For the longest time, I've wanted someone to make an open-world game like
Ghost of Tsushima, the latest, already immensely popular samurai epic
from Sucker Punch. The Akira Kurosawa movies about this
particular place in time were responsible for establishing my love for cinema,
and ever since I transitioned more into games I've been dreaming of a video
game counterpart.
Much to my delight, Ghost of Tsushima pretty much seals the deal. It lets me
take part in the birth of a new legend so promising that it gives me no reason
to look back to the days of Seven Samurai and
Zatoichi, only forward into unavoidable sequels and other
inspirations to come. In true celebratory fashion the game even lets me apply
a "Kurosawa mode", adding a black-and-white, grainy filter over the graphics
and compressing the audio. The future is here, and it delves into the past,
honoring the traditions of cinema and open world alike.
THE ORIGIN OF THE GHOST
The Ghost's real name is Jin Sakai (voiced by Daisuke Tsuji),
and his homeland is the island of Tsushima, right between mainland Japan and
the Korean peninsula. He is the orphan of a murdered lord, and has been raised
by his uncle, Lord Shimura (Eric Steinberg), who has taught him the
bushido code - the way of the samurai - and how to honor their traditions. As
the game begins in 1274, the first Mongol invasion of Japan is underway, with
your island about to fall under enemy control.
In other words this is the Ghost's origin story, detailing how he becomes the
reluctant symbol of resistance among the peasantry, much to the disapproval of
the ruling nobility. The Mongols fight without honor, using advanced siege
equipment and dirty tactics to gain the upper hand. The opening cinematic and
tutorial show the outnumbered samurai, led by the fearless Lord Shimura,
getting pushed back and eventually defeated.
Lord Shimura is captured by the Mongol leader, Khotun Khan (Patrick Gallagher), and Jin is left wounded on the brink of death. He is dragged to safety and
nursed back to health by a female thief, Yuna (Sumalee Montano), who
then proceeds to help him throughout the game. In the first chapter (of
three), you must try to free Lord Shimura from enemy hands, all the while
fearing the enemy might have convinced him to switch sides.
Afterwards, the Mongols capture southern Tsushima without much opposition.
Leading the underhanded resistance you can choose to fight back directly or
stealthily. If one approach fails you can revert to the other in a split
second. This also implicates a second, no less important conflict lurking
beneath the invasion - one of tradition versus revolution. Since the
Mongolians outnumber the Japanese forces and don't even fight "fair", the
samurai don't stand a chance. With Yuna as a tutor, Jin learns the Shinobi
style, a more devious, covert way of dealing with enemies. It doesn't sit well
with the traditional, honor-bound way of the samurai.
UPFRONT OR COVERT
You might use trickery like sneaking around in high pampas grass,
assassinating unwary enemies. Or you could shoot flaming arrows with your
half-bow to ignite powder kegs, or throw daggers to stagger enemies, or blow
poison darts into their necks. As the game progresses the options multiply,
the enemies grow stronger and you're more or less required to give in to less
direct approaches. If you're discovered and need to fend for your life, you
have many ways to cope, be it tools, offensive abilites, defensive stances and
so forth
I realize nothing of this makes Ghost of Tsushima sound interesting. Anyone
familiar with the Assassin's Creed-franchise will know this game
by instinct - it's the same third-person stealth, parkour and
swordplay. It's got its fair share of mechanical tropes, like quest
markers, a quest log, loot upgrades, character progression and so forth. The
story is mostly predetermined. But as it stands, it is a well-polished, solid
experience with gameplay executed well enough to challenge and engage you
throughout.
It's in the finer print that the game finds its personality. Jin's movements
seem focused on efficiency rather than flamboyance. Your swordplay, starting
off from one of four different stances, strives to dispose of the enemy
quickly. Also, your defenses are hard to crack. Your dodging prowess makes you
a nightmare to fight, even when wearing the thickest armor. When you approach
a group of enemies, you even get the option to openly challenge their
strongest fighter (recalling the end of the movie Sanjuro) which can
have a surprising chain of effects as your legend grows. The only real danger
is when enemies gank up on you, or the boss duels against masterclass
swordfighters with something to prove.
In other words, beneath its tradition-bound open-world surface, Ghost of
Tsushima offers a wealth of different mechanics to master. None of them are
terribly deep (not like purist games like Thief or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice), but I like the philosophy of never locking the player out of anything -
you have enough skill points and time to master everything, which flies in the
face of traditional RPG-leveling.
A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
All gameplay aside, Ghost of Tsushima captures something deeper, a thing I've
never witnessed in open-world games before. Since Jin was born and raised on
Tsushima, he doesn't explore these lands as a stranger in a strange land.
Curiosity isn't the driving force. Instead he strives to deepen his love for
his homeland: the pampas grass swaying in the wind, the temper tantrums of the
great ocean, the shadows cast by mountains of blood-red blossoms in the
setting sun, and so on.
The Tsushima nature is breathtaking, both in freeze-frame and animation, and
becomes the balm for Jin's worried mind. His exploration is just as spiritual
as it is geographical. You can reach your map marker by simply following the
wind, and wildlife like foxes, birds or fireflies guide you toward important
places. This smoothens your journey and turns the focus to the world around
you, as the time you spend in menus is cut down to a minimum.
At certain spots you can sit down and reflect on different aspects of life by composing Haiku poetry (where Daisuke Tsuji's voicework truly excels) inspired by the forces of nature. Elsewhere, hot springs allow you to take rejuvinating baths and reflect upon your personal history, as well as raise your maximum health. Bamboo strikes allow you to strengthen your resolve, which you later can use in combat to heal or perform advanced sword maneuvers. By playing flute you can alter the weather to your liking.
It's like Jin finally discovers the true value of his homeland just as he
might lose it. You find these spots between the tales and side-quests, and
when juxtaposed to the destruction left in the wake of the Mongolian invasion
it makes the heart bleed. One particular quest, which was hard to find, had me
stumble across a few slaughtered foxes and desecrated shrines. It was the
invaders who had decided to sever that connection I'd started to form with the
land, and it made my blood boil.
SUMMARY
Although well-written and consise enough, I won't pretend that most of the
main story breaks new ground, but it surprised me by avoiding the most obvious
routes. Every major side-quest is explored through the fate of an intriguing
supporting character and sheds some light on the central themes - honor,
tradition and sacrifice - in a different way. And after a long time getting
there, the main story comes full circle in one unforgettable scene that cuts
deeper than your run-of-the-mill war story. The scars left in the survivors of
an invasion might change them forever. I was deeply moved by this.
If anything holds Ghost of Tsushima back from greatness, it's a lack of unique
sights to see and lore to study. If you seek to improve your character or
understand the enemy better, exploration beyond any questline is hardly
worthwhile. Most of the unique loot you find is cosmetic, which feels like a
lukewarm reward for going off the beaten path. Simply put, the appeal of this
game is more systemic and universal in nature. The sooner you realize this,
the better.
Ghost of Tsushima is more zen than sermon. It exists as a place to soak in,
experience and feel, allowing your thoughts to lay dormant for a while. Those
early gameplay sessions when I could leave the worries of the real world
behind were some of the best of my life. Later on, as the invasion started to
leave a scorched Earth behind, I experienced a real sense of loss. I have
rarely felt such a desire to get back into a game and restore the natural
order, even after finishing the main quest. I simply could not allow Tsushima
to become a paradise lost.
Comments
Post a Comment