Ghost of Tsushima

"*A storm is coming.*"
―Tagline.

Boxart, depicting protagonist Jin Sakai

*Director's Cut*:
**PlayStation 4**, **PlayStation 5**
August 20, 2021

***Ghost of Tsushima*** is a 2020 action-adventure stealth video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. An enhanced version called *Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut* was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2021.

*Ghost of Tsushima* takes place on Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion to Japan in the 1270s. Players take control of Jin Sakai, the last samurai warrior on the island, as he repels the Mongolian invaders after the invasion devastated his people. The game is presented from a third-person perspective and is set in the open world environment of Tsushima, which Jin can traverse through on horseback and utilize a grappling hook to reach places; the game doesn't use waypoints, instead encouraging the player to follow wind signs and animals. As the Ghost, Jin can either engage foes directly in weapon clashes or use a stealthier approach.

Development began in late 2014 following *Infamous First Light*. Sucker Punch wanted to develop another open world title to allow the player greater choice while playing; to this end, the team decided to avoid inclusion of waypoints, as they believed it devalued in-game discovery. Wanting to create an authentic portrayal of samurais and Japanese culture, the team consulted culture experts and visited Japan. A big influence was Japanese samurai cinema, particularly Akira Kurosawa's works. *Ghost of Tsushima* was announced in October 2017, and was delayed twice to a July 2020 release.

*Ghost of Tsushima* received generally positive reviews, with praise for its visuals, art direction, soundtrack and combat system. The narrative and open world received a more mixed response, while criticism was primarily directed at the stealth mechanics and trite open world formula. Most critics agreed the game was a suitable swan song for the PlayStation 4 generation; it received numerous nominations and accolades following release, including Famitsu's Game of the Year award, becoming the first western-developed title to win such accolade by the Japanese publication. A commercial success, *Ghost of Tsushima* became Sony's fastest-selling new IP, and as of July 2022 sold over 9.7 million copies.

Following the game's release, Sucker Punch developed a co-op multiplayer expansion called *Ghost of Tsushima: Legends*, and the single-player expansion *Iki Island*. The game's success led to the greenlight of a feature film.

## Gameplay

*Ghost of Tsushima* is an action-adventure video game set in the open world environment of Tsushima Island with elements of both hack and slash and stealth games. Players control protagonist Jin Sakai, one of Tsushima's last living samurai, as he battles Mongol invaders who conquered the island and slaughtered its people. Jin is equipped with a variety of samurai weapons and tools, as well as stealthier equipment which he uses as the Ghost.

Tsushima Island serves as the game's open world and is broken into three regions which are gradually unlocked after the completion of each story act. Jin can explore the island on foot or horseback, which is chosen at the beginning of the game. Jin can also climb and leap on designated climbing areas or use a grappling hook to reach harder to access positions. The game doesn't use waypoints, instead encouraging players to either explore the island themselves or use a mechanic known as the Guiding Wind to locate their direction. Animals such as birds and foxes may lead Jin to find a secret area.

Tsushima Island includes multiple side quests called Tales, enemy camps occupied by Mongol soldiers and Japanese bandits, settlements either hidden from Mongols or require liberation, landmarks and other objectives the player can engage with outside of the story missions, which are lumped together as Jin's Story. Several Tales follows the stories of supporting characters Jin can help with the promises of them becoming allies against the Mongols; most of those Tales follows overarching narratives related to the subject's backstory.

*Ghost of Tsushima* contains several role-playing elements. Completion of various missions and other requests will increase Jin's reputation on the island; this unlocks skill points that can be used to unlock various skills for combat or stealth, as well as increase Jin's health meter and a mechanic called Resolve, with which Jin can perform certain techniques or use to heal himself during and outside of combat. Resolve can be refilled through combat and stealth.

## Synopsis

### Setting and characters

Main: List of characters in Ghost of Tsushima
*Ghost of Tsushima* takes place in 1274, at the beginning of a Mongolian conquest campaign to Japan, with Tsushima Island - located south-west to mainland Japan - as the Mongolian Empire's first target. A resistance force of about 80 samurai stands up to the initial invasion but gets wiped out in the process with the Mongol forces proceeding to conquer the island's three regions. Tsushima island offers a diverse array of locations and vistas, including forests, farms, flower fields and beaches.

Jin Sakai (voiced by Daisuke Tsuji) is the game's main protagonist; one of the last surviving samurai from the failed attempt to stop the invasion. Sakai is the titular "Ghost of Tsushima", becoming a feared killer and assassin as he gradually ditches his samurai honor and adapts a crueler and more pragmatic approach against his enemies.

