My Review of "Ghost of Tsushima"

Ghost of Tsushima had originally come out on the PlayStation 4 in 2020. Fortunately for me, I was a select few that was able to purchase a PlayStation 5. With the PlayStation 5 I was able to play this game at the most optimal method with increased visuals and loading times. Although, I think I would have still enjoyed this title just as much had I played it on my PlayStation 4.

The story of Ghost of Tsushima starts off with a Mongol invasion of an island of Japan called Tsushima. The Mongols have pretty much taken over and have imprisoned the leader of the island known as Lord Shimura. The Khan keeping him captive is basically using this man as a token to show dominance of the conquered land.

Pretty much all of the samurai that had fought during the invasion have perished and the citizens are on their own to fend for themselves. Luckily for one Samurai by the name of Jin, he was able to barely survive the attack. A mysterious woman by the name of Yuna saves him from the brink of death.

Jin also happens to be the nephew of Lord Shimura. Now it's up to Jin to regain his strength, make allies and prepare to save Lord Shimura from the Khan. In doing so he also hopes to free his people from Mongol rule.

It's a pretty fascinating and epic story. I didn't think I would get into this game as much as I did. The controls feel absolutely natural and really make you feel like Jin is an extension of your body when he attacks his foes. As the game progresses he continues to gain more armor and skills. Pretty soon he becomes a badass samurai warrior better known as the ghost.

Along the way there are a number of side missions. Some of them are simply random situations where you have to save the locals from Mongols. Then there are the side missions that help you on your quest. There are a few allies that you gain a rapport with. They will be crucial to your revenge over the Mongols. Each mission reveals more of the backstory of these allies that you meet.

In some ways there's an element of the movie The Seven Samurai to this game. I love the honor and unwritten rules between one another. It almost feels like some sort of classic moment in history when people were overly chivalrous. Then again that's one of the nice twists to the story in this game.

This game talks about a lot of moral dilemmas that Jin will come across. Sometimes traditions can hold people back from reaching their full potential In Jin's case we see him struggle with what's the right thing to do. He lives by the code of the samurai but even in the beginning of the game they have him going against to code in order to survive.

All of these elements can really add up to help non-gamers and gamers alike to become fully absorbed into the story while playing the game. You'll want to know the outcome of even the minor characters in this game which is pretty impressive.

Not only is the story fully engaging but the graphics are utterly breathtaking. They have different seasons that will affect the look and feel of the landscape. There's so much visually impressive scenes in this game that you kind of wonder how much untapped potential did they pull out of the PlayStation 4. On the PlayStation 5 it looks buttery smooth at 60 fps in full 4K.

I'll just be galloping on my horse getting distracted by all of the blossoms falling from the trees in the fall or the lightning in the sky. The sound is also amazing. I played this with a full 7.1 surround system and you can hear things coming from each speaker. You'll be fully emersed in the game with the environmental sounds. This is probably one of the first time I really took notice to the 3d sound I was getting.

I could call my horse and hear where it's coming from. There's a bird that shows you the direction to hidden treasures in the game and you can hear the direction of the chirps. It's simply amazing and you really have to experience this game in this way.

Speaking of secret treasures, there are tons of things hiding all over the gigantic map. At times you can spend hours just doing a scavenger hunt finding things to complete collections. It almost feels similar to the God of War axe throwing small events but less complicated.

As of 2021 this is probably the game that I spent the most time playing. I've clocked in more than 60 hours of gameplay before I finished the game and then there's still more to play in order to collect all of the extras. This game is absolutely massive and that means it's a good bang for your buck. The joy of it is that all of the extras don't feel entirely like a chore to do. I found myself wanting to explore and finding the hidden items all over the map.

Overall, this was one of the most fun epic titles that I've played in quite some time. I don't remember clocking this many hours on a game in a long time. At my age I have so many other things to do and yet this game was able to suck me right back in. That's why I have to give this game a 9 out of 10. It is a must get for any PlayStation 4 or 5 owner. Believe the hype because this game will still crush your expectations.