Ghost of Tsushima (PS5)

The Way of the Samurai

Ghost of Tsushima was one of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusives of its time, promising an open-world samurai epic set in feudal Japan. Developed by Sucker Punch, the studio behind the Infamous series, it delivers a beautiful and cinematic experience that feels like a love letter to classic samurai cinema.

You play as Jin Sakai, a calm and stoic warrior torn between honor and necessity as he faces the Mongol invasion of Tsushima. Jin’s transformation from noble samurai to the feared “Ghost” is at the heart of the story and while he rarely shows emotion, his quiet intensity and resolve make him a very compelling protagonist.

The world of Tsushima is breathtaking. Rolling fields of golden grass, misty forests, and windswept coastlines, it all looks like a painting come to life. The art direction and lighting are simply stunning, and the Kurosawa Mode, with its grainy black-and-white film filter, pays direct tribute to the works of Akira Kurosawa. I hadn’t seen many samurai films before playing, but the game inspired me to watch a few classics afterward and the influence is undeniable.

Combat is fluid, elegant, and deadly, but I’ll admit I never fully mastered it. The swordplay rewards patience and timing, and while satisfying, it can be punishing if you don’t commit to learning its nuances. I often found myself leaning toward stealth whenever possible, striking from the shadows rather than clashing blades head-on. The stealth mechanics offer a range of familiar tools, firecrackers to distract, smoke bombs to vanish, nothing groundbreaking, but effective and satisfying when executed well.

The map of Tsushima is vast and filled with activities. Fox dens, shrines, bamboo strikes, and countless side quests. It’s easy to draw comparisons to Ubisoft’s open-world formula, and while many of these tasks are worth exploring, a few do start to feel like filler and some side-quests can be a bit uninspiring. Still, the world is so beautiful that it rarely feels like a chore to roam it and the exploration feels natural.

In many ways, Ghost of Tsushima feels like the Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan that fans have been asking for and it’ll be fascinating to see how Assassin’s Creed Shadows measures up when I get around to playing it.

Despite all the praise and hype surrounding the game, I didn’t quite fall in love with it as much as I expected. I liked it,  a lot, but something about it didn’t fully click for me. Maybe my expectations were simply too high. That said, it’s a game I want to revisit. Sometimes, a return trip can reveal new beauty in familiar places and Tsushima, with its haunting landscapes and quiet honor, deserves another journey.

Final Rating: 8.5/10

Pros:

• Stunning visuals and world design
• Atmospheric and cinematic presentation
• Deep, rewarding combat system
• Strong story of honor, loss, and transformation

Cons:

• Some repetitive and uninspired side content
• Combat learning curve may frustrate casual players
• Doesn’t fully escape the "too-familiar" open-world formula