Ghost of Tsushima: Director's cut and Iki Island Extension: PS5 Review

Developed by Sucker Punch

Platform: PS5

When Ghost of Tsushima appeared on PlayStation, the saga of a wandering samurai Jin Sakai hit a chord with many.

While there was little depth overall to the storyline within, the game's playability, coupled with the fact it was an open world exploration at a time when most of us were locked down due to Covid-19, meant it was a favourite with many.

After all, what could be simpler than a beating off the marauding hordes of Mongols while freeing up parts of your oppressed land?

So, with the Iki Island expansion, Sucker Punch has essentially done what fans would expect, tapped more into the lone samurai story ethos and pulled in the power of the next gen console to create something that looks truly gorgeous as it plays out.

And that's no bad thing at all, because the story develops some of Jin's past, and adds more backstory to what has already gone. This time, Jin Sakai comes to Iki Island to repel the last elements of the Mongols hiding out there, only to find his mission is complicated by the presence of shaman, a mysterious enigmatic leader called  the Eagle, and by islanders who mistrust the Sakai clan because of what was doled out to them in the past.

It makes the Iki Island expansion feel deeper than its repetitive quests would suggest. 

Much like the original game, it's still a case of fetch quests, with side missions to pet animals, liberate outposts and explore giving you a deja vu feeling of the Far Cry series, only set in feudal times.

But this upgrade of the game sparkles.

Ghostly apparitions in hallucinatory sequences speak through the controller, there's a thudding heartbeat like sound as the hooves of your horse power through the wilds of Iki Island, and flute playing requires you to tilt the controller like a PS Move would to ensure the right notes are hit when required. Some thought has gone into adapting what technology there is to inspire an experience that feels worthy of your time, and not just a financial cash grab.

With side quests like achieving goals on archery targets, discovering island animals and re-meeting characters from the main game, Sucker Punch has also beefed up the combat elements this time around.

Mongols can be boosted by shaman in trances meaning fighting isn't as easy as it appeared to be before, and mixing up combat styles is the only way to get through unscathed. It's a small thing, but the idea of adapting to an enemy feels realistic and less rote than the original combat was.

There has been a technical polish for the PS5 too, and Ghost of Tsushima shines through here, with fields bristling with colours, and vistas looking undeniably stunning in HD. With the extra depth the Iki Island expansion has created, Ghost of Tsushima really stakes its claim in the PS5 - and given the wandering samurai ethos of the story, it also promises that Sucker Punch could be back for more - and willing to take further chances.

A PS5 review code was provided by PlayStation NZ for the purposes of this review.