On July 17th, 2020 Sucker Punch Productions launched an open-world ninja game that got a lot of attention but feels as though it has been slightly overlooked. Ghost of Tsushima had sold over 8 million copies and it has been giving a new update on the game just known as the director’s cut which had allowed a multitude of different things, like skills and new skins. The game is also giving the best arts directions award. Here’s a review of the “Ghost of Tsushima”.

The start of the game begins with a pan shot of two Samurais while the narrator is narrating by a voice that seemed to be blanketed with a tone of seriousness and preparation, “The Mongol Empire is invading our home, they are brutal, unstoppable, relentless. We are eighty samurai, against an army. “We are the two samurai riders in the middle of a crowd of more samurai, then he ends it with “Today… I die for my people”. Both of the samurai have a conversation that the Mongols have landed on the shore of the island of Tsushima just a little outside Japan Tsushima, later on, is regarded as the gate before they could take Japan. One of the samurai gives motivational words “We are samurai” He sends another samurai dressed in blue named Lord Harunobu Adachi, as the Samurai is walking down we see that the expression of the Mongols are still and un-phased Lord Adachi calls out and tells the Mongols to send the best fighter they can spare. Everyone in the Mongol crowd plus the noble Samurai heard a voice call out a voice that gave an unsettling feeling. We then see a warrior Mongol in the fanciest fur battle suit with silvers with gems around it. 

The samurai introduces himself to this 6ft tall Mongol warrior which the Mongol responded with what was evil in the flesh. This intimidating Mongol threw a liquid from a glimmering silver cup, at Lord Adachi, he then grabs a torch and throws it at the samurai causing a sudden flame to appear The samurai cried in pain and started to panic but before the samurai could react to anything else the Mongol warrior takes his large naginata and decapitates the burning samurai. The Mongol warrior yells out to the samurai army on the mount, and he challenges them to fight him and his warriors. We then pan back to one of the samurais that were first introduced. The expression on his face had the face of horror, anger, and with a yell to the samurai, “NO MERCY”, it marked the beginning of the battle of Komodo Beach. Samurais on horses backs rushed into battle with their swords to the side we are then met with one of the samurais from the beginning which the player is controlling, you ride into the beach watching canons fire from the Mongol ship fleet the player reaches the beach, the player quickly analyzes the Mongols nearest to them with their sword that’s being held with a feeling of preparation. The young Samurai’s story was about to begin and the path that would change the future of Tsushima forever. This story is about the path of a sole survivor of a great samurai warrior and a desperate advancement to rid of the Mongol invasion on his island, he will have to break his samurai code and resort to methods that are frowned upon around samurai tradition. He is willing to sacrifice everything he has, but what will that cost him?  

That was an intense part of the story, but the game has so much to offer especially after the new updates to the game that was very recently added. The story is about the Young Samurai that is introduced as Jin Sakai, heir to a well-known samurai clan. He is a samurai that was conflicted after the battle which left him one of the last samurai left to defend all of Tsushima. After playing the first few minutes of it the game feels nice and smooth, after the beach you eventually get very slowly deeper into the fighting styles that you eventually get in the game. You as the player will learn how to use different fighting styles and how the traditions of the Japanese give this game it is authentic feeling the game was described by Japanese sword experts as “the most accurate sword action we have seen thus far”, there are even some legendary tasks that are optional that are awesome to try and find use on your tasks around the island. 

My experience with the game before the update was entertaining the game had intrigued me from the start because of how open worlded and easy it felt when I switched from the many different types of samurai combat and the weaponry that was added to the arsenal every time, it allowed me to have a lot of different options, and having the different options is a detail that I enjoyed. The game also has different armors that give Jin Sakais’ abilities an extra buff, this makes a difference when you get all the armor because of how many benefits each armor has, it also is a big part of the game’s end. The game isn’t just all about the action, there is a bit of parkour mechanics and the other characters that go along the journey create a massive impact and give the story more structure in making Jin Sakai the warrior that he becomes throughout the whole game. 

Overall the game is good in the way the developers designed the game. The game is filled with well-developed characters, the story arc is great, with a climax that carries throughout the game. Towards the end of the game, it gave a  more saddening end but it made a story that everyone could follow and enjoy. To add on the fights are good as well they can utilize the fighting styles that you can switch in battles. This game is really nice and well made so I would recommend the game to anyone if you like samurai culture and a good story.