Highlights

  • Ghost of Tsushima set itself apart from other AAA games as a new property that offered a virtual recreation of 13th-century Japan, inspiring other developers to draw inspiration from its historical action gameplay.
  • The game's technical achievements, including its visually stunning, wide-open map, satisfying combat, and engaging narrative centered on real events from Japan's history, made it a must-buy for PlayStation 4 owners.
  • While Assassin's Creed is the most notable historical action adventure game franchise, Ghost of Tsushima's realistic approach to its setting sets it apart, and more games with similar historical backdrops and grounded storytelling would lead to better, more varied gaming experiences.

When Ghost of Tsushima launched on the PS4 in 2020, it was something of an outlier in the world of AAA gaming. Most of that year's most popular blockbuster titles were part of established franchises, Ghost of Tsushima was a bombastic, confident new property that took players to a virtual recreation of 13th-century Japan. As the gaming community awaits the next big thing from Sucker Punch, other developers should draw inspiration from the historical action game.

Ghost of Tsushima quickly established itself as a must-buy for PlayStation 4 owners for a number of reasons. The technical achievements of the game are perhaps the most immediately apparent upon first booting it up, as Ghost of Tsushima's wide-open, picturesque map is a sight to behold even three years on. Looking a bit deeper, the game also offers satisfying combat and a solid, dramatic narrative that centers on real events from Japan's history. While Ghost of Tsushima's grounded Japanese setting is part of what makes it special, other games should adopt a similar approach, giving players action RPG experiences with different historical backdrops.

RELATED: Red Dead Redemption 3's Protagonist Could Feel a Lot Like Ghost of Tsushima's Jin Sakai

The Potential of Games Like Ghost of Tsushima

ghost of tsushima mask

Video games, especially those made with modern technology and large budgets, have the power to take players just about anywhere. Despite this, there is a surprisingly small number of historical fiction video games in the current era. Many games will take inspiration from certain time periods or cultures, but games that attempt to tell stories that relate to real-world figures, events, or ancient societies, a la Ghost of Tsushima, are relatively rare.

More Than Assassin's Creed

Of course, when many gamers hear "historical action adventure game," they will immediately think of Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft's flagship franchise is certainly the most notable of this subgenre, but while some entries seem committed to the idea of historical fiction, such as the upcoming Assassin's Creed Codename Red and its alleged protagonist based on a real-world samurai, the franchise as a whole is largely detached from it. Most of the games, especially post-Syndicate, feature a number of fantasy elements that can, at times, reduce the well-realized historical settings to mere set dressing.

Ghost of Tsushima shows what can be accomplished in a game that takes a realistic approach to its setting. There are definitely elements of Ghost of Tsushima that are unrealistic, such as Jin's many implausible feats of strength and agility, but the game stays away from things like magic, supernatural beings, and explicitly fantastical character powers. Ghost of Tsushima's combat is weighty and deliberate, its story is believable, and its environmental design is grounded without losing its beauty. Assassin's Creed is a series that has its merits, certainly, but the games are somewhat lacking when it comes to delivering a realistic and engaging historical experience due to their decidedly fantasy elements. More competition in the market of action games with settings from real-world history would lead to better, more varied gaming experiences.

The Future of Historical Action RPGs

If more games were to follow the example set by Ghost of Tsushima (which, in all fairness, would likely not exist without Assassin's Creed), then there could be any number of engaging experiences focused on any number of historical settings. Some potential untapped settings include:

  • Pre-Colonial North America
  • Revolution-Era Cuba
  • World War Two England
  • Prohibition-Era United States
  • Spanish Civil War Era

It's likely that a Ghost of Tsushima follow-up will arrive sooner or later, but that game will almost certainly take players to ancient Japan—one of gaming's most frequented destinations. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but games that can draw inspiration from Ghost of Tsushima's unabashed commitment to historical realism, coupled with its solid gameplay and light RPG mechanics, could open a world of opportunity.