By CONNOR GRAY, Assistant Editor
Samurai are legendary warriors who keep the peace and protect the innocent, but what happens when they face an enemy that fights with no honor?
Ghost of Tsushima is a legend being made in real time. The game is Playstation-exclusive, and the creators behind this game are Suckerpunch Productions, based in Bellevue, Washington.
The story follows Jin Sakai, a samurai warrior. After samurai forces lose to the Mongols at the initial invasion spot, Jin is forced to use tactics that are shamed by the samurai code in order to fight back against the invaders and save his home.
The game takes place on the island of Tsushima in 1274 in the 13th century, when the Mongols first invaded Japan.
Ghost of Tsushima is a historical fictional epic of the ghost that fought back against the invaders and sparked hope in Japanese people when the samurai fell. Over the course of the game’s story, players make allies with an unlikely group of people and those with whom Jin is familiar.
Khotun Khan leads the Mongol forces as they pillage and ravage the land and its people. Jin feels conflicted with his code of honor. Should he remain true to the samurai code or do what is necessary to save his people? That’s the overarching question the game has, and it’s a conflict Jin struggles with throughout the game.
Players can either stab their enemies in the back or face them head-on. The game is a mix of samurai and Assassin’s Creed, but better than Creed.
There are four types of sword stances that players can unlock over the course of the game that will help fight different enemy types. Players can use kunais, smoke, sticky bombs and lighting swords on fire using oil as weapons.
Some of these weapons are great for stealth, and some aren’t. Players can use black powder bombs, which can kill multiple unsuspecting enemies or lure an enemy away by using a bell chime or firecracker.
Players also can use archery while in combat or stealth to get satisfying headshots on opponents. There are two sets of bows: light and heavy.
As someone who always wanted a more realistic samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima nailed it for me. I was thinking this game was going to be good at best. Instead, it became one of my favorite games of all time.
The game’s story is like an Akra Kurosawa samurai film, as it has a game mode called Kurosawa mode, in which it becomes black and white and dubbed in Japanese, which is the best thing.
Suckerpunch went to many lengths to make the game as historically accurate as possible. Company leaders sent some of their developers over to get real animal sounds, the old architecture and the layout of the island. Suckerpunch became ambassadors for Tsushima because of this game’s major success, which is awesome.
Ghost of Tsushima continues to be praised to this day by many people, and is a way to end a console generation. Ghost of Tsushima earns a 10 out of 10 score, and I highly recommend playing it.