GHOST of TSUSHIMA, Brief Review.

A Samurai Fantasy

Ghost of Tsushima by Sucker Punch was a silver line in this dark cloud of a year which is 2020.Set in  feudal Japan, the story focus on a island named Tsushima which is in middle of a Mongol invasion. This where we meet our protagonist Jin Sakai warrior of clan Sakai. After the utmost defeat at the Komoda beach and the imprisonment of his uncle who is the Jito of the island, barely alive Jin was saved by the villager named Yuna. Even though he is the sole survivor, blinded by honour Jin set out to defeat the Mongol leader yet to fail in front of his uncle.

The fallen samurai is now guided by his lost father's spirit as the guiding wind and this is when you will be thrust upon to the gorgeous island of Tsushima and Jin's conquest to save Tsushima from mongols with his old and new found allies.

Honourable Samurai vs Dishonarable Ghost

In the beginning of the story Jin is introduced to us as a samurai who fight with & for, Honour. Then through out the story we see him starting to question his methods when fighting mongol army. Their way of fighting with honour is expected and get countered by mongol army which is also the reason for their defeat in Komoda beach. This is when Jin's relationship with Yuna comes to play. Her way of fighting mongols which is backstabs & assassinations. Even though Jin disagree desperation leads him to adopt those dishonourable way to face the overwhelming numbers of solders of the mongol army. This is where the Dishonourable Ghost enters the story. Just as Jin questions fighting for honour, he starts to fight for what is right, what he believes in even though it clashes with his samurai code. This is a main focus through out the Jin's story.

Living, Breathing & Breathtaking Island of Tsushima

For me the Island of Tsushima is one of the most beautiful open world ever created in a game. This artistic beauty will leave you breathless during your traversal through Tsushima. You can feel the world responding to  you because of the guiding wind. Flowers and leaves will float beside you to your destination. Golden forests, White grass plains and Golden sunsets are simply Breathtaking! You will spend hours upon hours without finishing single main quest getting lost in this vast beautiful open world. To navigate the island you have not just the help of guiding wind but also Golden birds and Foxes. They will guide you towards hot springs for a bath, to a bamboo stand for sharpen your sword skills and inari shrines, which will give you charms to help you through out your journey. Getting lost in this world is something you don't want avoid. Some quest will take you to stunning locations which you may don't want to leave after completing the quest. Just like Sucker Punch says this open world feels like a living breathing world of its own. Which will consume a lot of time from you.

Addictive Combat

When we think about a samurai ,what comes to our head is  the way he handle the sword precisely and attack enemies in the right time, and Sucker Punch was able to replicate that precise nature of combat in the game with Standoff mechanic. Jin striking unsuspecting enemies like a lighting is sight to behold. When you master the game you will feel like a warrior who doesn't waste a single sword strike. Walking up to a area captured by mongols and challenging them to face you will never get old. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the number of enemies present, you can stealthfully take down one by one as the legendary ghost, which is also extremely wonderful. 

Conclusion

Ghost of Tsushima is a mesmerizing game with a breathtakingly beautiful open world, fascinating characters and a heartfelt narrative that bind everything together. This game is a wholehearted love letter to samurai cinema  that you don't want to miss out on.

 R.U.RUHUNAGE