Finished Game: Ghost of Tsushima (PS5)
Rating: 5/5
I’ve had…emotional experiences with video games before, but Ghost of Tsushima is the first time I ever sobbed my way through a boss fight. I felt connected to Jin Sakai, his companions, and his bold, reflective Journey in a way that even films rarely achieve, but the most impressive thing is in how every element of this open world embraces a level of quality and attention that many devs in the genre would simply scale back. Sucker Punch has crafted a true labor of love for Samurai culture, spanning a brilliantly precise combat system, boss duals offering almost near-fighting-game mechanics in terms of control and intensity, a breathtaking, beautiful story of conflicting ideologies, and an impeccably designed world chock full of sights to see and badass armor to unlock. This thing is HUGE, and even the most mundane side missions always offer surprises you just don’t see coming.
Shrines are a blast, bringing back the sort of platforming challenges that Assassins Creed abandoned after the Ezio trilogy. Building haikus and simply bathing to meditate are things that shouldn’t be as interesting or immersive as they are here. I love hunting down different headpieces and sword cosmetics. One of very favorite things is how stealth is just as satisfying as the brutal combat, and it never feels like you’re punished when you break stealth and get a little aggressive.
Mostly, I’m just stricken by the story. The voice work and animations are so good, but that narrative just hits so hard. Sucker Punch is known for their work on the Infamous franchise, and interestingly enough those games explored the moral compass too, but on such a superficial “game” level where Tsushima feels like arthouse cinema in comparison. To me, the experience here elevated my expectations once again of what video games can be. This is Mass Effect, Red Dead level storytelling, and it’s truly a sight to see the devs delve into such maturity for a change.
GHOST is the MOST effective video game story I’ve ever played. It’s fantastic supporting characters make up most of the side quests, and the last couple of each are emotional tidal waves on their own. I love building those relationships. I love the central relationship between Jin and his uncle. I LOVE the beautiful, textured score. I love the fucking particle effects that overwhelm me and force me to set my controller down.
I adore this game.
Rating: 5/5
I’ve had…emotional experiences with video games before, but Ghost of Tsushima is the first time I ever sobbed my way through a boss fight. I felt connected to Jin Sakai, his companions, and his bold, reflective Journey in a way that even films rarely achieve, but the most impressive thing is in how every element of this open world embraces a level of quality and attention that many devs in the genre would simply scale back. Sucker Punch has crafted a true labor of love for Samurai culture, spanning a brilliantly precise combat system, boss duals offering almost near-fighting-game mechanics in terms of control and intensity, a breathtaking, beautiful story of conflicting ideologies, and an impeccably designed world chock full of sights to see and badass armor to unlock. This thing is HUGE, and even the most mundane side missions always offer surprises you just don’t see coming.
Shrines are a blast, bringing back the sort of platforming challenges that Assassins Creed abandoned after the Ezio trilogy. Building haikus and simply bathing to meditate are things that shouldn’t be as interesting or immersive as they are here. I love hunting down different headpieces and sword cosmetics. One of very favorite things is how stealth is just as satisfying as the brutal combat, and it never feels like you’re punished when you break stealth and get a little aggressive.
Mostly, I’m just stricken by the story. The voice work and animations are so good, but that narrative just hits so hard. Sucker Punch is known for their work on the Infamous franchise, and interestingly enough those games explored the moral compass too, but on such a superficial “game” level where Tsushima feels like arthouse cinema in comparison. To me, the experience here elevated my expectations once again of what video games can be. This is Mass Effect, Red Dead level storytelling, and it’s truly a sight to see the devs delve into such maturity for a change.
GHOST is the MOST effective video game story I’ve ever played. It’s fantastic supporting characters make up most of the side quests, and the last couple of each are emotional tidal waves on their own. I love building those relationships. I love the central relationship between Jin and his uncle. I LOVE the beautiful, textured score. I love the fucking particle effects that overwhelm me and force me to set my controller down.
I adore this game.