Review: Ghost of Tsushima

After 20+ hours of gameplay, I wrapped up a mainline story mission in ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ and instead of end game credits, the screen read “ACT II.” If that were to have happened with any other game, I would have “noped” right out of it and went on about living my life. It was different with this game, though. Knowing that I had only scratched the surface of what that game offered was comforting.

There are a lot of things to love about ‘Ghost of Tsushima’: In a time where every developer boasts about its vast open world, Tsushima feels unique. There is a fine balance between finding side missions organically while traversing a map and not being overwhelmed by it. It is a gorgeous game, and thanks to the most impressive photo mode ever created, I don’t think I have ever taken as many screenshots in all my life. The vivid purples as you ride your horse through a sea of lavender fields, the sun’s reflection bouncing off the water as it sets, the fog that casts out everything but the faintest gaudy colors of the morning sky. It’s almost spiritual. While the visuals are stunning enough to make you go all poetic when describing them, it is Ghost of Tsushima’s combat system that makes it so exciting.

There are a lot of games that have swords in them, and you might even think those games have effective sword-based combat, but I assure you that you will have to re-think that after drawing Jin Saikai’s blade. As a samurai, you live and die by your sword in this game. If you try to button mash your way through encounters, you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble as the game progresses. You will learn several sword-wielding stances, and you’re going to have to learn the advantages and disadvantages of using those stances within a battle. This stance is more effective against enemies that carry shields, whereas this stance is more effective against brutes and enemies with long-range weaponry. Switching these stances on the fly as you’re battling a group on Mongols is smooth and makes you feel like an actual samurai.  It’s so satisfying, and you feel you’re in control of 100% of the things you do.

I didn’t spend 20+ hours on that first act because the game requires you to grind your way through it. I didn’t spend 20+ hours on that first act because the story has some Last of Us Part II-pacing issues. No, I spent 20+ hours in that first because I was enjoying myself. I didn’t want to rush along, and I didn’t want to risk missing anything that the game offered. Every side mission, every collectible, every armour upgrade, I wanted everything that I could get. 

It’s coincidental but I think it’s funny that the first big PlayStation 4 release that I purchased was ‘Infamous: Second Son’–-made by Sucker Punch Studios–-and there’s a good chance that ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ will be the last big release that I buy for the same system–-also made by Sucker Punch Studios. ‘Infamous: Second Son’ was like most launch titles: It showed that the horsepower of the new consoles could produce better visuals, but ultimately, it was a forgettable game. While Second Son looked great and was a lot of fun to play, it suffered from an open world that felt lifeless and a story and supporting cast of characters that were very basic. To see how far Sucker Punch has come within these seven years is remarkable.  ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ looks great, and it’s one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences that I have ever been a part of. But this time Sucker Punch has provided a world that is captivating and a cast of characters you’ll emotionally tie yourself to.

When the Mongolian army arrives to take over the island of Tsushima, there are 80 samurai that must hold them off. Outnumbered and outmatched, they defeat the samurai. Presumed dead, you are the last samurai. No, you’re not Tom Cruise, but you are Jin Sakai, the son of a noble family, who realizes that if he’s saving Tsushima from the Mongols, he will have to adapt his style—even if that means going against the samurai code of honor.

There are nitpicky things in Ghost of Tsushima that nearly every open world game suffers from: Nearly all missions in the game ultimately turn into the same sword fight, which gets repetitious, but the fact that the gameplay is so fun eases that some. There are also a ton of side missions that you will encounter, and those can feel unimportant considering the stakes of the game’s story, but like I said, that’s nitpicky. It’s still a video game, and those side missions are usually very brief, but it has that same issue that games like The Witcher 3 and Mass Effect had in why am I going around running errands for people when I have this huge threat to take care of?

This might seem crazy to say so soon, but I think Ghost of Tsushima is one of my favorite games. Not just one of my favorite games this year. Not just one of my favorite games of this generation… one of my favorite games period. It’s been an absolute blast to play, and it has provided a much-needed distraction from all the terrible things that are going on in the world right now.  

Describing something as “perfect” is frowned upon in these circles, but I don’t know how else to describe what Sucker Punch has made here. This game checks the boxes in every category that you could ask for. Pound-for-pound, there are few better examples of an instant masterpiece than this one.