Ghost of Tsushima: PlayStation 4 Review
Developed by Sucker Punch Productions
Released by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS4
As the world readies itself for PlayStation 5 and all that it entails, there's still life left in the former generation consoles.
After last month's The Last Of Us Part II and all the controversy that ensued, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima has the honour of closing off the exclusives cycle for the PlayStation 4.
In truth, much of the gameplay of Ghost of Tsushima has been seen before.
Its open world reeks of Assassin's Creed: Feudal Japan (much of it redolent of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey), its combat is similar to For Honor, and its ethos of clearing camps and picking off bad guys also is reminiscent of the Far Cry series - there's little that feels new in terms of the gameplay and the grind of Ghost of Tsushima.
But that doesn't mean this story of Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai on the island of Tsushima in the 1270s, lacks thrills.
When Tsushima is invaded by Mongol forces, led by the monstrous grandson of Genghis, Khotun Khan, Jin faces a choice - adapt and abandon the samurai code of honour to save his people or face overwhelming defeat. With obliteration all that lies ahead, Jin follows the path of the Ghost, a shadowy figure whose actions will inspire the people and terrorise the enemy but whose actions are at odds with the honour the ways of his clan.
It's here that Sucker Punch somewhat drops the ball.
While Sucker Punch's earlier Infamous series gave you the chance to wrestle with a moral conundrum, and to choose right over wrong (or vice versa), Ghost of Tsushima is really initially only interested in detailing the conflict and telling you about how your actions are potentially bad.
It rarely gives you an alternative route in some of the trickier moments - stealth will only get you so far in Tsushima, and assassination is perhaps the only way to survive and achieve your aims. The moral choice comes into play at the end of the game, and it's here that it becomes its most nagging concern - a feeling that more of these moments would have greatly improved Jin's journey and levelled some personal stakes into proceedings. Choices have always made up a large proportion of Sucker Punch's games, and to see it fall by the wayside is a disappointment.
Yet, within the execution of Ghost of Tsushima, there's plenty of praise needed.
Those familiar with samurai cinema (and Nioh and Sekiro) will get much from what the design team has executed.
While leaves fall from the skies a little too often (almost akin to the feeling of being within a continually shaken a snow globe), the beauty of the cinematography captures feudal Japan to a tee.
Reds and yellow leaves flutter and give way to some gorgeous vistas as you navigate around Tsushima; coastal areas provide many a photographic moment for those obsessed with photo modes in games, and also pay dear homage to some of the visuals of a Kurosawa movie.
Japanese composers Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi do much to add to the atmospherics - fight scenes and key moments soar greatly from a soundtrack that's as iconic as the fighting within.
Which is a good thing as there's much necessary fighting to be had with the Ghost of Tsushima.
And it's here where Sucker Punch has proven slavish to their homage to Japanese cinema - perhaps too much so, given the feeling of a degree of artificiality.
From the aerial shots of Jin as he faces off with enemies, to the close ups of faces and eyes as the fights conclude or bad guys eyeball Jin, the game's desire to honour its source material is obvious, and perfectly and purposely executed.
Static cut scenes do occasionally leave the viewer feeling somewhat isolated, but the lack of motion captures the cinematic aesthetics Ghost wants so desperately to bring to the gaming console. But it does ultimately end up feeling like two talking heads speaking at each other - a far cry from what decent cut scenes do to forward the story and deepen the engagement.
Some moments work well on this front though, but some of the more rote story edges don't quite land as they should, feeling more like the game's going through the motions and the expectations of what such a story should dictate.
Combat in Ghost of Tsushima is brutal - the Mongols are vicious in their encounters and wicked in their cruelty. Every fight is a tough one, but every one to some degree can be solved with a certain amount of button-mashing once the right stance is unlocked. Different fight styles help with different combatants, and the game rewards the investment you put in over time.
Yet, there is an absolute beauty to Ghost of Tsushima when your combat comes together like it should - using timing and stances, channeling the ancient ways and brutal precision make for a compelling combat experience, something which Ghost of Tsushima excels in.
Spirituality encompasses much of Ghost of Tsushima too - from touches within the world to reverence for the cinema the culture's inspired, the love letter element is clear from the start. The game allows you to play in various modes and moods - from Japanese with English subtitles to a Kurosawa-inspired visual style, the game's approach to its culture and heritage is nothing short of wonderful.
Ultimately, and perhaps, thankfully, Ghost of Tsushima rises above some of its abject failings.
Ghost of Tsushima was reviewed on a PlayStation 4 and a review code was provided by PlayStation NZ for the purposes of this review.
Ghost of Tsushima releases exclusively on PlayStation 4 on July 17.
