Ghost of Tsushima

Review based on patch 2.18

In 1274 a Mongol fleet led by Khotun Khan invades the Japanese island of Tsushima. Lord Shimura and his nephew Jin Sakai, lead five noble clans against the invaders, but all fall to the Mongols superior weaponry. Shimura is taken captive, and Jin is rescued by the thief Yuna, who teaches him her ways. To save Tsushima, Jin must choose between following the samurai code to fight honorably, leading to countless deaths, or by using practical but dishonorable methods that will minimize the casualties.

The narrative is a straightforward tale that is fairly compelling, but not terribly deep. I'd be hard pressed to recall the names of any of the main cast. Too often it falls into the trap of having someone die in almost every mission - whether it makes sense or not, so you just start expecting it and emotionally distancing yourself from the characters. This made 'shock events' like the deaths of Taka and the horse fall flat. The story does a fairly good job though, of touching on morality in war and the challenges of adapting to a changing world or stubbornly clinging to tradition. The Shogun are shown as acting to preserve the aristocracy of the Samurai over defending Japan in a manner not dissimilar to how the Khan rewards obedience and punishes defiance. On the other hand, the methods used by Jin and the Mongols can be ruthless and without limits. The ending in particular was a standout moment for me, encapsulating many of the themes and challenges faced by Jin over the course of his journey: He has to battle his uncle Shimura and either kill or spare him. Sparing could be seen as Jin demonstrating how finding one's own code can save lives, and lines up with how Jin protected the lives of his people and his family by defying tradition. Alternatively, Jin killing his uncle for an honor code that has stripped him of his home and family legacy could be seen as Jin remembering where he came from, as a warriors death would spare Shimura from grief and the disapproval of his peers, who seem to view him increasingly as a failure. In this way, Jin makes another sacrifice to protect those he cares about. There are just so many ways to interpret the motives behind each ending and it is refreshing to have a story conclude with no definitive 'right' or 'best' outcome; just two equally valid options.

The environmental design and art direction for Ghost of Tsushima is so breathtaking that a lot of the game's flaws, particularly at launch, seem to have been ignored. It makes for an interesting case study in how much aesthetics can elevate an otherwise average game. It isn't even that detailed, just very visually pleasing. Cloth and metal for example are ultra realistic, while skin and plant-life are almost textureless by comparison. Not really a complaint, just an observation.

In combat Jin uses different "stances" against different enemy types: stone (swordsmen), water (shields), wind (spearmen), and moon (brutes). After killing so many enemies without taking damage or by slaying a Mongol leader, Jin can activate a special "ghost" ability that makes him invincible for a set amount of time. Using stealth, the player can evade enemies or eliminate them silently with Jin's tanto. During the late game, a blowgun is unlocked that allows the player to shoot darts that cause confusion and hallucinations in the target.

Ghost of Tsushima had the most bloated open world I have experienced in the last few years with roughly 90% of the map being populated with the same copy/paste activities: shrines, fox dens, bamboo strikes, and haikus (my favorite). Mongolians are the only dynamic world encounter and buildings have the same interiors. There are only a handful of resources to collect and animal species to encounter in the wilderness as well.

I have read that Ghost of Tsushima is best when you ignore everything but the main questline, due to how much of the side content repeats. I didn't do this and greatly regret it. If the development team didn't have the time or resources to make a proper open world with meaningful side content then they should have just made it a linear experience or leaned into a minimalist 'Shadow of the Colossus' type of approach to world exploration.

I seem to be in the minority on this, but I hated the wind mechanic which functions as a sort of quest marker. It is suppose to make the world feel more immersive, but I could never determine where the wind was pointing me. I would've preferred the option to toggle on or off traditional quest markers.

Conclusion:

The game is perfectly fine for what it is. I think I may just be jaded and worn out on open-world games with thin content. The saying, "I'd rather feel something than nothing at all" applies here. Outside of the pretty visuals there just wasn't anything meaty to satisfy or surprise me. A year later I can remember the beautiful landscapes and the amazing ending, but I can't recall any of the characters names or most of Jin's journey.

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