Game review: Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut (PC)
Four years after its original PlayStation 4 release, PC gamers finally get the chance to play Sucker Punch Productions' samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima. This version is a port of the PlayStation 5 release from 2021 and includes the DLC add-ons, the co-op Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, and the single-player expansion, Iki Island.
The game is set during the first mogul invasion of Japan. Players take on the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai lord who has pledged to protect the people of Tsushima from the invading Mongol horde.
Being a tale of revenge, the story isn't too deep or overwhelming. It's just enough to propel the gameplay along. The mission structure is an interwoven series of stories that forms the game's greater narrative.
Jin Sakai has forsaken the traditional way of the samurai, favouring stealth over the more honourable and direct methods of attack. If he is to beat the Mongols, who have no honour in their attacks, Jin realises he needs to be flexible, however uncouth that may be. This makes for a better gameplay experience and is a crafty in-game way to explain why Jin attacks from the shadows.
Of course, you can still attack the enemy with a direct conformation. The game gives players the option to instigate a standoff each time they encounter the enemy. The careful release of a button just as your opponent strikes is a one-hit kill. Fail, and Jin takes substantial damage. With ability upgrades, Jin can strike at multiple opponents during a standoff. The satisfaction of a successful standoff does mean that you lose the element of surprise and will need to dispatch the remaining enemies in a more traditional manner, but I found it worth it every time.
The open-world gameplay is very reminiscent of the Assassin's Creed games. The map is filled with side quests and activities, but the story progresses via "tales", multi-part main questlines that reward players with skills and equipment.
Following foxes will reveal shines that grant additional slots for trinkets that buff abilities. Following tweeting birds will reveal side-quests and other unique areas, such as the health-boosting hot springs scattered around the map. There are fortresses that need to be liberated and the occasional random encounters that will keep you on your toes.
The game draws heavily on romanticised samurai movies like those of the late famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. The flick of the katana from its scabbard and the standoff mechanic add to the game's cinematic flare.
The melee combat successfully mixes up the block and parry mechanics that I tend to find so tiresome in games like Dark Souls with the more accessible fighting in the Assassin's Creed games. Different stances for more effective attacks against swords, shields and pikes add further depth to the combat.
The vast landscape is breathtaking and easily traversed on horseback or via fast travel points as you unlock them. It's very difficult to resist pausing the game to take some shots with the game's photo mode.
The visuals are crisp, perhaps a little too crisp. The game still looks beautiful but lacks a bit of grit to make it look realistic. Kurosawa mode turns the dial the other way, allowing players to experience the game not just in black and white but with film grain, scratches and even a tinny soundtrack like one of Akira Kurosawa's classic samurai movies.
This PC version removes the performance constraints of the PlayStation 5. The game makes use of Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR 3.0 and Intel XeSS to boost the framerates. There's also NVidia Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing as well as DLSS and FSR 3.0 AI frame generation to maximise performance even on lower-spec machines. Uncompromising visuals, including ultra-wide monitor support, add an extra dimension to the PC game over the already superb PlayStation versions.
The co-op multiplayer Legends mode allows up to four players to enjoy Ghost of Tsushima's gameplay together. Players choose from one of four classes based on skills that Jin develops during the game. Players can then either drop into a random game type already in play or choose from the narrative-based Story, horde-like Survival, or the four-player only, end-game mode Challenge.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is an astoundingly good game. Polished to a fine shine, it offers accessible, immersive gameplay in a fantastic setting. This definitive version of the game on PC is absolutely recommended.
Verdict: 9/10
