Review for Ghost of Tsushima. Game for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 17/07/2020
To what extent can honor guide our actions without enslaving us to it? Acting in an exemplary way can help forge a righteous people, but not be what it takes to save them. This is the dilemma in which Jin Sakai, the protagonist of Ghost of Tsushima, is involved in a parable that is inspired by Japanese real history to tell us the story of a hero torn between his code of ethics and the need to adapt to a dramatic situation. .
The latest effort by Sucker Punch has so far traveled a path that is certainly not ideal, remaining the victim of misunderstandings and unfavorable circumstances. Just think of having found himself sharing the same waiting period (although it was first announced) with two other important titles with a feudal Japanese setting: Sekiro and Nioh 2; a coincidence that has created a sense of inflation in the imagination of some players. Or the fact that he was unfairly belittled as an “Assassin's Creed clone” following the State of Play trailer. Or even to the postponement of its release date following the postponement of The Last of Us: Part II, whose echo is still being felt.
Yet Ghost of Tsushima is a work that deserves more attention than that. Because despite showing some limits and perplexities that have not fully convinced us, it is a product with a strong identity on which Sucker Punch has visibly invested a great deal of effort.
Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1274 during the first invasion that the Mongols undertake against Japan, starting precisely from the island of Tsushima. The landing of the Mongolian army is thwarted by just 80 samurai led by the governor of the island Lord Shimura and his nephew Jin sakai, the protagonist of the game. Their resistance is fierce, but hopeless: all the samurai are exterminated and Shimura is taken prisoner by Kothun Khan, the Mongolian general in charge of the expedition. Only Jin Sakai miraculously survived the massacre and in his shoes we will have to work hard to save his uncle and free the island from invaders.
Jin, however, soon realizes that his enterprise cannot be successful by diligently adhering to the samurai code, which involves facing opponents head-on, without hiding or using subterfuge. The Mongols are many, too many, and they have no interest in reciprocating fair play, quite the contrary. Circumstances will lead Jin to put aside honor and be more cunning, to use darkness and stealth to get the better of his many opponents. Initially he will be torn by the guilt of having to break the code to which his uncle taught him since he was a boy to make him an exemplary warrior; continuing in the adventure, however, he will be convinced that this is the only effective way to protect his homeland and counter the invasion of the Mongols. Each victory of Jin will increase his reputation as "the Ghost", a title that will spread fear among his enemies, but which will also have personal consequences.
Although Ghost of Tsushima has its roots in Japanese real history, its plot and its characters are the result of the creativity of the authors, who have allowed themselves some poetic / historical license to optimize the narrative effectiveness. We were pleasantly surprised by the fact that Sucker Punch did not succumb to the temptation to distort the realistic style of the game; no magic or spirits, no supernatural powers or monstrous creatures: Ghost of Tsushima is a story made of men. The character of Jin Sakai can be considered, in part, as the embodiment of the ability to adapt that the Japanese were forced to manifest during the Mongol invasion, as we told you in our historical-cultural study. But Jin's is also a dramatic parable involving intense themes of friendship, loyalty, revenge, sacrifice ... A vast range of human expressions that are amplified by the tragic context of the war and the impulse to survive.
The main story itself is quite engaging and directorially curated, especially in its final stages, though it likely lacks major twists. However, its real problem lies atavistically in the open world structure of the game itself. Tsushima Island is full of optional side missions, but which we will instinctively take to undertake. Although taken together these help to give a more complete and multifaceted picture of a country ravaged by the invasion, most of the sub quests are rather simple and bland; however, there are also some "secondary main" characters who are direct allies of Jin to whom a series of missions have been dedicated that outline more effective personal stories. This plot of ancillary stories, however, has the effect - and flaw - of distracting and decentralizing the player's attention from the main story.
As mentioned, the Ghost of Tsushima adventure takes place in an open world setting to be discovered by following the various missions, or simply giving vent to our desire to explore. The island is dotted with points of interest that will reward our curiosity with slight enhancements, or even aesthetic customizations for our protagonist. We may come across foxes guiding us to hidden Inari altars, mats on which to compose haiku, springs in which to increase our maximum health, seemingly unreachable sanctuaries to be accessed by climbing easily, and so on.
Exploration is particularly immersive thanks to the choice of developers to minimize the UI on the screen, and entrusting nature with the task of directing us. If we want to go to a specific place, just frame it on the map and the wind will start blowing in that direction, acting as a compass for our movements. Occasionally we will come across some yellow birds that will guide us to discover some points of interest or side missions.
To create the vast island of Tsushima Sucker Punch has most likely taken an example from other major open world titles such as Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Horizon Zero Dawn and the latest Assassin's Creed. Unfortunately, we do not find the greatest structural progress of this kind here, such as the underwater exploration of Ubisoft titles or the “vitality” of The Witcher 3. Nonetheless, it is a setting with a strong personality and an evident charm.
