GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

A haunting samurai tale

Format PS4 ETA 2019 Pub Sony Dev Sucker Punch Productions

Mud, blood, and steel” is Sucker Punch’s vision for Ghost Of Tsushima, the studio’s love letter to Japanese samurai movies. It’s set in 1274, and the shots of leading man Jin making his way through the forests and tall grass of feudal Japan immediately call to mind the films of Akira Kurosawa.

The story takes place on the island of Tsushima. The lives of its inhabitants have been forever altered by the Mongol invasion. The sudden attack is devastating, carried out by a horde of trained, well-commanded soldiers. The chaos they wreak is worked into the game, the beautiful landscape contrasting with scenes of destruction and desolation.

As Jin crests a hill in our demo, he passes a weeping widow near a pile of corpses. In the distance, over grasslands speckled with animals, is a thick pall of smoke – a sign of the enemies that vastly outnumber Jin, as skilled a samurai as he may be. As the story goes on, time will pass, and the Mongols will continue to sweep across the island. But Jin’s honour will keep him fighting them off until the last.

GHOST WITH THE MOST

Despite being a samurai, Jin will have to learn a new way of fighting in order to go toe-to-toe with so many enemies: the way of the ghost. He’ll sneak along rafters, and kill enemies before they spot him. But when they do notice him you really feel Jin’s connection to the sword, and there’s a real sense of tension before it’s even drawn. Combat is quick and decisive, settled in just a few blows.

The island is an open world that you can explore freely, and your path feels genuinely reactive. With a horse and a grappling hook, approaches to situations are your own. Things like stopping enemies calling for help affect how some events play out. Jin will need to make allies, such as the fierce warrior, Makoto, who he ends up duelling in the demo. Whether it’s stealth or elegant exchanges, it’s a measured game.

“JIN WILL HAVE TO LEARN A NEW WAY OF FIGHTING: THE WAY OF THE GHOST.”