Ghost of Tsushima — The PS4’s Stunning Swan Song
The goal of every creator is to leave a lasting imprint on their audience. Through the medium of video gaming, there are many ways that this can be achieved — gameplay mechanics, setting / atmosphere and storytelling stand out as key components in differentiating a game from others in its genre.
Ghost of Tsushima has a tall order as the last major exclusive of the PlayStation 4, a console home to a myriad of creative and dynamic games that will stand the test of time as being some of the best. The late release of this blockbuster game — just 4–5 months shy of the start of the next gaming generation — means that unlike other games, Ghost of Tsushima can be judged against all the incredible titles released prior. The game is also precariously positioned as the game that will either underwhelmingly cap off the PS4’s run or end it on a high note. With other narrative open-world titles like Spider-Man and Horizon Zero Dawn, as well as other critically acclaimed Japanese sword-fighting games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gracing the PS4, Ghost of Tsushima’s long-term relevance comes down to the game’s ability to innovate and deliver a unique — and better — experience found nowhere else.
The fundamental question is whether or not gamers will remember Ghost of Tsushima, but how they will remember it and what impact this game will leave behind for years to come.
Before I dive into this review, a few quick disclaimers:
- Although Ghost of Tsushima is the first samurai / Japanese mythology game I’ve played, I cannot compare this game to other games in the genre like Sekiro. However, there are elements that can be contrasted with other open-world titles that I will speak to.
- This review will not cover Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the game’s free DLC that was released in October. I haven’t played the DLC and cannot fairly evaluate it, but I may get to it one day and post a separate review or an amendment to this one with my thoughts.
Sucker Punch has definitely taken strides to distinguish Ghost of Tsushima from its peers, and the level of ambition from the studio is apparent in the final product. Describing the game using the key differentiating components mentioned above — gameplay, setting, storytelling — Sucker Punch has delivered a truly breathtaking and fresh game that meaningfully pushes the envelope in the open-world genre. However, these unique aspects are bogged down by the game’s narrative, which at times fails to hit the mark and enhance the player’s connection to the vibrant world that Sucker Punch has put so much effort into creating.
Combat Gameplay
Ghost of Tsushima’s sophisticated combat mechanics get an A++ from me, as it does a fantastic job of challenging the player to think strategically about how to approach combat situations. I feel that Ghost of Tsushima’s combat stands apart in two separate ways:
(1) All techniques and weapons remain helpful and viable throughout the entirety of the game.
Other games fail to achieve balance in this area, as certain abilities simply outclass others in terms of usefulness and ultimately limits the appeal of using other abilities. This ends up making combat encounters more stale, because you tend to approach them all in the same way in the end.
In Ghost of Tsushima, almost every part of my arsenal had relevance in combat. The stance system in the game is one example of where this really shines. The stance system essentially allows the player to toggle their sword-fighting stance mid-combat, with each stance countering one enemy type in particular and being less effective against others. It is exceptionally well-designed and complements the combat loop in the game because each encounter features a variety of enemy types, meaning that regular stance switching to exploit enemy weaknesses will often give you the upper hand in battle. It’s remarkable how much tactical depth this adds to the game while still being simple to understand and navigate.
Although close quarters combat is this game’s bread and butter, I also found myself using a lot of my ranged weaponry to tilt encounters in my favor. The UI makes it easy (most of the time) to switch items on the go, and the consumable nature of these items (rather than being on a cooldown) means that you are frequently switching things up to manage your inventory. This is a rare game where I used *almost* every ability I learned on a regular basis. Nothing gets unlocked and shelved never to be used again (I’m looking at you Spider-Man PS4 gadgets).
(2) The weapon and combat technique balance described above rewards strategic decision making in battle, and synergizes incredibly well with the general flow and style of enemy encounters.
I feel that Ghost of Tsushima isn’t a game where you can brute force through combat. You really need to take a step back and survey your surroundings in real-time to make the right decisions during battle (e.g. what stances should I switch to, should I use arrows or throwables, etc.). I can’t say that many other third-person brawlers encourage these types of interactions, as the optimal method of play often involves mindlessly throwing combos and attacks because there isn’t enough of a disincentive not to. The ‘game of chess’ that underpins Ghost of Tsushima’s combat is best illustrated in the game’s 1v1 duels, where there is nowhere to hide and victory is only assured through properly outmaneuvering the opponent. The need to tactically outwit enemies to overcome combat encounters is what makes the combat in this game feel so great.
Apart from these two highlights, I feel that stealth combat is average in this game. The fast enemy detection times are unforgiving and usually forces you out of stealth early. Performing assassinations (especially from an elevated position) are also finnicky and sometimes leaves you in a worse position afterwards. Perhaps I wasn’t too careful, but I felt that I could only really get 2–4 kills in stealth before having to engage the enemy head on.
Setting
There’s not too much I have to say about setting and exploration. The game will unquestionably go down as one of the most beautiful games on the PS4. Kudos to the Sucker Punch team for bringing this game’s ambitious artistic vision to life, and striking a balance between making the game feel authentic in its depiction of thirteenth-century Japan while incorporating more surreal stylistic elements (e.g. saturated color palette, use of contrast, etc.) to give the game its own sense of identity and soul.
