GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

[VSW]

Why Ghost of Tsushima Could Win E3 2018

Sony announced its E3 2018 plans last week, initially confusing everyone but eventually getting its message across. This year’s show will focus on four monstrous PlayStation 4 exclusives: Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us: Part II. While it’s perhaps got the lowest profile of the lot, it’s the first title that I want to talk about, because I think it’s got a huge chance of surprising people at next month’s show.

We recently ran a poll on Push Square asking which of the four aforementioned outings you’re most excited to see, and to my surprise, Sucker Punch’s samurai title narrowly edged out Hideo Kojima’s new intellectual property. The results took me aback a little bit: we’ve obviously seen several Death Standing trailers at this stage, but it’s still shrouded in mystery and comes from one of the industry’s most imaginative minds.

But it’s got me thinking about how Ghost of Tsushima could potentially ghost its way to our E3 2018’s Game of the Show award. The title’s Seattle-based developer has been extremely quiet since it released the excellent inFAMOUS: First Light in 2014, and we know that it’s spent the time beavering away on its all-new historical open world. Last year, Sony suit Michael Denny said the release was already playable – it’s closer to completion than most people realise, I think.

So while we don’t know a massive amount about it, we do know that Sucker Punch decided on the concept quite early and has been working on it ever since. That’s particularly exciting because it already has PS4 development experience; its engine and tools are already in place from inFAMOUS: Second Son. Yes, I’m sure it will have updated and improved its pipeline in the interim, but it’s not like it’s had to start from scratch.

And all of that means that the developer has had a lot of time to focus on making a great game. While it has a pretty flawless track record across multiple PlayStation platforms, Sucker Punch has yet to really ascend to that top-line first-party studio that Naughty Dog currently occupies. But we’ve already seen how Guerrilla Games managed to make that jump; with time and talent, the Dutch developer made one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives in eons with Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Sucker Punch already knows its way around open world games, and it certainly understands silky smooth controls. I’m personally really excited to see how the traversal looks in Ghost of Tsushima, because whether it’s Sly Cooper or inFAMOUS, the developer’s always nailed locomotion within its worlds. But I’m equally eager to see the combat; I thought First Light in particular had some outrageously entertaining gameplay – although I doubt there’ll be any neon lasers in feudal Japan.

But if there’s one area I hope the developer has invested extra effort, it’s in the mission design. The inFAMOUS games were always extremely entertaining to play, but they often felt like PlayStation 2 titles in terms of their rudimentary quests. Ghost of Tsushima needs to have more than bog-standard fetch and protect objectives; it needs to deliver a sandbox that’s filled with variety and engaging things to do.

Assuming that Sucker Punch can do that, though, and articulately illustrate it during E3 2018’s promised “deep dive”, then I think that Ghost of Tsushima could really surprise. Here we have a game that’s coming from a talented developer with plenty of PS4 experience; a title that instantly piqued interest from its mere concept alone. I think this game is closer to completion than many may anticipate, and I think it’s got a real shot at cutting through the press conference noise and taking home plenty of plaudits.

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[VSW]

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Ghost of Tsushima Debuts Stunning Gameplay Trailer at E3 2018


Following the release of inFAMOUS Second Son in 2014 and then its standalone expansion titled First Light, developer Sucker Punch Productions went dark, leaving fans wondering what was next for the team. Fast forward three years later at Paris Games Week 2017 where the studio reemerged to introduce a brand new IP called Ghost of Tsushima. With the game quickly becoming one of Sony’s most anticipated titles, it received plenty of stage time at the PlayStation E3 2018 press conference including a brand new trailer.

Taking place in 13th century Japan during the height of Kublai Khan’s reign, players step into the shoes of the last remaining Samurai on the small island of Tsushima. With the Mongols invading the island, Jin takes it upon himself to fight back and get revenge for the devastation caused at their hands. The latest cinematic trailer for Ghost of Tsushima fills in a bit more of the missing details and proved fans with a look at the games stunning visuals.

One of the most striking elements to the gameplay is the use of color, from the green of the trees, the swaying yellows of the fields, and the red leaves falling during the tense duel towards the end. Interestingly enough, the gameplay featured no HUD elements, and it’s not clear if this is what the final game will be like or if it was turned off to show off the game’s graphical power.

Combat is visceral, combining purposeful Katana strikes, slow motion stylistic attacks, and brutal finishers. One scene finds Jin using stealth to infiltrate a shrine, where Mongol soldiers have taken hostages. As he performs a strike from above attack, time slows down as the player highlights a nearby enemy triggering a follow up kill. For good measure, Jin performs a stylish stealth kill on an enemy soldier standing on the other side of a paper wall.

Unfortunately, a date or even a release window was not provided as the demo ended after a tense duel between Jin and his friend Masako over one of the temple monks.

Ghost of Tsushima launches exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and currently doesn’t have a release date.

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[Kwa]

Someone that works at gamestop showed me the actual gameplay of this, so dope, this games reminds me of some other games put together..

[VSW]

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‘Making Of’ Video Explores Historical Roots


Ghost of Tsushima demanded attention at E3 2018 with an enchanting gameplay trailer boasting truly next-gen in-engine graphics, but this curious open-world samurai adventure is shaping up to be a whole lot more than a pretty picture.

Sony released a brief ‘Making Of’ feature detailing the rigorous effort developers are putting into historical accuracy. It isn’t new that Ghost of Tsushima will follow the events of the first Mongol invasion of Japan, but the amount of research and care on the part of the developers is both eye-opening and encouraging for anyone looking forward to the forthcoming PS4 exclusive.
From developer Sucker Punch Productions (Infamous), Ghost of Tsushima is a single-player stealth action game that takes place in 13th century Japan on the island of Tsushima. Players will control the last samurai, Jin Sakai, and take arms against the Mongol forces to secure Japan’s independence.

In the roughly minute-long video titled ‘The Making of Ghost of Tsushima: Recreating 13th Century Japan,’ Creative Director Nate Fox explains the need as a developer to become familiar with the geography, culture, and history of Tsushima Island in 13th century Japan.
“We’ve had two trips to Tsushima Island itself. We communicate a lot with experts in different fields, from the way that a samurai would hold their katana to, even, drink sake, to dialogue experts, to experts in religion [at] the time.”


Fox also emphasized the team’s dedication to crafting a believable, multi-dimensional story with dynamic characters.

“We really want the Mongols to not be cardboard-cutout villains. We want them to be three-dimensional… Having the leader, Kotan Khan, be so, frankly, reasonable, is unsettling. Because, in his own mind, he’s right. He’s a hero, from his own perspective.”
In the gameplay trailer shown at this year’s E3, it’s made clear that Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t shy away from bloodshed, with brutally realistic battle animations on full display. That visceral imagery combined with the moral ambiguity of war may encourage a more careful, thoughtful approach to combat.

Speaking of which, it was recently revealed that combat in Ghost of Tsushima will rely more on skill than hack ‘n slash mechanics, a relief for those looking for a real challenge.

Ghost of Tsushima has yet to reveal an official release window.