Originally arriving at the end of the PlayStation 4’s life cycle, the team over at Suck Punch Productions blessed us with Ghost of Tsushima, which turned out to be my game of the year. Fast forward to 2021 and Sony has now re-released this absolutely gorgeous game for the Playstation 5 dubbed, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. 

If you didn’t get a chance to pick up and play this gem the first time around, now is the perfect time to dig in. The Directors Cut version comes with the original full game, the Iki Island expansion; which includes a New story, new mini-games, new enemy types, and much more. You’ll also get a butt-ton of Playstation 5 features and enhancements, which we’ll touch on a little later. For those that haven’t read my original review for the Playstation 4 version, here’s a run down.

Ghost of Tsushima is set in the year 1274, and puts you in control of the last surviving samurai, Jin Sakai, from a brutal attack from an invading Mongol horde. As a result of the attack, the island of Tsushima has been destroyed and overrun by the Mongol, leaving farms in ruins and innocent folks left for dead. It is now up to you to track down and recruit some allies to join forces and fight back against the Mongols.

Something that shines is the combat system Sucker Punch has created here. Battles can be intense and very satisfying. The combat and swordplay is incredible. Pulling off the perfect parry for the first time really makes you feel like a badass Samurai. If I had to put a finger on what games the combat is similar to, I would say it feels a little like ‘The Witcher’ series. You’ll also need to work your way up the Master Samurai chain by acquiring and upgrading your gear. You’ll unlock different fighting stances which you’re able to switch between depending if you’re going up against enemies equipped with shields, spears or swords, with each stance making it a little easier to break their guard.

Though, not every situation needs to be achieved with Jin running into battle. There are sections in the game where stealth is an option, and are also very enjoyable. Of course, while in some sections you’re forced to go stealth, you don’t need to go down the stealth route every time. You’re still more than welcome to run in with your sword raised; it’s entirely up to you how you want to play.

Starting with very basic weapons and skills, as you explore the map completing side quests, story missions, visiting shrines, and finding hot springs, you’ll earn better weapons, better upgrades, and improve Jin’s powers and skills. Exploring and traversing the map feels much like an Assassins Creed game. You’ll find yourself climbing cliffs and grappling across gaps in order to get where you want to go. There is no mini-map, and the map you can look at clears up as you travel and explore locations.

There also isn’t any compass guiding you where you need to go. Instead, you are given visual clues to find points of interest and a feature called, “Guiding Wind” that will direct you to any location you have set to “Track”. This is a great feature as it keeps the HUD at an absolute minimum and allows you to take in the gorgeous atmosphere and scenery.

As the game goes on, you start to unlock plenty of tools that will give you the edge on the battle. These range from throwing knives, sticky bombs, smoke bombs; along with many other items. The skill trees in Ghost of Tsushima are pretty run-of-the-mill and thankfully not overwhelming. With each technique point you require and spend, you start to feel the impact of something you didn’t have before, increasing the satisfaction of combat.

Now, aside from the amazing heart-pounding main story battles and smaller side quests, Ghost of Tsushima also has multi-part missions hidden across the map called “Mythic Quests”. Completing these will reward you with some high-end gear such as rare armor as well as special moves. To come across these Mythic Quests, I strongly suggest listening to musicians and storytellers you meet along your journey.

Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful game. The open-world is an absolute treat to explore and is without a doubt one of the most breathtaking open-world games you’ll ever play. The gusts of wind throwing up leaves and grass while surrounding trees sway; it’s all beautifully implemented, and together with the game’s weather effects, Tsushima is a place you don’t want to stop exploring. This brings me to the game’s Photo Mode. The folks over at Sucker Punch have certainly delivered here giving us an outstanding Photo Mode that I have literally spent hours in.

This is all further improved on with the power of the Playstation 5 and its next-gen enhancements. The Directors Cut comes with Dynamic 4K resolution targeting 60fps (requires compatible 4K TV or display), DualSense wireless controller haptic feedback and adaptive trigger resistance,  3D Audio (with analog or USB stereo headphones), Lip sync for Japanese voiceover &  the ability to transfer Playstatotion 4 saved progress over to the PlayStation 5.

Overall, Ghost of Tsushima is an absolute joy to jump back into and a breathtaking game you’ll spend hours upon hours getting lost in. Sucker Punch really have created a beautiful open-world game that players can experience either for the first time or returning in all its visual glory thanks to the Playstation 5.

Written by: MKAU Gaming