Ghost of Tsushima: A Class A Game

Rating: 5 Stars ✭✭✭✭✭

Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was directed by Nate Fox. This is the first game under the Ghost of Tsushima name and it was a great one. My expectations were really high coming into this game because a trailer came out for the game years before launch and it looked amazing. To say the least, Ghost of Tsushima exceeded my expectations by a mile. 

In an open world, you control Jin Sakai, a samurai on a mission to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Jin Sakai is one of very few samurais left on the island of Tsushima because of the Mongol invasion. He is the nephew of Lord Shimura, who has been his mentor all of his life, and is receiving the reins of his uncle. The Mongols, led by Khotun Khan are heavily numbered and are quickly taking over Tsushima. During the attacks of the Mongols, Lord Shimura is captured and Jin Sakai is wounded badly. Jin ends up getting saved by a thief, Yuna. Jin and Yuna regroup and realize Tsushima is falling apart. Realizing he cannot defeat the Mongols alone or with traditional samurai tactics, Jin travels throughout the island to recruit allies and learns guerilla warfare. With Jin learning new ways to fight he becomes more and more powerful with each day. He knows he is going against samurai honor, but he is doing all that he can to save his uncle from Khotun Khan. With a big hill to climb, Jin is determined to complete his mission. 

Daisuke Tsuji, who plays Jin Sakai, is the main actor for this game and for good reason. His Japanese background really makes the main character, Jin Sakai, pop. The emotions Jin goes through in the game are really hard to act when you are just speaking into a microphone. Daisuke Tsuji won the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards in 2020 for best actor and was nominated in the Game awards in 2020 for best performance. 

Ghost of Tsushima is hands down the best looking game I have ever played. It is played in the third person point of view (you see the players’ whole body from the back view). The open world game of the island of Tsushima can be explored from top to bottom. Visit high points of the map and the camera angle will move back so you can see the vast landscapes of Tsushima Island for miles and miles. When in combat, everything feels smooth and crisp. Striking your katana into an enemy is more satisfying than anything. When the characters are in a cut scene it truly looks like you are watching a movie. The facial movements match to exactly what they are doing and what they are saying. 

If you put your headphones on when you play Ghost of Tsushima, you really feel like you’re in Japan with this soundtrack. Sucker Punch sent an audio team to Japan to record different sounds, including birdsongs. The soundtrack of this game plays the right songs for the appropriate moment. You’re in a battle against the Mongols? Intense music will start to play and it will get your heartbeat racing. Or if you are just grazing the landscapes of Tsushima, nice and calming music will play and will distract you from anything else around you. Overall, this soundtrack has a little bit of everything and is definitely one to listen to. 

Ghost of Tsushima is a great game, but it’s not for all age groups. Sucker Punch has given Ghost of Tsushima a rating of ¨M¨ for mature due to graphic violence and more. It’s rated M mainly because of its intense violence and graphic blood. I would recommend ages 14 and up play this game due to the violence. There is still so much more the game has to offer other than the fighting and I recommend everyone play this game and explore all of Tsushima Island.