Review: 'Ghost of Tsushima' a spectacle

Four out of Five Stars

By Michael Leek
Sports Editor

Let me tell you about one of the best storylines I have experienced in a video game.

“Ghost of Tsushima,” developed by Sucker Punch Productions on the PlayStation Five, was a masterpiece to play through.

It is set in 13th Century Japan when the Mongols first invaded. The story follows a samurai named Jin Sakai as he fights to defend his home.

One of the highlights of this game is the characters, and the interactions they have with each other.

The main character, Jin Sakai, was my favorite throughout the story. He fought his own moral and ethical battle as to whether to be an honorable samurai, or be “The Ghost,” and drive the Mongols off of the island.

“The Ghost” is a title that was given to Sakai because when he fought, it was something the people of Tsushima had never seen, as well as dishonorable to the samurai.

“The Khan” was a perfect antagonist to the story because of the way he pushes Sakai and parallels him as a character.

Many more characters in this game had their own stories to follow that Sakai helps out with. Sucker Punch did an amazing job of getting players emotionally invested in the characters, and capitalizing on it with tough emotional moments throughout the game.

Now how the actual game played was smooth and very satisfying. Every time I slashed an enemy with the sword, the realism and graphics made every kill satisfying.

Although the gameplay was good, there were a few gripes I had with it, starting with the camera and the lock-on system.

To put it simply, there was no lock-on the system while engaging with the enemies. A game like this needs a lock-on system because at times, the player is fighting multiple enemies at once.

Because there was no lock-on system, the camera work while fighting could become a nuisance, and hard to control. There were times when I could not even see my character or the enemies I was fighting.

On the other hand, the combat system was amazing. Because it was a long samurai game, one would think there is only so much a samurai could do while fighting. But the “Ghost” aspect of the game gives many options on how to combat enemies.

One more thing I would like to emphasize about this game is the beauty of the scenery in it, and all of the little intricate things added to this game.

The game's scenery is beautiful and nothing less than astonishing to look at. The color palettes, character designs, and customization options just make the game a spectacle.

In the end, “Ghost of Tsushima” is an amazing game with a few things holding it back from being perfect.

I would rate this game four out of five, and recommend it to gamers who love a good story, or a fun sword fighting experience.

Lastly, the story was so good that I would love to see this made into a television series or movie trilogy.