PlayStation State Of Play: Everything You Need To Know About Ghost Of Tsushima

PlayStation is back with yet another State of Play presentation, this time entirely devoted to Sucker Punch‘s upcoming Ghost of Tsushima. Be prepared to dive deeper into the world of Jin Sakai and his resistance against the Mongols. Here’s a recap of the Ghost of Tsushima State of Play.

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Exploring Tsushima

Heart of the design of the entire game, how to let the world guide you, to satiate your curiosity. On foot and on your trusty steed, players can call upon the wind to show you the way at anytime. It feels more organic as a waypoint system, rather than an overt visual element that takes away from the beauty of the game.

Smokestacks indicate people in need of help, or locations with collectables, the visual cues in Ghost of Tsushima are everywhere. Even birds will lead you to locations you might miss out on if you are not observant enough.

Abandoned buildings can contain rare resources, and following animals might see a path to a hidden shrine be uncovered. The more shrines your honour, the more charms you will unlock.

The moment you uncover a new location, fast travel is unlocked for future use. The sense of adventure in Ghost of Tsushima is never lost as long as you let the wind and the world guide you.

Jin, The Samurai

Combat is also key to Sucker Punch’s latest. Jin can challenge enemies to a lethal standoff, allowing for instant kills just like in the movies. The ranged combat can also help thin the horde. Cinematic, visceral, and awesome, your skill and timing will ensure your survival against the Mongol hordes.

Parrying attacks at the last moment will open them up for punishment, deflect arrows, and different stances will work best against specific enemy types, kind of like in Nioh 2. In the demo, we see Jin change from Stone to Water stance, and there is definitely going to be more as you progress in Ghost of Tsushima.

Jin, The Ghost

Stealth is also an important tool for Jin. Coming up against the same group of foes as shown earlier, Sucker Punch showcases the tricks up the sleeves of the Ghost, including utilising fear to lure enemies to their death. Distract them with a convenient lure, and assassinate them up close or from range.

The verticality of the world also allows for Jin to outmanoeuvre his foes with aerial assassinations, and a timely smoke bomb can aid in evasion once you are discovered. A quick kunai can get you out of a bind if you can fire it off before the enemies get close.

The environment can be your vest friend as well, with the grappling hook coming in handy when there are gaps to be crossed. Even the weapons of the Mongols can be used against them, such as igniting explosives as shown in the demo, destroying a ship in the process.

Customising Jin

There is plenty of options when it comes to the armour for Jin. It is more than just a visual touch. Exploring and progressing in Ghost of Tsushima will grant players different Omamori charms that will grant different bonuses to your abilities.

Honing your skills will also grant you different techniques, depending on how you want to play the game. Finding dye flowers also give you the ability to change up the colour of your armour, making for a Jin that is truly you. Upgrade your skills, learn your techniques, and decide how you look as the Ghost.

Photo Mode

The inclusion of a Photo Mode is a no-brainer at this juncture, and Ghost of Tsushima is no different. Sucker Punch has included robust features to showcase their game in all its glory, such as depth of field and colour grading, and really bring the motion and movement of the game to life.

Even particles off leaves and fireflies can be adjusted, alongside the music, making for amazing videos to accompany your glorious shoots.

Japanese Voicetrack

Perfect for a game featuring Japan and its samurai, experience the authentic experience of Jin’s adventure with the help of subtitles. This can be activated right from the get-go.

Samurai Cinema

In fact, if you want to push the experience further, you can enjoy Ghost of Tsushima with a windy, black and white, film grain mode that truly echoes the classics of old. The smooth action coupled with the lack of colour certainly evokes another feel altogether, quite like nothing we have seen so far.

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It is all shaping up to be yet another PlayStation exclusive that will blow our socks off. We do not have much to wait, as Ghost of Tsushima arrives on the PS4 this 17 July.