I have a feeling that this game is going to go down in history. Years from now, when a game show host asks "What was the last game that Sony ever announced during an E3" the answer just might be 'Ghost of Tsushima' given the publisher's lax approach to attending 'the gaming event of the year'. But even if that does end up being the case, a least Sony finished their relationship with the wider gaming populace on a high note with this title that looks to be the next big action adventure must-have title. (Isn't it funny how Sony always seems to come out with those?) With that sort of legacy, who needs to spend millions on advertising space in the middle of an LA hall, these kinds of games advertise themselves.
Positive word of mouth means that you were likely well aware of 'Ghost of Tsushima' before the TGAs despite Sony having no presence at last year's E3 and the game having an objectively hard to pronounce title. Perhaps that comes from the incredibly memorable faux-petal 2018 reveal event, or maybe just because everyone deep down wants to play a game about a ronin on a rampage. Sucker Punch's 'Ghost of Tsushima' seems to hit on all the 'dream game' bullet points for lovers of classic martial arts movie. The game looks brutal, picturesque and melodramatic in equal measure, totalling a product that looks as meticulous as it does effortless. It's as though the grass lily scene from 'Hero' was a whole movie. (That's 2002's 'Hero', for clarification's sake.) Ghost of Tsushima will be set in 1274 and will follow the Mongol invasion on the isle of Tsushima, as well as the resulting chaos and devastation that ensued. In the manner of only the most melodrama soaked story conventions, you will play one of the last surviving Samurai who will do what they can to resist the opposing forces. But in the words of 'Doom: Eternal': "You are just one man", and so traditional martial tactics aren't going to amount to much when you find yourself pit against an army. With this in mind, the player will be forced to take a more stealthy, Batman-esque, approach and in the words of the official website: "Forge a new way of fighting- The way of the Ghost." Essentially becoming the Dark Knight of Tsushima.
I think that is the image that most people get when they think of this title, and that is honestly one of the most flattering comparisons that these developers could ask for. Rocksteady's Arkham series still stands as one of the best action adventure titles of the past decade and not many other games have come anywhere close to it, let alone seem poised to be a successor to it. With this title's grasp on mobility, combat and tactile planning this may just be a prime candidate to do so. (Just a shame that the potential audience will be limited, given that this is another bloody PlayStation exclusive. I get it, Sony, you have a lot of money. Now let the rest of the kids in the playground play, why don't ya?)
The trailer from the VGAs actually does an admirable job of taking us through all the key points through the life of the Ghost in such a fashion that I can't but wonder if this is the last trailer we'll get before launch. In this footage we get to see what I can only assume to be the throes of the invasion with stacks of burning bodies and plenty of fellas looking mean. At this scene I'm struck, as I'm sure a great many others are, by how good everything looks from a design perspective. Sucker Punch have clearly dedicated a substantial degree of care into conceptualising a image for their game that is both believably historic and pleasing to the eye. And that is encapsulated no where better than when we get a look at 'The Ghost' himself. His tactical-looking battledress dyed jet black and his oni-face mask evoke distinct samurai Batman vibes, and we can see a vast array of gadgets strewn across his person to indicate how resourceful he is. I'm not usually one to comment on design but I must admit that the balance between tactile and wish fulfilment has been executed almost flawlessly. (My only issue is the sword he carries on his back which is so fantasy that it sort of distracts from all the other very real elements. Don't carry katanas on you back, kids!)
From there we get a glimpse of gameplay that I just cannot stop gushing about even though it's the most simple thing in the world. (Which I guess encapsulates how good the Sucker Punch team are at picking pleasing shots.) We see 'The Ghost' riding his horse across a wind strewn field of white plants whilst lightning strikes in the background and all the subtle visual tweaks that the team have utilised are on full display for this scene right here. We can see the interaction of the plants against the wind whilst being disturbed by the player's horse, their shine against the moonlight which implies the scene is damp and just the low hanging tracking cam which grounds you in the moment. Again, this is ridiculous, I'm geeking out over a three second shot but it is so good that I just can't help myself. This does raise some concerns, however, when I think about the studio involved. Sucker Punch have never been strangers to the aesthetically pleasing game, in fact their bread and butter up until now, The Infamous games, were famous for it. However their last game, Second Son, did seemed to focus more on being overtly pretty with light flares and neon bloom, than it did on being a good game. That is understandable and all, when you enter a new generation it can feel tempting to try out all of the new tricks that fresh platform offers, but at the end of the day it is the gameplay that is remembered and that sort of felt like second-fiddle in Second Son. (Oh look, I did a word play!) However, seeing the more subtle nuances that Sucker Punch pull to make this scene pop does make me think that they've learnt for their failings with that title and are putting their efforts where it matters this time around. (We can only hope.)
Next we get to an explosion of gameplay sequences and I have to admit, this is where the game positively sold me. Firstly, this may seem oddly specific again, but I love the collision detection with the sword in this game; it feels weighty and visceral in a way that a lot of swords-play games tend to forget about. (Although I'm sure we won't get a true sense on that angle until the game is in our hands.) In the combat we can see shades of Arkham and Assassin's Creed present as our Ghost launches himself ontop of folk and chucks disorienting smoke bombs around the place. This combination of gadgets and combat is the one thing that has me really excited about the potential for gameplay to stay fresh as we get our hands on new abilities, it sort of reminds me of how Sekiro managed to renew things with use of the synthetic hand. There does seem to be another clash of styles, however, in that the blood effects are clearly tilted more towards the cinematic than the realistic setting around it, but the atmosphere of the whole trailer does a good job of marrying those elements deftly. (At least it doesn't stick out as poorly as Hulk glowing green in Square Enix's Avengers.)
Finally there is a healthy mix of melodrama and excitement for the next flurry of scenes as we witness a bevy of different locations including a windy beach with a pagoda-rich tower dominating the scene and a night battlefield that seems to be lit-up by a flurry of flaming arrows. (Again, reminding me of scenes from Hero.) If there is one criticism I will air about what we've seen so far it is that aside from a couple of locations, the autumnal forest, and the orchard of cherry-red flowers; everything else seems to be lacking flair in it's palette. I understand that options are limited given the setting that the team have decided on, I just hope things aren't constantly bleary and drab as that will start to feel oppressive the longer that folk play the game. (Unless that is the intention, which could very much be the case.) As a side note: the game will apparently also feature the ability to have all the dialogue be in Japanese, which is a life-safer because that honestly was the only thing about these trailers that sort of had me on edge.
In terms of look and pomp, Ghost of Tsushima has all the potential to be the next big blockbuster out of the gaming world, and makes this game enough of a big deal to earn a spot on my 'watch-list'. We may be a while out until launch (nothing concrete has been announced yet on that front) but honestly I hope we don't get much more out of marketing as the mystery of this title seems positively palpable. I wonder at how exciting things can get, seeing as how the project seems committed to staying firmly fantasy free, but I'm sure that as long they keep taking design cues from Japanese cinema they can't go terribly wrong.
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