Even the types of missions cannot be said to be exactly revolutionary or very varied. Occasionally there are tasks like stalking characters or spotting tracks, but most of the time we will have to fight against Mongol soldiers or Japanese brigands, particularly in their outposts. It is especially in these cases that we can choose whether to face the opponents head-on or to sneak through and strike from the shadows. The first approach is certainly quicker, but involves considerable risks since it is possible to find yourself in the bad situation of being surrounded by numerous soldiers; with the second, on the other hand, you need to exercise more patience and planning, but it will be more likely to have the better of your opponents.
It is important to point out that there are no watertight approaches or skill trees that lead us to specialize in a single role. Jin can use any skill at any time and it will be up to us to choose the optimal balance of these. In this regard, in addition to learning fighting techniques and unlocking new tools to make the Specter more and more lethal and elusive, it is very important to learn the various forms of sword fighting. The Form of Stone, Water, Wind and Moon are basically styles of attack with which to effectively face specific types of opposing warriors: swordsmen, defenders, spearmen and brutes. Learning and strengthening these forms will be very useful to be able to face any confrontation, and in crowded clashes it will be essential to have the dexterity to move easily from one form to another according to the opponent in front of you.
Obviously we will not have to rely only on our katana, to which we can assign various amulets to obtain positive bonuses, but gradually in the adventure we will get our hands on an increasing number of weapons such as bows, kunai, smoke bombs etc. but also of armor and suits to wear. In short, Jin's equipment is certainly an important part of his adventure and his growth as a warrior.
Overall the gameplay of Ghost of Tsushima is quite eclectic, but sadly it is not without its problems. First we have found enough Jin's directing system and enemy locking are inaccurate; not relying on an optimal system such as freeflow combat, the analog lever alone is not ideal for targeting shots effectively, especially in fights with numerous enemies around us, occasions in which even the camera has not been very cooperative. The balance between the frontal and stealth approaches could also have been set better, since at the progression level there are no real incentives to use the Ghost or the samurai style. We were a little disappointed especially by the AI of the enemies which, especially in our stealth raids, was very basic and permissive. Furthermore, in the advanced stages of the game we found ourselves in the paradoxical situation in which Jin in the story identifies himself more and more with the Ghost, but at the same time we had become so effective in sword fights that we were more pushed to face enemies head-on.
But surely the biggest problem of Ghost of Tsushima lies in the repetitiveness. Mind you, what we are talking about is a problem that afflicts a good part of the open world. Although the island has many places and activities available, the variety of situations is very scarce. The missions may differ in the conformation of the territory in which they are set or in particular situations, but generally they all refer to the same types. The narrow variety of types of enemies then certainly does not row in favor in this sense. And when such a vast setting is available, it is inevitable that the weight of repetition will make itself felt in the long run. To avoid this, the best way would be to enjoy the game by avoiding long gaming sessions.
We have already said that structurally the open world of Ghost of Tsushima does not reach the highest levels of its genre, yet we would like to underline how much it surprised us from an aesthetic point of view. Tsushima Island is a real feast for the eyes and offers breathtaking views with a disarming frequency. The splendid use of lights, the management of natural particles, the animations of the flora in the wind, the variety of biomes and weather ... all beautifully adorn the lush island. The design of the territory and the positioning of buildings and monuments denotes an intense and deeply inspired work, which celebrates the beauty of medieval Japan with enchanting views and will especially satisfy players tending to contemplation. We assure you that you will use Photo Mode very often.
To be picky, we came across some occasional interpenetration of polygons, and certainly we saw better in the expressiveness of the characters, even if in the main cutscenes the level of detail is already much higher; it is also a pity that the lip of the characters is set only on the English dubbing. But despite these moles, there's no doubt that Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best visuals we've seen in recent years.
And speaking of dubbing, even from this point of view the title of Sucker Punch defends itself very well for the English language, even if for a game with this setting, our advice is obviously to set the audio in Japanese for immerse yourself completely in the mood.
The soundtrack composed by Shigeru Umebayashi it is for most of the time minimal (perhaps too much) and unobtrusive, but it is definitely felt more in the accompaniment of the cutscenes, passing from the light and delicate use of traditional instruments to more powerful and dramatic tones to emphasize the important scenes of the story .
Ghost of Tsushima clearly demonstrates the commitment and inspiration of its authors, but it is a title that may not satisfy everyone, especially players who are particularly sated with adventures set in boundless open world. Its most obvious problems, repetitiveness in the first place, are in fact physiological of this genre of games, and although we don't want to say that Sucker Punch is not a valid title, we believe it is the latest example of the saturation of a formula that it seems to have reached its limit, at least in this generation. Despite these limitations Ghost of Tsushima remains a game with a good story, extraordinary to admire and that will delight any Japanese lover.
► 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
