For several years now, the Assassin's Creed franchise has been one of the most popular video game series that explores the realm of historical fiction, and ever since the series began back in 2007, fans have been asking Ubisoft for an Assassin's Creed game that would explore the events of ancient Japan. However, no such Assassin's Creed game has ever existed, and it appears that Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima will be the game that would fill in that gap.
After months of teasers, trailers, and gameplay previews, many players observed some similarities between Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin's Creed games. This led to many calling Ghost of Tsushima as Assassin'sCreed: Japan, with others saying that Ghost of Tsushima may even be more Assassin's Creed than some of the most recent entries in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Of course, it is too early to judge whether Ghost of Tsushima will be a historical fiction better game than Assassin's Creed, but from what has been shown so far, it appears to be a strong contender.
Although both franchises have their own strengths and weaknesses, the comparisons that are being made between Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin's Creed appears to be making one huge implication, which is competition is good for historical fiction games.
Competition is Good for Historical Fiction Games
Although the Assassin's Creed franchise is not the only series of video games that delve into historical fiction, there aren't many games within the same genre that are as popular as Assassin's Creed. Sure, there is Sekiro Shadows: Die Twice, which takes place in 16th century Japan, but that game heavily blends fantasy elements in a historical setting. There is also Red Dead Redemption, but that franchise is different in its own right and is mostly focused on life in the American Wild West.
Of course, if Ghost of Tsushima is able to live up to all the hype surrounding it with its exciting features, immersive gameplay, and stunning visuals, then the game will surely become a commercial success. This is in part of the massive amount of attention that it is currently getting prior to its release, and some of those are from Assassin's Creed fans who have since become unhappy with the direction of recent games in the series. So what does Ghost of Tsushima's potential success mean for Ubisoft, its flagship series, and the historical fiction genre in general?
Well, one thing that could happen should Ghost of Tsushima prove to be a critical and commercial success is to drive up the competition with games within the similar genre. Of course, at the moment, it is too early to tell whether Ghost of Tsushima will have sequels that will establish a new franchise, or whether Sucker Punch Games will develop similar titles that would cover a different period in history. However, similar to other genres of video games, having multiple developers creating similar titles is usually a good thing for players, given that it will serve as an incentive for studios to ramp up the quality of its games via a good story and solid gameplay.
Ghost of Tsushima's Biggest Draw
Apart from its Japanese setting that a lot of Assassin's Creed fans have been asking Ubisoft to cover, one of the most exciting features that fans can't wait to try out in Ghost of Tsushima is its combat mechanics. In previous trailers and gameplay footage, Sucker Punch revealed that Ghost of Tsushima's combat will be brutal and is inspired by classic samurai movies. The game's developers also talked about how every encounter with enemies will be grounded and realistic, that players can be defeated with only one or two blows from enemies.
Essentially, this means that players can't simply run towards an enemy's camp and take down five or so Mongols at the same time. Instead, the game favors a slow and methodical approach to defeating enemies, which is something that some fans of Assassin's Creed were not able to find in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Of course, this isn't to say that Assassin's Creed games are bad because while there are those who may have fallen out of love with the franchise; it still has a good and solid fanbase, which is evident in the growing hype of its upcoming game, Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
However, one good thing that Ghost of Tsushima's success could bring to the table is to offer a different way for players to experience a historical fiction game. It could also be a wake-up call for Ubisoft to reflect on the direction of the Assassin's Creed franchise, and re-evaluate its direction and focus on the features that made players fall in love with series in the first place. Lastly, Ghost of Tsushima's success could also open the door for other developers to create new titles for the genre, which could mean a more diverse selection of historical fiction games in the future that would go beyond what Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption, and even Ghost of Tsushima has to offer.
Ghost of Tsushima is set to release on July 17, 2020, for the PlayStation 4.