exmortis
3 reviews liked by exmortis
Ghost of Tsushima
2020
sucker punch managed to make a better open-world ubisoft game than ubisoft has in over a decade. with that said, it is still an ubisoftesque game.
Prettiest game of all time contender
I hate to give this one a mixed review because I love the setting and many aspects of it are truly impressive. However, the open world design ultimately overshadows its positive features.
Despite attempts to mask its core Ubisoft open-world formula, with the environment guiding you to points of interest, it quickly devolves into the usual routine of repetitive tasks. It becomes monotonous very fast, and exploring the same Inari shrine ten times within a few hours just isn't enjoyable. It also features the typical "liberate this camp" activity, which I find tiresome. There are no surprises, and everything feels predictable after about five hours.The random encounter rate is too high, with only about three variations. Sometimes, these encounters are so close together that I rarely enjoyed exploring. Despite the beautifully to look at open world, you're constantly interrupted by tedious events every five minutes or so, leaving no room for relaxation or immersion.
The art design, however, is stunning. The vibrant color palette combined with a romanticized depiction of Japanese nature is pure eye candy. It's mesmerizing to watch the wind sweep through fields of flowers or see sunlight and moonlight filter through dense forests or when wisps of mists hoover over wide grass fields. There is also a lot of variety, from golden woods and open fields to quaint fishing villages.
The combat is the ultimate samurai power fantasy. There's a cool feature where enemies drop their weapons and flee when you execute certain mythic moves or land perfect parries. The chiburi blood shake after a victorious battle, with three different animations, looks incredibly badass and satisfying. While the overall flow and responsiveness don't quite reach the heights of Sekiro, it does come close in some aspects.
The story and some of its characters are another major letdown. They lack depth and constantly dump lore on you, with a predictable plot leading to formulaic missions. Having watched "Shogun" just days before, the difference in writing quality is especially noticeable. It does have one or two standout character moments, such as the quest chain involving Jin's family housemaid, or when jin abandons his code of honour for the first time. Ultimately though it never goes beyond the themes introduced in the first two hours.
Despite attempts to mask its core Ubisoft open-world formula, with the environment guiding you to points of interest, it quickly devolves into the usual routine of repetitive tasks. It becomes monotonous very fast, and exploring the same Inari shrine ten times within a few hours just isn't enjoyable. It also features the typical "liberate this camp" activity, which I find tiresome. There are no surprises, and everything feels predictable after about five hours.The random encounter rate is too high, with only about three variations. Sometimes, these encounters are so close together that I rarely enjoyed exploring. Despite the beautifully to look at open world, you're constantly interrupted by tedious events every five minutes or so, leaving no room for relaxation or immersion.
The art design, however, is stunning. The vibrant color palette combined with a romanticized depiction of Japanese nature is pure eye candy. It's mesmerizing to watch the wind sweep through fields of flowers or see sunlight and moonlight filter through dense forests or when wisps of mists hoover over wide grass fields. There is also a lot of variety, from golden woods and open fields to quaint fishing villages.
The combat is the ultimate samurai power fantasy. There's a cool feature where enemies drop their weapons and flee when you execute certain mythic moves or land perfect parries. The chiburi blood shake after a victorious battle, with three different animations, looks incredibly badass and satisfying. While the overall flow and responsiveness don't quite reach the heights of Sekiro, it does come close in some aspects.
The story and some of its characters are another major letdown. They lack depth and constantly dump lore on you, with a predictable plot leading to formulaic missions. Having watched "Shogun" just days before, the difference in writing quality is especially noticeable. It does have one or two standout character moments, such as the quest chain involving Jin's family housemaid, or when jin abandons his code of honour for the first time. Ultimately though it never goes beyond the themes introduced in the first two hours.