Set on the island of Tsushima it follows the real life Mongol invasion in the 13th century, with samurai Jin Sakai torn between the honourable samurai code and cowardly (but effective) assassin abilities to save his people. Complete legendary side quests to obtain mythical armour and weapons. Speed across grasslands chased by Mongol invaders. Perform stand-offs against groups of enemies as you battle against the odds. What Ghost of Tsushima does provide is an opportunity for players to live out their samurai fantasy.
We are simply actors in a film, not directors of our own story. And while the game is open world, exploring is clumsy as Jin stumbles over rocks and climbs only over predetermined routes. Stray too far from your objective and you’ll be forced back on track. It’s not only inspired by Kurosawa, but a slave to cinema, with overly restrictive gameplay that too often wrestles control away from the player to frame the action just so. Ghost of Tsushima seems preoccupied with just being really, really, really good looking. From the editing style to the kabuki theatre expressions, there’s more to samurai cinema than rustling wind. What’s more, slapping on a monotone filter does not a Kurosawa mode make. The camera is too low and close to protagonist Jin Sakurai to pan and appreciate the view a pervasive fog feels claustrophobic. There’s something oppressive about the visuals too.
And where the samurai code is about restraint and appreciating the subtle beauty of the natural world, Ghost of Tsushima feels overblown with its constant wind effects and saturated colours that, through repetition, eventually lose their lustre. In Sucker Punch’s quest for hyper realism, the game feels almost unnaturally beautiful. Ghost of Tsushima is undeniably a beautiful game. From day to night, the lighting bathes each glorious vista in pink suns or cold shimmering moonlight. Tall grasses sway in the wind leaves are scattered by the breeze. The character models are gorgeously detailed. There’s even a Kurosawa mode that turns the graphics black and white. An open world samurai epic from American studio Sucker Punch, Ghost of Tsushima is indebted to samurai cinema – specifically Akira Kurosawa.
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