top of page
Search

Winner Of A Game In The PS4's Excellent Swan Song-- Ghost Of Tsushima

Updated: Jun 22, 2023

Here we are, after almost 7 years of the PS4's successful run, more or less at the end. With Sony's next big console, the PS5 almost upon us with a mere few months left until its eventual release during the holidays, they had one last big splash to make with the PS4. One that would solidify the its status as one of the most successful consoles of all time. And Sony, with so many beloved game studios under their reign, had to look no further than the capable game developers, Sucker Punch. Their newest flagship game, Ghost Of Tsushima, which also happens to be the PS4's final first-party exclusive game, is a totem for the industry to learn from on how to end a console generation with a bang. An excellent premise, a beautiful world, satisfying gameplay, grounded historic accuracy and some slight hiccups, all in all, make Ghost Of Tsushima the ultimate finale it is. Announced back in 2017, samurai fiction lovers have been waiting eagerly for this game for this is the first attempt on a grounded Feudal Japan-centered story since a long time, in contrast to the more fantastical and supernatural Japanese games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Nioh







Set in 1274, during the historic Feudal Japan era and the Mongol's attempted hostile takeover, Ghost Of Tsushima follows the story of Jin Sakai, a respected samurai of the Clan Sakai in the island of Tsushima and his fight against the Mongol leader, Khotun Khan and his foray of fierce, ruthless army. The game opens with the central conflict at stage as the Samurai try to stop the Mongol invasion, but fail to do so, and now Jin must tread on a journey that will physically test him in his fight against the Khan, but also psychologically, as he must slowly shed his Samurai code and lean towards the dishonorable side of the spectrum should he wish to achieve victory in this brutal and taxing fight. The story is structured masterfully and as it progresses, Jin's character arc also goes forward with much nuance and substance that is, if boiled down to one word, engrossing. Players will feel the emotional and material drawbacks of Jin's destructive methods depicted viscerally through story beats and gameplay and the world at large. The slew of characters present in the game have as deep an arc as Jin's if not more. Everyone has a solid backstory with crystal clear and strong motivations and desires. Jin often has to assist these characters in their own quest for their own journey resulting in thought-provoking side stories and small but intimate moments. I especially liked what they did with Khotun Khan. He is an interesting antagonist with smartly-written dialogues, an imposing presence and constantly keeping Jin and the player on the edge with his unpredictable aura. The execution of his character could've been that of just a one-note villain designed to move the story forward, but Sucker Punch took the extra route and made him a very memorable foil to Jin's efforts. The central fight against the Mongols is just as riveting and as the story progresses and the fight becoming more and more tense, the action set-pieces catapult the experience to a whole new level of exhilaration, excitement and awe-striking major missions and moments.



A beautiful world that's at your mercy to be explored on your whim



The island of Tsushima is breathtakingly gorgeous, with stunning horizons, beautiful sunsets, colorful leaves, tranquil grass, the melodic hum of nature, they are all calling to you to explore this vast canvas of artistic beauty and scenery. And when you are not slicing Mongol soldiers and engaging Ronins in tense standoffs, you will be exploring the vast island. And exploring, will you do seamlessly and ergonomically. The world is indefectibly incorporated into the gameplay or vice versa, however you perceive it. There's no mini-map or radar or compass to hold your hand to the next destination. Summon a guiding wind by swiping up on the Dualshock 4's touchpad and a gentle breeze will blow towards the direction of your desired destination. Follow it, and boom, you are where you want to be. You might want to keep an eye out for foxes who will eagerly lead you to Inari shrines, which you can honor to gain charm slot points. Additionally, golden birds will lead you to point of interests, like side missions, bamboo strike practices to increase your Resolve, hot springs to increase your max health, haiku spots to create haikus which will grant you a headband, or pillar of honors which'll grant you a cosmetic sword kit/sheath. Progression throughout the world is natural, smooth and interactively seamless.


Jin wearing his trademark Ghost Armor, used to strike fear in the hearts of the Mongols



Speaking of progression, there are three kinds of missions. Jin's Journey is the main story dealing with the fight against the Mongol invasion, which I don't think I need to explain anymore. Tales Of Tsushima or simply put, side missions. And, I want to talk about side missions for a bit. Much like other open-world games, Ghost Of Tsushima is at fault for recycling the same mission structure again and again. You go to the mission start arena, you talk to someone, follow tracks or trail an unsuspecting NPC's, sometimes the mission ends in a skirmish. And it gets bland after a while, which sucks. But here's the bang for the buck: for some meager side missions, you would think they would just cheat away with cookie-cutter non-impacting plot or storyline. Boy, you would be wrong. Because these side missions, or at least most of them, have very deep messages and themes and dialogues throughout and in frequent cases, they don't hold any punches back in terms of heavy subjects like loss, giving up, death, resentment, vengeance and whatnot. I was surprised by how such small missions, and side missions nonetheless, moved me to my core, often leaving me thinking for whiles on end. And they are in perfect quantity too. Not too much to overstay their welcome, but not too less to not let the world be experienced just the right amount. And the last type of quest is Mythic Tales, which are small storylines that grant you a special attack or a kit at the end that can boost your character progression.


