‘Ghost of Tsushima’ On PlayStation 5 Is Incredible in Every Way Possible – Review
After almost seven years, Sucker Punch Productions returned with another game.
For those unfamiliar with Sucker Punch Productions, they are responsible for games like Infamous which has solidified itself as one of the best games in PlayStation history. Knowing that, I had high expectations for Ghost of Tsushima and I can confidently say they knocked it out of the park yet again (you can check out my video review for the PlayStation 4 version right here)!
I got the chance to play Ghost of Tsushima on the PlayStation 5 and it is glorious! Check out my gameplay of Ghost of Tsushima on the PlayStation 5:
Story
In the late 13th century, the Mongol empire laid waste to entire nations along their campaign to conquer the East. Tsushima Island is all that stands between mainland Japan and a massive Mongol invasion fleet led by the ruthless and cunning general, Khotun Khan. As the island burns in the wake of the first wave of the Mongol assault, samurai warrior Jin Sakai stands as one of the last surviving members of his clan.
He is resolved to do whatever it takes, at any cost, to protect his people and reclaim his home. He must set aside the traditions that have shaped him as a warrior to forge a new path, the path of the Ghost, and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.
Depending on your play style (and the difficulty setting you have it on), the main storyline is about 25-30 hours. This is a game that you definitely want to take your time with and truly enjoy every element it has to offer. Within those hours you will find a very complex and detailed story that not only pays homage to the Kurosawa films, but also to Japan in general.
This game is essentially split up into 3 different types of “tales”. Jin’s journey is the main story that has a definitive conclusion. Then there are ‘The Tales of Tsushima’ which is a side quest that helps you liberate the rest of the island to get it back to the way it was prior to invasion. The last one is the ‘Mythic Tales’ which is a quest that gives you additional moves, weapons and armor that could be the difference between life and death in those intense duels.
Characters
Getting to play and Jin Sakai and go on such a complex hero journey with him made him such a compelling character. Due to the events that happen during the game, he is faced with the choice of sticking to the old way of the samurai by just fighting with honor, or having to bend his code in order to protect his people. Seeing how he starts the game to then going on the journey to become the Ghost of Tsushima was A+ storytelling. It really gave us some complex character development.
Although Jin Sakai is the main protagonist, the secondary characters get their own arcs that make the story and the world that much more interesting. The relationship between Jin and his allies made me feel as if I was building a real community and team that could take down the Mongol empire when the time came. It might sound cliché but every character is special in their own way and they work off on Jin so well that nothing ever feels forced even in the side quest.
Verdict
Since I already played and beat the game on the PS4, when I played on the PS5 I decided to try the “Legends Mode”. The optimized version of Ghost of Tsushima takes full advantage of the new PS5 controller by displaying a surprising “pitter-patter” type of vibrations when the samurai lands on his feet compared to the PS4 controller that is more of a rumble for the same action.
Ghost of Tsushima was already visually stunning on the PS4, but it reaches new heights on the PS5. Playing Ghost of Tsushima on the brand-new PS5 is definitely worth every moment of the experience.
