After Sekiro and Nioh 2, Ghost of Tsushima reaffirms how ancient Japan is definitely back in vogue among the most beaten settings in recent years. Unlike his colleagues, who interpret him in a dark fantasy key, Sucker Punch focuses on a different, more realistic and exploratory approach, which promises to immerse us with all the shoes in the culture and history of the land of the Rising Sun.
For those who have not stayed up to date, let's recap the key elements revealed over the previous months. Ghost of Tsushima is set in the XNUMXth century AD on the island from which it takes its name. Here the Mongol fleet landed as the first step in the invasion of Japan. The main character is Jin sakai, raised and trained according to the precepts of the samurai, but which he will choose to overcome in order to effectively defend his country from the overwhelming invader.
So far, setting aside, very little had been revealed about the actual game, but about two months after its release, Sucker Punch has finally unbuttoned several details during the last State of Play that aired last night.
One of the most important elements of the title is the exploration of Tsushima Island. The guys from Sucker Punch wanted to enhance the immersion in the setting by minimizing the HUD and elements extraneous to the natural ones. There will be no markers or indicators to guide us on our travels, but the wind: once the desired destination is selected from the map, it will rise strongly in that direction, folding grass and flowers with it, like a natural compass. For the unknown areas instead we will have to rely on our curiosity combined with the ability to observe. In fact, the places of interest will be suggested by the distance through buildings, columns of smoke, particular natural elements and even wild animals to which we will have to devote our attention.
Luckily we will be able to proceed on the back of a horse and thus speed up the trips in what appears to be a open world really impressive for its breadth and number of details. During the movements it is also possible to cross different animals, some of which aggressive, and materials such as wood and fabrics; although it was not explicit in the video it is possible to imagine that we will need them to create objects for our equipment.
The second crucial element of Ghost of Tsushima is its gameplay variety. To complete the various missions we will be able to choose which style to use, that is, whether to favor the "honorable" approach of a samurai or the more subtle one of a Specter. As seen in the trailer it will be possible to choose to face the Mongols directly by engaging them in frontal duels with the katana and the bow. In this case we will have to be particularly focus on our every move and be lethally accurate in parrying and dodging enemy attacks to counterattack effectively.
Note that with the right timing it is also possible to deflect enemy arrows. But above all it seems it will be possible to activate a sort of bullet time mode and take down the opponent with a single, precise and lethal blow. At the moment it is not yet clear how this mechanic works, but it could sustain itself on some sort of focus points that we have seen next to the health bar.
We may also choose to tackle the same missions in a stealth way like the Ghost, using any method to get rid of our adversaries under the cover of darkness. We will be able to use a grappling hook to climb, kunai, smoke bombs and even use the fear that our figure now infamous throughout the island inspires against the Mongols.
This double possibility of the Ghost of Tsushima method has certainly interested us and we are curious to know if favoring one or the other approach will have repercussions on the progression in the story. After all, we're talking about the team behind Infamous, a series certainly familiar to the karma system. What did not seem to us to shine is the depth of the fighting and the artificial intelligence of the enemies. However, it was a demonstration with minutes counted, so it is also possible that it was optimized to be overcome in a short time.
An aspect touched by the video but not too deep was the development and personalization of the protagonist. We know that the clothing and in particular the different pieces of armor will give us advantages and can be equipped as we choose. Surely the heavier protections and armor will be recommended for direct confrontations, while the light protections will be more suitable for those who want to embark on stealth missions. It will even be possible to customize the color of our outfit.
During the adventure we will also find the Omamori amulets that that will give us various advantages such as recovering health points out of combat or creating poisonous blankets.
Lastly, the different options available for the most passionate about the visual aspect were shown. In particular, a complex Photo Mode with numerous options to customize the staging of the shots, from lighting to atmospheric weather, even the musical accompaniment for those who want to create video clips.
Particularly interesting is the inclusion of a mode that basically applies a black and white filter. The visual result is very reminiscent of the classic samurai films of the past; ideal for fans of this genre.
Ghost of Tsushima is definitely a title that should be kept an eye on by any lover of Japanese culture, especially fans of the feudal period. The open world promises immersiveness of great effect and suggestion, above all thanks to the truly inspired artistic direction. There are some gameplay details that we haven't focused well on and that leave us more than a few uncertainties, but making judgments from such a short demonstration would not be serious. We just have to refer you to the review for a more careful analysis and our final judgment.
► Ghost of Tsushima is an Adventure-Action game developed by Sucker Punch and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 17/07/2020
Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful game that cannot be missing from your collection: we have decided to evaluate it with a 80%, if you are interested in learning more you can read the Ghost of Tsushima review