He is aided by several supporting characters: Lord Shimura, Jin's uncle and mentor, as well the leader of Tsushima who is captured by the Mongols at the game's opening hours; Yuna, a skilled thief who treats Jin's injuries and becomes his closest ally; Taka, Yuna's younger brother and a blacksmith; Kenji, an associate of Yuna and Taka; Masako Adachi, the widow of a fallen samurai who searches her family's killers; Ishikawa, a renewed master archer who hunts down a former pupil of his; and Norio, a warrior monk who strives to restore peace to the island.

The game's main antagonist is Khotun Khan (Patrick Gallagher), a general of the Mongol Army and the mastermind behind the invasion; Khan is a fictional cousin to the 13th century Mongol leader Kublai Khan. He is reluctantly aided by Ryuzo, a mercenary and a former friend of Jin who decided to join the Khan so he can provide food and care for his men.

### Plot

In 1274, the Japanese island of Tsushima is invaded by Khotun Khan's Mongol fleet. Tsushima's leader Shimura and his nephew Jin Sakai lead the island's small samurai force to battle the incoming Mongol forces. The battle ends in a devastating defeat for Shimura's samurai, with him captured and all but Jin killed. Jin is saved and nursed by a thief called Yuna, learning the island has fallen to the Mongols. A wounded Jin storms Khan's stronghold in an attempt to save his uncle, but is swiftly defeated and thrown into the sea by Khotun.

## Development

*Ghost of Tsushima* had a budget of $60 million.

## Reception

### Pre-release

Matt Espineli from GameSpot considered the Japanese setting of *Ghost of Tsushima* as "one its most unique aspects". Following the game's showcase at E3 2018, IGN's Andrew Goldfarb described the game as "gorgeous" and the world as "vibrant", appreciating its setting and art direction.

### Reviews

* MetaCritic: 83/100
* OpenCritic: 85/100
* Destructoid: 9.5/10
* Edge: 6/10
* Easy Allies: 8.5/10
* EGM: 8/10
* Game Informer: 9.5/10
* GameRevolution: 8/10
* GameSpot: 7/10
* GamesRadar: 9/10
* Guardian: 6/10
* IGN: 9/10
* PlayStation LifeStyle: 9/10
* PlayStation Universe: 9/10
* Push Square: 9/10
* VGC: 6/10

*Ghost of Tsushima* received positive reviews. It currently holds a score of 83/100 on MetaCritic based on 95 reviews, categorized as "generally favorable reviews" by the site. On OpenCritic, the game holds a score of 85/100 based on 177 reviews with critic recommendation of 88%, categorized as "mighty"; the reviewers summary states "*Ghost of Tsushima* is one of the best samurai games ever made, and a great way to close out the PS4's incredible run of exclusive titles. It has its flaws, but most critics had a great time overall". The game was given a rare 40/40 from Japanese magazine *Famitsu*, making it only the third western-developed title to receive such score from the publication.

IGN's Mitchell Saltzman deemed it an "extraordinary open-world action-adventure game" for solving what he considered to be "several issues that have long gone unaddressed in the genre". Game Informer's Matt Miller called it the "medium’s defining samurai saga". Destructoid's Chris Carter believed *Ghost of Tsushima* would become the "tipping point" for developer Sucker Punch to be recognized for its games on a scale similar to Sony's other studios. Push Square's Robert Ramsey deemed it a "fitting first-party swansong" for the PlayStation 4, a statement echoed by GamesRadar's Rachel Weber. GameSpot's Edmund Tran said the title "is not quite a Criterion classic", but believed it frequently looked like one, while Polygon's Carolyn Petit believed the game was lacking "a real personality of its own".

The visuals and art direction received critical acclaim. IGN's Saltzman called the game "stunningly gorgeous" and praised the island's "natural beauty", though he noted the title failed to match its 2018 presentation. Game Informer's Miller compared the visuals to "a painter’s vision of feudal Japan", and was impressed by the contrast made through the "brutal imagery of warfare". GameSpot's Tran echoed Miller's opinions, noting the visuals to be "a painter's palette", and praised the game's overall choice of colors and attention to detail. PlayStation LifeStyle's Paul Michael Contreras praised the dynamic weather system of *Ghost of Tsushima*, believing it to be among the most impressive featured throughout the eighth console generation.

The open-world designs received divided reactions.

The story and characters were generally met positively.

The combat system received highly positive responses.

The stealth mechanics were met with some criticism.