World exploration also meshes well with the progression system of the game, as most of the exploration-based collectibles (e.g. Shrines, Bamboo Strikes, etc.) have a direct impact on strengthening your character. This makes exploration an integral part of the game because it affects your performance and overall experience in combat, although this tends to become less important during later stages of the game.
I liked how Ghost of Tsushima exercises a bit more restraint when it comes to telling the player where undiscovered locations and items are. Other games can take the fun out of exploration through mechanisms that basically state where everything is. Unless you put in the effort to clear out ALL the occupied Mongol Territory (as some undiscovered locations aren’t in range of enemy bases), you’ll have to explore every nook and cranny to find all the hidden secrets on Tsushima Island. In conjunction with the picturesque elements of shrine exploration and haikus, this design choice does a fantastic job of fostering a deeper sense of adventure and immersion into the world Sucker Punch has created.
Storytelling
The narrative of Ghost of Tsushima is where the game begins to falter. Although I enjoyed how the game’s story progressed at a high level, the overall execution of story elements such as character development and narrative flow left much to be desired.
From a character standpoint, I felt that none of the characters had memorable personalities — or rather unique character traits were repressed much more often than being highlighted. Let’s talk about Jin, the game’s protagonist. I can tell from some of the later scenes in the game that Jin’s voice actor had a wide emotional range and the acting chops to make Jin a nuanced and distinctly unique character. However, the writing of the game simply does not give Jin enough opportunities to showcase these vulnerabilities and insecurities. Sadly, the omission of these elements in Jin’s performance and dialogue ends up dehumanizing his character to a degree. Throughout the game, it often felt unnatural for Jin to act in such a stoic and unfazed way after losing friends / comrades during the start of the Mongol invasion in the prologue and turning his back on samurai tradition to become the Ghost. With the latter point on Jin becoming the Ghost, I wish Sucker Punch expanded a bit more on the inner conflict within Jin as he adopts this new identity. It was a little bit jarring for him to accept this path without really questioning it that much after backstabbing someone for the first time.
The other characters also suffer from similar issues, which can be summed up with the game’s tendency to tell how these characters feel and think through back and forth chatter as opposed to showing us who these individuals are in more emotionally resonant ways.
From a story perspective, I thought the main plot was decently paced and structured until the third act of the game. There were some incredible highlights throughout the story, such as large scale battles which really made me feel like was playing a Game of Thrones-esque battle like the Battle of the Bastards.
The main issue I have with the story is that the conclusion of the central conflict — the Mongol Invasion — felt very rushed and forced. I was surprised that the Mongol forces were defeated when they were because the story did not really set this encounter up as a final battle. For instance, I do not recall any scenes with the Khan, the leader of the Mongol forces, in Act 3 leading up to this mission and there wasn’t much indication that defeating the Mongols in this battle would essentially end their exploits completely. I really do wish there was a bit more emphasis on the Mongol invasion in Act 3 instead of the the team’s preparations for the final counterattack. This would have made the Mongol’s downfall feel more meaningful by characterizing them as more of a threat prior to the final battle.
Finally, looking at side quests, I thought the character tales — multi-part side quests that focus on specific supporting characters in the story — had strong build up but failed to leave a lasting impact. It feels like Sucker Punch took their foot off the gas pedal during the last parts of each character tale and didn’t go all in with regards to wrapping up these stories in a climactic way. In short, these character tales weren’t good at the times where it really mattered and this sadly diminishes the overall storytelling invested in the earlier parts of each tale.
Although all games have side quests involving random NPCs, the uniformity of many of the non-character tale side quests in Ghost of Tsushima does make them a bit duller in comparison. The issue is that most these side quests involve cut and paste NPC peasants with limited differentiating characteristics, and more effort could have been put forth in this area to make these NPCs stand out more. A game that starkly does this better is Horizon Zero Dawn, where many side quests are driven by NPCs with a unique appearance and personality unlike all the ‘distraught villagers’ we see in Ghost of Tsushima. Most of these side quests feel similar in terms of getting justice on Mongols or Bandits who committed an act of treachery. I wish there were more side quests that dealt with other themes or dove deeper in the world’s mythology and folklore like the Mythic Tales.
Concluding Remarks
Although I have some strong criticisms regarding Ghost of Tsushima’s storytelling, I do feel that this game is something special as I believe all the other elements surrounding the game are executed with near perfection and more than make up for these shortcomings.
The game boasts exceptionally compelling world design that ultimately drives rewarding and meaningful open-world exploration, and the game’s slick combat system constantly makes you feel like a badass while offering unique combat encounters that feel like challenging puzzles or intense chess matches devoid of brainless button mashing.
These two complementary elements are this game’s claim to fame, and will be praised and warmly remembered long after this game’s release. If a game’s characters and overarching narrative is a dealbreaker for you, Ghost of Tsushima may be a game you won’t fully resonate with. However, if you care about literally anything else in a video game — gameplay, artistic vision, etc. — Ghost of Tsushima will really surprise you with what you thought could be possible in a video game.
Enjoy the ride, because it’s a game that you won’t easily forget.
