Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Productions reveals why protagonist Jin uses a katana, and not a tachi. Jin is incredibly skilled with a blade and can be seen making swift work of Mongol invaders in Ghost of Tsushima gameplay trailers.
Speaking to The Verge, Ghost of Tsushima Creative Director Nate Fox said that there is "a tension between wanting to make the game world feel authentic and also fun" and that the game isn't "strictly historically accurate." Part of this is the decision to give Jin a katana and not a tachi, which is more likely to have been used by a samurai in the 1270s. Katanas were not written about until the late 12th century, while tachi were used from between 900 and 1596.
Fox has said that this was done because it looks better. One of the big differences between a katana and a tachi is the way that it is worn as the tachi is worn cutting edge down and a katana is worn cutting edge up. The signature on a tachi is also placed on the side of the tang which faces outward when worn, which is one way that fans will have been able to spot that Jin uses a katana in the game's trailers.
This was also done because of Sucker Punch Productions love of samurai movies. Ghost of Tsushima has a Samurai Cinema feature which makes the game look like an old samurai movie in black and white. This makes battles look incredible and is likely to be a popular feature with other fans of the movie genre.
However, some may be surprised that Sucker Punch Productions has chosen a katana over a tachi for the game, as there are other parts that do keep to samurai tradition. One of these is Ghost of Tsushima's chiburi feature, which is when a samurai flicks blood off of his blade before putting it back onto his belt. If Sucker Punch Productions is doing this much with samurai swords, some may ask why it didn't also keep the tachi.
There could be some disappointment about Jin's weapon but Sucker Punch Productions may be able to make amends with other parts of the game. The game is the biggest title that Sucker Punch Productions has developed and will allow players to see a huge part of Tsushima. The game's story also seems to be about samurai tradition and how Jin does or doesn't use it as he tries to fight the Mongol invaders.
Ghost of Tsushima launches on July 17, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.
Source: The Verge
