would slice a general in half and then activate my Ghost Stance and take down the final enemies as the rest attempt to escape in fear. This game, when done correctly, is an intricate dance of violence that is endlessly entertaining and fulfilling. Truly makes you feel like a bad ass.
The highlight of the game for me are the 1x1 Duels that will take place in 25 of the most beautiful areas of the game. Here you must rely on your ability to parry, dodge and attack as you fight in an honorable duel to the death with all other items blocked from use. I have never felt so in control in a 1 v 1 fight and I relied on all my senses to learn and outsmart my opponent to secure my victory. My hope is for DLC to be released that further expands on duels as it is easily one of my favorite moments of the game.
I have endless great things to say about the world and gameplay but now I am going to pivot over to the story. The main story revolves around recruiting the remaining warriors of your island to save the Jito, retake his castle and drive the Khan from the island. There are side quests that involve helping the people of the island and more important side missions that revolve around the supporting cast. Here you will join Ishekawa, Lady Masako, Norio and Kenji on their individual journeys as you forge relationships and recruit them join your mission to kill the Khan and save the island. These characters are standouts even if the end results of their individual chapters may not be entirely fulfilling.
I mentioned earlier how Honor and the Samurai Code plays a big part in the narrative. Jin’s internal struggle to uphold the teachings of his uncle weigh on him as he sees his people suffer and die. Khoutun Khan is always a step ahead as he has studied the ways of the Samurai and uses that knowledge against the proud Jito and his warriors. This makes for an interesting dynamic as Jin is forced to attack from the shadows and take what is considered a dishonorable approach to ensure the destruction of the Khan and his army. Stealth in this game is not nearly as satisfying as head on combat however I appreciate that the game does not force you to keep to one play style and in fact rewards you for combining your Ghost abilities with those of your Samurai teachings.
One area where the game notoriously struggles is with the enemy AI. Enemies line of sight are extremely limited and even standing on something where they can clearly see half your body will normally result in them just walking right past you. Enemies will stop attacking you if you are off the ground, for example standing on a hut and if you hide for more than 20 seconds, they typically lose interest and go back to their posts. It does not make the game any less fun but it is a noticeable distraction.
Lastly let me take a quick moment to show appreciation for the Photo Mode in this game. Sucker Punch obviously knew how endlessly beautiful their game was because they packed it with the best photo mode function I have ever seen. Some highlights include the ability to keep the animations on which lead to not just amazing pictures but also amazing video. From changing the time of day to the weather, cloud coverage and particle effects to the wind speed and direction. It makes for some truly stunning pictures and videos to share. The one area of note that it struggles with is Jin’s expressions as they all look relatively the same.
Ghost of Tsushima relishes in the beauty of its open world, giving you endless things to be distracted by and enough heart in its story for you to want to see it through to the end. It has one of the more memorable villains to date with the cunning, charming and strategic Khan and is topped by one of the most satisfying combat mechanics I have ever played. The end of the game has one of the best 1x1 fights I have every played and packs a punch with an emotional and satisfying conclusion.
Outside of some repetition and story beats/characters that fall flat, it packs a punch with an emotional and satisfying conclusion making this is an absolute must play game and a beautiful swan song to the PS4.
Trophies
Difficulty: 4/10
Time: 50 hours
Trophy Guide: Not Needed
Trophy List Score: 10/10
Ghost of Tsushima has one of, if not THE best trophy list of a major AAA game. A trophy list needs to encourage you to use the mechanics of the game, explore its world, recognize you with consistent trophy pings throughout the story and allow you to engage with the game at your own pace. Ghost of Tsushima is an example to follow on a list that not only rewards you but also motivates you to see it through.
There are no missable nor difficulty related trophies in this game. You also will not have to play it more than once to earn the Platinum Trophy. As you journey through Tsushima you will earn trophies for story beats as well as for certain actions like 20 perfect parries, liberating areas and discovering collectibles. You will not have to find every collectible in the game (roughly about 50%) and there are guiding winds and an endless amount of animal support to guide you to all the hidden shrines, springs, haikus and fox dens available.
On top of it all, earning them is just so much fun. A Well placed kick to send a Mongul sprawling to their death, personalizing a scene in the photo mode, killing enemies with your ghost strike, staggering enemies and nailing a fleeing mongul in the back with an arrow after you terrorize them with your combat skills is just so satisfying. You will probably end the game with more than 70% of the trophies already earned which just further motivates you to take a few more actions to complete your list and earn that platinum. Bravo Sucker Punch!
Tips:
- At the start of the game make your way to the Shinto Shrine to earn the “Charm of Inari” which increases the amount of supplies you earn which are needed to fully upgrade your Katana and your Sakai Clan Armor.
- Focus all your upgrades on the sword first (you can spare some for your bow) to ensure you earn those trophies first. If you are like me and you searched every corner and completed every available area before moving on, you will more than likely be maxed out on most of you items of value by start/mid of Act II.
- Travelers Armor helps you find collectibles with a rumble in your controller when near. It will also reveal more of the map as you travel through which helps you find hidden locations.
- Sakai Clan Armor should be the first armor you upgrade as you will need it for the “All in the Wrist” trophy which requires to take out 5 enemies during a single standoff.
- Make manual saves regularly as I have seen people post about glitches but never encountered one myself.
- There are hidden altars in the world that have a sign with a man bowing. There are many across the island so whenever you come across one, swipe down to bow and nature will interact with you in the form of leaves/dragonflies/pedals circling you or birds flying/fish jumping out of the river. You need 10 of these locations for a trophy.
- Lastly, look at the trophy list and save your favorite for last so that you can line it up for the perfect Platinum screenshot. I did mine just as Jin was getting into the hot tub butt naked and I have to say, it was glorious.
Happy Trophy Hunting!
Visual absurdo, ambientação impecável e excelente história com uma das melhores cinematografias da indústria. É muito evidente o carinho dos desenvolvedores pela história, cultura e cinema japonês.