Another showcase of Tsuhsima's gorgeous scenic world.




And character progression is another thing that is balanced in just the right amount. There are armor sets, sword kits/sheaths, horse saddles and charms. Armor sets define your stats such as bolstered health, sneakier stealth attributes, hardened standoff streaks and whatnot. The number of armor sets, much like side quests are in balanced quantity. Unlike loot-based RPG's where you constantly remove and equip armor at even the slightest stat buffs or debuffs, Ghost Of Tsushima gives you just the right amount of armor sets which become, in the long run, very personal and you end up wearing your preferred armor set for a good length, which in my books, is an A++. You can also change the dye of your armor resulting in a more personalized look, which is another plus. Sword kits are also cosmetic and actually varied in my opinion. I found a red sheath with black hilt that I like very much. I will reference the sheath in a picture below.


My prized red-accented sheath with black hilt




Charms are modifiers equipped into your sword that can radically change your playstyle. And you can commit only a 6 or 7 charms at once, so choose wisely. You also earn skill points or in this game's language, Technique Points, which you can spend on skills, power-ups, what have you. All these radically affect your gameplay.




Photo Mode can be used to make cinematic shots



And oh boy, I have so much to talk about gameplay. I'll be honest, if Spider-Man (2018) didn't exist, I would've titled Ghost Of Tsushima's combat the best in all the games I have ever played. It nails the swordfights. You can't just button smash your way around. You have to calculate your enemies' strikes and accommodate your own fighting style to that. There are four types of enemies: Swordsman, Shield-Wielders, Spear-hunkers and Brutes. (I came up with two of those names). And there are four stances to tackle the four types of enemies. Stone Stance for sword, Water Stance for shield, Wind Stance for spear and Moon Stance for brute enemies. Hold L2 to bring up the stance wheel and then press the accommodating face buttons to change your stance. Square is your standard attack button, while Triangle is programmed for the Stance attacks and of course, they vary according to the different stances, L1 is for block/parry, Circle is for dodge/roll. And like I said, you can't just button smash enemies, you have to be patient with them in order to pull off ultra-satisfying kills and brutal finishers. Standoff is another awesome addition. It's basically the Western draws but with swords. You have to hold Triangle at the beginning and release just when the enemy is about to strike. Spend skill points and equip the right armor, you will be able to kill up to 4 or even 5 enemies during a standoff. But that's only the Honorable playstyle.


Stance attacks dictate how fast you can stagger an enemy. Use the right stance on the right enemy to get the edge on them




The Dishonorable playstyle, which totally contradicts the Samurai code, is in one word, stealth gameplay. Sneak up to an enemy and press Square to assassinate, or if two or more are bunched together, press Triangle to initiate a Chain Assassination sequence and slaughter them in a flash. Dishonorable playstyle or according to the lore, Ghost tactics also allows you to use deceptive weaponries and tools like smoke bombs, kunais and more. The more dishonorably you play, the more the Mongols start to fear you. Some will even give up and run away if you keep scaring them, which can be used in your advantage during combat. Mix and match them for exciting and thrilling stealth excursions or deceptive combat trickery. The gameplay, while excellent in its own right, wouldn't have the same punch if not for the music.

The music is excellent. It's pleasing to the ears in the more quieter and peaceful moments and adrenaline-inducing during the tense combat or bombastic set pieces. Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi have composed the most fitting soundtrack for the game that lends a big hand to the old-timey, Feudal Japan-esque feel of the game and during the more emotional moments, keep tugging at your heartstrings until your heart itself becomes an accordion of emotions. I legitimately cannot stress how much the music upholds the game. You really have to lend your ear to it expose yourself to its eargasmic beauty and richness.


The game can be played in English, Japanese, Japanese with English subtitles and a special addition, a Kurosawa filter, which displays the game in classic B&W filter with film grain, an apt and fantastic homage to the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.


There are some hitches like janky animations, which is very seldom so it isn't even that major a problem, some filler story or side mission moments that bog down the pacing a little bit, and then some. But in the face of what the game gets right. these are minor nitpicks.


Ghost Of Tsushima is yet another showcase of mixing breathtaking combat with beautiful imagery




In finality, Sucker Punch started this generation with InFamous: Second Son, a brandishly excellent game, and now has ended this generation with Ghost Of Tsushima, an equally and amplifically awesome game but with a lot of maturity and heart to its core. This is a game with damning evidence that it was made with much passion and love. I have been gaming for 6 years now, 6 wonderful years that have defined my transition from teenage to young adulthood, and I am explicitly and gargauntally grateful that this generation has ended with such a bolsterous and masterful game. One that has stamped the memorable finale to this gigantic generation of gaming and also showed me the emotional reach a story-driven game can have. Sony has yet hit another goldmine with this. Ghost Of Tsushima will undoubtedly go down as one of the PS4's best games and in general, one of the best games of all time.








20 views0 comments
bottom of page