Ghost of Tsushima, by Sucker Punch Games
Just like the shooters of the 2000s and the platformers of the 1990s, open-world sandbox games are undoubtedly the dominant genre of video games in the 2010s, and as someone who mostly grew up in that decade, I’ve played more than my fair share of them. So I was greatly surprised and satisfied to see a true innovation of that formula come at the end of its generation in Ghost of Tsushima. It has a lot of the issues of other open-world games, overly repetitive side tasks are abundant here, but it does enough right to make me consider the game to be the best of its genre, it’s legitimately tied with Breath of the Wild in my eyes.
For those somehow unfamiliar with the open-world formula, the main gameplay loop boils down to exploring the map, chasing down the next bit of story and coming across side tasks and other tales as you go. Because of the inherently open nature of the game, the story is a bit less urgent than most games. It’s still there, and is absolutely the main focus of the game, it just takes place on a larger timescale, allowing you to accomplish tasks at your own pace while still retaining some realism. And the tasks on offer have some great variety. Some of them were a bit too repetitive, there are a mountain of fox dens and haikus to work through, but coming across mercenaries in the wild seeking to test their steel against the legend of the ghost always imbued me with a sense of sheer badassery.
Each of these collectables unlocks something, whether it’s a common piece of vanity gear or an optional upgrade called a charm, that you can equip to one of your limited slots. While it’s good to have an incentive to complete things, this desire to bar everything behind icons on the map becomes somewhat annoying. The worst example is the stances, of which there is one corresponding to every type of enemy in the game. They’re unlocked after defeating a certain number of mongol leaders, but they felt like they were designed as core parts of the combat, and then shoved behind grind walls for seemingly no reason. It’s very hard to take down an enemy unless you’re using the appropriate stance. I get dumping all the stances at once on the player might have felt overwhelming, but as it is I spent my first couple hours running around the map, hunting down mongol leaders, because I just couldn’t advance in the game otherwise.
Outside of the actual tasks, though, the way the open world is presented is what elevates Ghost of Tsushima to another level for me. So much care was taken by the developers to ensure that every element of the exploration was incorporated believably into the world. Nearby enemy camps produce plumes of smoke, fluttering gold birds lead you to nearby secrets, a strong gust of wing points you in the direction of your marked target, everything works together to create a fantastic sense of natural realism that really hasn’t been achieved before in games. It’s a truly immersive experience and it’s a large part of why I love the game as much as I do.
Beyond the realm of gameplay, it’s arguable that the story of Ghost of Tsushima is it’s greatest aspect. It’s really something special, and I’d recommend you stop reading here if you plan to play the game in the near future, because I’m going to dive into some pretty heavy spoilers, starting now. The tragedy of Jin is beautifully portrayed, and his arc from a strictly honorable samurai to a chaotic good assassin is entirely believable. Seeing him and his uncle grow apart honestly brought tears to my eyes, and their final battle stands out as one of the most powerful scenes of any game in recent memory, but I did have a slight problem with the very ending cutscene. The choice of whether or not to kill Lord Shimura clashed with the plot up until now, as all of the actions Jin had taken in the story so far made choosing to kill him very out of character. It wasn’t a huge issue, I didn’t even really think twice about it until a few days after I beat the story, but it was a bit disappointing. Overall, however, the story is one of the best gaming has to offer.
So there are my thoughts on Ghost of Tsushima as of right now! It’s a truly beautiful experience and I recommend anyone who hasn’t had the chance to play it yet seek out the opportunity to do so. Thank you to anyone reading this, and I hope you have a good night!