Ghost of Tsushima fans are still feeling the game’s impact almost a year later. With a never-ending stream of stunning screenshots appearing alongside some incredible streamer reactions, gamers have shown the Sucker Punch game plenty of love. Fortunately, they may be getting the chance to keep the praise coming, as a spinoff called Ghost of Ikishima has leaked.
This Ghost of Tsushima sequel would supposedly be a lot smaller than the original, serving as a standalone expansion of sorts. Beyond that, gamers can expect a similar style of gameplay and exploration, as both played a key role in making the first game such a success. While fans should obviously not get too excited until the game is officially announced, as the rumors could turn out to be inaccurate, there are a few reasons that the Ghost of Ikishima leak is believable.
Ikishima Island’s Close Proximity To Tsushima
The real world “Iki island” is extremely close to the real-world Tsushima, with only a bit of water separating the two land masses. Only an hour and a half away by boat, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Jin Sakai could make the trip to the smaller island. If Sucker Punch can come up for a reason for Jin to visit Ikishima, whether it be a prelude to his battle with the Samurai or an unrelated issue, it is a believable location for the next Ghost of Tsushima game.
Ghost of Tsushima’s open world proved to be a big hit with fans due to its beauty, and Ikishima island would allow for those visuals to be kept intact. The same visual style could carry over, as the closeness of the two islands would suggest a similar topography. This would also allow Sucker Punch to re-use some assets, as the close appearances of the two locations could help speed up development. Iki island also features some expansive caves and gorgeous bodies of shallow water. Searching through these caves could allow players to find some collectibles and learn more about the island's history. In the case of the lakes, they could be used to introduce some more complex swimming mechanics to the series. With Ikishima being the closest inhabited area to Tsushima, it is a logical next step for Sucker Punch.
Ghost of Ikishima Fits With The PlayStation Studios Style
Another thing to note about Ikishima is that it is about 1/4 as large as Tsushima island. With significantly less space to play with, it is all but guaranteed that a game set on the island would be far shorter than Ghost of Tsushima – something that lines up perfectly with the leaks. While Iki island is far too small to support a full, 40-hour adventure, it could handle a 10-hour spinoff or expansion. With that supposedly being the exact thing that Sucker Punch is trying to accomplish, it is a perfect fit for the next game’s setting.
A shorter Ghost of Tsushima game also fits perfectly with the PlayStation Studios style. Several franchises have taken this approach, and it has resulted in some strong mini sequels. July’s rumored PlayStation Plus title, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, served as an example of this in 2017. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is another showcase of this strategy, with the hero’s solo outing helping to usher in the PS5 generation. Most appropriately of all is Infamous: First Light, with the brief spinoff following Fetch from Infamous: Second Son. With the Infamous series also developed by Sucker Punch, the studio has already dabbled with standalone expansions in the past.
With so many examples of this approach, Sony seems happy to embrace smaller adventures in between full-on sequels for its first party titles. As such, the Ghost of Ikishima rumor is as believable as it is exciting. While it certainly is not confirmed, fans have good reason to be optimistic about the franchise going forward. Assuming that the game follows in Spider-Man: Miles Morales’s footsteps and trims the fat from its open world, Ghost of Ikishima could turn out to be even better than the game that preceded it.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4.