### *Director's Cut* reviews

* MetaCritic: 88/100
* OpenCritics: 88/100
* Destructoid: 9/10
* Game Revolution: 8.5/10
* Guardian: 4/5
* PlayStation LifeStyle: 9/10
* PlayStation Universe: 9/10
* Push Square: 9/10

*Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut* received critical acclaim, attaining stronger critical reception than the original release in 2020. It holds 88/100 on MetaCritic based on 65 reviews, and 88/100 on OpenCritic based on 86 reviews with a 96% recommendation rate. As of 2021, it ties with 2004's *Sly 2: Band of Thieves* as Sucker Punch's highest-rated title on MetaCritic, and ties with *Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart* as Sony's highest-rated published title of 2021.

Critics generally praised the improvements offered by *Director's Cut* including its upgraded visuals and performance, implementation of DualSense features into gameplay and the inclusion of the *Ikki Island* expansion and its additional gameplay features and story content; multiple critics agreed the re-release was the definitive edition of *Ghost of Tsushima*. The re-release attracted some criticism over its pricing practices.

### Sales

As of March 25, 2021, *Ghost of Tsushima* sold over 6.5 million copies. By January 2022, that figure increased to 8 million copies. As of July 2022, Sucker Punch reported that the game sold over 9.73 million copies. By May 2023, *Ghost of Tsushima* sold over 1 million copies in Japan.

### Accolades

*Ghost of Tsushima* was nominated for and won multiple accolades following of its release, getting recognized as one of 2020's best games and receiving acknowledgments for its art direction, visuals, music and technical aspects. *Ghost of Tsushima* won several Game of the Year awards, including at Hardcore Gamer, COGconnected, IGN's Middle East and Polish branches, Wccftech, the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers and Famitsu, becoming the third-ever western video game to win the last one, after 2011's *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim* and 2013's *Grand Theft Auto V*. It was also the winner of several audience choice awards, including The Game Awards 2020, Game Developers Choice Awards 2020, IGN's Polish, Japanese and Middle Eastern branches and FANDOM.

GamesRadar listed *Ghost of Tsushima* as the 74th best game of the eighth console generation, deeming it "one of those rare games that makes you feel as if you're playing in a framed piece of art". IGN also recognized *Ghost of Tsushima* as one of its generation's best, praising its map design approach.; in a separate list containing the site's picks for the Top 25 PS4 games, IGN listed *Ghost* at #12. Game Informer listed *Ghost of Tsushima* among its generation's best, categorizing it under Open World.

## Legacy

Following *Ghost of Tsushima*'s release in 2020, the game's success and popularity led fans to raise over $260,000 to repair damage the island's shrine suffered due to a typhoon. Fox and Connell were named as tourism ambassadors to Tsushima Island in March 2021, as those "who has spread the name and history of Tsushima through their works". In 2022, Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio producer Masayoshi Yokoyama cited *Ghost of Tsushima* and its commercial success in the United States as key to the remaking and overseas release of *Like a Dragon: Ishin!*.

References to *Ghost of Tsushima* have been made in other PlayStation Studios titles, including *Astro's Playroom* (2020), *Horizon Forbidden West* (2022), *The Last of Us Part I* (2022) and *God of War Ragnarök* (2022).

## Film adaptation

A collaboration between PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment on a live-action film adaptation was announced in March 2021, with Chad Stahelski as director. PlayStation Productions' Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan will be among the film's producers, while Sucker Punch Productions will serve as executive producers. In April 2022, Takashi Doscher was announced as the film's scriptwriter.

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/bogorad222/status/1312767108791635975
2. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ghost-of-tsushima-ps4-at-e3-2018-what-we-hope-to-s/1100-6459140/
3. ↑ *Ghost of Tsushima* is a Gorgeous, Brutal Look at Ancient Japan. Goldfarb, Andrew, *IGN*.
4. ↑ https://deadline.com/2021/03/sony-playstation-productions-ghost-of-tsushima-movie-john-wicks-chad-stahelski-directing-1234721342/
5. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ghost-of-tsushima-passes-8-million-sold/1100-6499348/
6. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/07/ghost-of-tsushima-surpasses-9-73-million-copies-sold-on-ps5-ps4
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/PlayStation\_jp/status/1659494100859772929
8. ↑ https://www.gamesradar.com/100-best-games-of-the-generation/
9. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/best-ps4-xbox-one-games
10. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/best-ps4-games
11. ↑ https://www.gameinformer.com/feature/2020/10/02/game-informers-best-games-of-the-generation
12. ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ghost-of-tsushima-fans-have-helped-raise-260k-for-repairs-on-the-real-island/
13. ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ghost-of-tsushima-devs-to-be-made-permanent-ambassadors-of-the-real-island/
14. ↑ https://www.fanbyte.com/games/news/ghost-of-tsushima-was-key-to-releasing-like-a-dragon-ishin-in-the-west/