It has been four years since we last saw the combat, the quest and the samurai of “Ghost of Tsushima“. In this short two-part series that goes over each game, first it will start with an overview of “Ghost of Tsushima”, then continue to talk about the newest installment into the franchise, “Ghost of Yōtei“.
The first game, “Ghost of Tsushima”, made by Sucker Punch Productions and Nixxes Software, was released on July 17, 2020 on the Playstation 4. It’s known for making waves in the community for its visually stunning world. A game containing a rich story and characters, Ghost of Tsushima is set in a faithful 13th century Japan during the Mongol invasion led by Kublai Khan.
The story follows Jin Sakai, a samurai fighting against Khotan Khan’s Mongol forces along the beach of Komoda. Only 80 samurai, led by his uncle, Lord Shimura, fought this unwinnable battle against a full Mongol invasion. The battle unfolds as expected, with nearly all the samurai being wiped out except for Jin Sakai and his uncle, who is captured. Jin, barely alive, sets out to rescue his uncle and drive back the Mongols. On his journey, he realizes a code of honor is not enough to defeat the Mongols, so he must resort to more unconventional tactics.
In this version, a few changes were made for a grander Japanese cinematic experience. Contrary to popular belief, the main cast in “Ghost of Tsushima” are fictional and never existed at any point in history. This includes the protagonist, Jin Sakai, his uncle Lord Shimura and the imposing antagonist, Khotun Khan. Rather than a lone man freeing Japan of the Mongols’ grasp, it was simply a typhoon that diverted them, even though the former sounds much more appealing.
That’s not to say it’s completely inaccurate, because the game’s combat is actually based on real life Japanese swordplay. Rather than the mystical fighting style you would expect from the legend of the ghost to possess, you start out quite basic. However, your swordplay and skills grow along with Jin, becoming more versatile and unique over time. When Jin faces a greater pressure to change, resorting to less honorable methods of combat to defeat the Mongol forces, it pushes his combat to become more than basic sword techniques; he gains the ability to switch between multiple techniques to fight different enemy types more efficiently.
The player starts with the Stone stance, which is most effective against swords. As more of the world is explored, additional stances are unlocked: the Water stance for shielded enemies, the Wind stance for spear-wielding foes and the Moon stance for brutes. Along with new stances, the player also gains access to an array of new equipment. Unlocking Items such as smoke bombs allow the player to stealthily attack while hidden, kuni and bow to attack from a distance and a flaming sword because anyone would love a flaming sword.
Pave your own journey in the world full of secrets hidden throughout the entire world of the ghost, from cosmetics new swords secret abilities and battles, there’s much to do and explore in the world of the ghost. So forget the legend and join the ghost on his journey to save Tsushima.
