Ghost of Tsushima (2020)

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut arrives on PS5 and PS4 consoles on August 20

We’ve heard your feedback about the lack of Japanese lip sync in the original version of Ghost of Tsushima, and it’s something we worked hard to address in this new release. Thanks to the PS5’s ability to render cinematics in real time, cutscenes in Ghost of Tsushima and on Iki Island on PS5 will now offer lip sync for Japanese voice over.

We’ll now I have to play it again!

I’m convinced that this game would have been more interesting from the perspective of Yuna, a peasant who has just as much ability as Jin to fight. Yuna as the Ghost, a peasant thief who becomes Ronin working with the people to overthrow not just the invading army, but also the Lords that exploit and use the people. That might have been interesting.

Also, Yuna is the only voice of reason and logic in this game. I fear that will invariably go wrong for her, sadly, if only because AAA game studios love their clichés.

Everyone in this game seems to comment on my tendency towards brutality and the fact that I stab my enemies in the back from the shadows. Come on people, I was already a Samurai, a weapon utilized by an existing hegemony to maintain power dynamics through the use of force. Yet I strike somebody from the shadows and only now do you have a problem with me?

Also everyone in this game can shove their concept of honour. Staring at a poor peasant, who has resorted to theft due to power and wealth imbalance, directly in the face before I kill him really isn't a step above the fact that I'm killing him. Honour is not a replacement for a judiciary.

Ubisoft could learn a few things from Sucker Punch. For one, I can't believe I can ride through a forest full of trees without ever colliding with one, and somehow I'm always made to feel that I'm in full control and not being steered through openings. Ubisoft games could also stand to have the level of optimization that this game was clearly subjected to.

I also appreciate that there are collectables, but there are no icons on the map and that Sucker Punch built systems that allow you to find items organically. The map is never cluttered but the game still has fun things to collect and unlock. This inherently increases my interest in collectables, because they are not thrust upon me in the menu.

On the flip side, Sucker Punch could stand to learn something from the evolution of Ubisoft games. No more tailing missions!

I do still wish they had done a better job synching Japanese VO with lip movement. I know the game was mo-capped in English, but it's a shame that playing with the Japanese VO breaks immersion to a degree. I've learned to ignore it for the most part and have grown accustomed to it.

I wishhhh this game had leaned more into the BOTW paradigm of exploration and less the Ubisoft open-world checklist. The engine has so much potential, and the combat is glorious. But unless you make it a point just travel without checking the map, things can get completionist very quickly.

One very nice touch: In the third act, when you really start to feel OP, enemy soldiers will actually throw down their weapons and run from you. This is ridiculously satisfying and makes "let's all constantly attack the witcher even though he's the most badass guy around" feel pretty silly.

What fun to run around as an Assassin.... er Samurai. This game has a solid offering and when you get in the groove the combat is fantastic. You feel like a bad ass with perfectly timed parries and then cutting the opponent down, tossing smoke bombs and performing multiple stealth kills during the confusion, leaping from the back of your horse to do a flying kick on a mongol, or rushing forward to cut through an opponent and leave them in pieces in classic samurai style.

My big gripe with the game is the level of polish on the controls. They are just clunky. Too many presses and fumbling to find the right quick fire item or specialty arrow or samurai stance to do the job (there is a reason many games are now using a weapon wheel). Worse, I found many instances where blocking or switching stances just didn't register and things went downhill very quickly.

Still, I would recommend it. Kudos to a game that lets you pick up items while riding your horse so you don't have to dismount.