Sucker Punch’s upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima has been praised for its beautiful visuals and stunning environments. In an effort to encourage players to explore the world they have created, the developers have made some of the game’s best weapons obtainable only by venturing out into the wilds.
In a discussion about the aspect of exploration in Ghost of Tsushima, Game Director Nate Fox noted that going from start to finish in a linear fashion won’t be as rewarding as taking the time to engage in all the content available. “If you go on Jin’s journey from Samurai to Ghost, you’ll get access to some abilities and some weapons but if you really want the full diversity of possibilities, you have to explore, you have to meet side characters, you have to go places that you know you’re not really even told exist,” Fox says. “That’s why the world is rewarding right. We want to make sure that if you take the time you get something from it, that allows you to modify the play style. To get more diversity, and how you go after solving problems.”
Ghost of Tsushima takes place in 13th century Japan on the island of Tsushima, the last line of defense for the Japanese mainland against the invading Mongol hordes. Players take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai who learns that adaptation and unconventional tactics must be employed if he and his people are to survive.
The gameplay is based around stealth combat, similar to the Dishonored and Assassin Creed series, where players use guerrilla warfare to take out larger groups of enemies. The world is completely open with no waypoints, allowing players the freedom to tackle to the game in whatever order and fashion that they choose.
Free exploration was something Sucker Punch wanted in the game, even if it meant that some of the content would be missed during a playthrough. Fox added, “ One of the big challenges of making a game like this, where we’re looking to capture that wandering Samurai experience is being okay with the fact that not all of the things that we make whether it be missions or abilities are going to be seen by every player. That is the nature of giving people freedom.” This also indirectly adds replay value to the game since players will want to go back and see the events and locations that they didn’t see the first time around.
Sucker Punch has continued to develop open-world exploration over the course of its run with the Infamous franchise. Nintendo’s The Legend of the Zelda: Breath of the Wild is another recent example of just how enthralling a completely open world can be for players.
Gamers are understandably excited about Ghost of Tsushima and this could mark the start of a new, tent-pole franchise for Sony. With the impending launch of the PlayStation 5, the publisher will want established triple-A content for its new console.
Ghosts of Tsushima is currently expected to release on July 17, 2020, exclusively on the PS4.
Source: SegmentNext
