Sucker Punch Productions switched things up for their most recent release, Ghost of Tsushima. Instead of an open-world super hero romp or a 3D platformer about a thieving anthropomorphic raccoon, the new title follows a samurai in 13th century Japan as he defends his home from a Mongolian invasion.
Some DNA from their prior work exists within, but the setting and gameplay make this PlayStation 4 exclusive wholly unique. While there's a lot to enjoy about the adventure, several flaws also hamper the experience. At the end of the day, however, Sony should be proud to call Ghost of Tsushima an exclusive.
10 Love: Open World
The map is large, gorgeous, and filled with things to do. While the main campaign takes about 15-20 hours to complete, adding side quests and clearing out points of interest easily extends this to 40 or 50. Additionally, the way clues throughout nature organically lead to new discoveries makes the player feel consistently engaged in the world. The lack of a mini-map and wind used as a guide is another neat touch.
9 Don't Love: Trailing Missions
Older gamers will recall how half the missions in older Grand Theft Auto games consisted of following a target to a destination without coming in too close. Ghost of Tsushima utilizes this idea for some missions almost two decades later. Not only are these missions boring, but they lack any challenge. At least they are not too plentiful, and not nearly as egregious as the third act of Metal Gear Solid 4.
8 Love: Duels
Considering the focus on samurai and influence from samurai cinema, duels had to be a part of the equation. They end up being the most fun part of the game. Some pop up in story while others dramatically conclude side quests. The one-on-one bouts force players to recognize an enemy's unique moveset and react to visual cues.
7 Don't Love: First Act
While the introduction is exciting, the entire first act feels like a slog. Jin Sakai spends his time recruiting several samurai, and nothing of note happens otherwise. Even the side quests here feel less inspired than in the latter half of the journey. If one is feeling disinterested in th game, just push through the several story missions into the second act where the story picks up steam.
6 Love: Combat
Even though it is not particularly difficult on any of the default settings, Ghost of Tsushima's combat is versatile and engaging. Those interested in diving deeper into it can find numerous tricks and creative ways of disposing enemies.
Switching stances depending on which enemy is approaching and fighting several at once feels like a dance of death, with each new move or toy adding new possibilities.
5 Don't Love: Repetitive Side Quests
The side quests come in varying degrees. The optional Tales are more involved and comprised of several parts, while one-off side quests populate the countryside for shorter diversions. While the content is appreciated, many devolve into tracking footprints and disposing of a threat. They grow repetitive quickly, and rarely offer anything more than progress towards technique points.
4 Love: Graphics
At the end of a generation, developers suck all the juice they can from a console. While Sucker Punch's game may not have the same fidelity as Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, an open-world game looking this good is an impressive feat on its own. For further proof, just look at how many people are diving into the extensive photo mode and sharing exquisite snapshots on social media.
3 Don't Love: Difficulty
Jin Sakai starts off with few abilities and only one combat stance at his disposal, but quickly amasses an impressive arsenal through side quests and story missions. Unfortunately, this makes the game too easy after only a few hours. The difficulty can be changed at any time, but even hard mode remains barely a challenge. To remedy this, a recent update added Lethal mode, which makes enemies more aggressive and significantly more powerful.
2 Love: Ease Of Access
Starting up Ghost of Tsushima is impressively brisk. Once inside the expansive world, load times are quick both upon fast travel and death. In addition to this, many of the side quests and bonus activities can be completed fast, making this a good open-world game for those who don't have the luxury of regularly playing for four hours at a time. Even just a half hour is enough time to do a side quest, compose haiku, and visit a hot spring.
1 Don't Love: Kurosawa Mode
While the intentions were pure, the Kurosawa Mode leaves much to be desired. Named after the iconic Japanese director, it simply changes the dialogue to Japanese, makes the image black and white, and adds a film grain filter to the gameplay. The Japanese voices still have the English lip syncing, and the black and white doesn't have the same feeling as an older film. Without the proper contrast, it is often difficult to tell if a scene is taking place during the day or night.