GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

The ghost with the most

Format PS4 ETA 2020 Pub Sony Dev Sucker Punch Productions

Think of Sucker Punch Productions and you’ll immediately think of games such as the colourful and cartoony Sly Cooper Trilogy, or its edgier, flashy superhero saga InFamous. Ghost of Tsushima, by comparison, is reined in, but no less dripping with the creativity we’ve all come to expect from this first-party studio.

Set during the 1274 Mongol invasion of Tsushima, an island between mainland Japan and Korea, the game builds on the experience Sucker Punch already has in creating open worlds that sparkle with opportunity. Playing as the island’s last remaining samurai, Jin Sakai, where you go and what you do is in your hands. The map doesn’t have waypoints, but unfolds based on where you choose to go, and what leads you follow, as you attempt to uphold your honour and repel the invasion. You’re on the back foot, outnumbered by the Mongols – but that can also work to your spectral advantage.

SILENT ASSASSIN

Despite our constant pleading with Sucker Punch, it doesn’t seem that Jin has actual ghost powers. The ‘Way Of The Ghost’ he must learn is really feudal guerrilla warfare, the art of fighting back quietly. While his background is that of a samurai, over the course of the game Jin’s skills will develop to give you much more ninja-like options. For example, you can clear an outpost stealthily by hiding in long grass, grappling up to the rafters, and taking out enemies from behind, stopping them calling for backup (which in the demo we’re shown involves a massive horde of mounted riders that would surely pulverise us).

That’s not to say Jin’s tactics will be entirely stealthy. As a samurai, he’s well trained in the use of the sword. Don’t expect massive combos or spectacularly colourful special moves, though. The combat in Ghost Of Tsushima is so grounded it’s downright muddy, with blood and dirt particles mixing together with the steel of combatants’ blades. We spot multiple real sword styles in Jin’s repertoire, including iaijutsu (striking from a sheathed stance).

“THE COMBAT IS SO GROUNDED IT’S DOWNRIGHT MUDDY.”

The team have certainly done their research into how samurai fought. They’ve even visited Japan to record authentic soundscapes. But the game is far from grittily realistic. It’s grounded, but also extremely cinematic. The wide shot at the beginning of our demo, in which Jin leads his horse out from a forest, wind blowing through the leaves, reminds us of Kurosawa’s movies (the dev has cited the Japanese director as an inspiration). Meanwhile, the score is by Shigeru Umebayashi, who scored the movies House Of Flying Daggers, Yumeji, and Fearless.

We’re looking forward to stealthily exploring Tsushima for ourselves, as this is shaping up to be Sucker Punch’s most ambitious game to date.