Ghost of Tsuahima in the Test
In the case of Open World Action Games, one inevitably thinks of the now the Meme has become “Ubisoft formula”: a Solid Gameplay is a Mix of various popular Genres, huge maps full of markers that lead to any secondary jobs, and a Story that the whole thing holds together more or less convincing. The Whole is then planted in a spectacular Setting and pretty graphics Packed. What happens if you with a Sucker Punch, also in the Genre is well established, but not to the strict rules of the “formula” – bound Team at this recipe makes, geigt currently their latest work, Ghost of Tsushima.
Last man standing
The Samurai of the Tsushima island have to defend themselves gathered in the last great Offensive of their homeland against the invading Mongols to. Led by Lord Shimura you plunge into the battle with the barbarians, and be trounced. While Shimura is captured, survived his nephew, Jin Sakai is the only the battle only just. The thief Yuna makeshift patched up, has to get rid of the honorable Samurai is now only one goal in mind: His uncle from the clutches of the Khan and his home back.
With nothing but his Katana-equipped Jin begins his long journey through the war-torn lands of Tsushima and does what a good Samurai does: He helps the common people wherever he can, seeking to ally him in the fight against the Mongols support steal his fighting force and its equipment to be able to against the overpowering enemy. This is accomplished via various main missions, which may, in part, in any order passed by an act of the overarching story complete. This unlocks not only the next act, but also another of the 3 major areas of the game world.
The sequence of these main quests, strongly reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption 2. Not too long but intense adventure, the scripted part is hard to come by, therefore, what also involves the same problems as in the model: Once a Mission is accepted, it’s over with freedom. The drift away from the current target doesn’t work either at all, or leads to the mission abort and you can start from the beginning. The Quests, the constraint are most often absolute value, however, can not gearade this peculiarity in the beginning when this fact is yet aware of, leading to some frustration.
There is much to do, to pick only a few flowers
The real Star of Ghost of Tsushima , however, are clearly the side missions. About the stumbles you, either when you explore the sweeping landscapes or gets you of talkative NPCs marked with a speech bubble. These side-contracts are more than anything else, the oppressed, and little hope for the atmosphere of the game. Happy Endings are few and far between when it comes to the lives and destinies of the little people in the midst of a brutal war. To show things is quite a brave step in a Genre, the Power Fantasy, so it usually lives give the player the feeling to do everything and be invincible. But can also be the greatest Hero anywhere, at the same time, and not every Problem can be fixed with a sharp blade to solve.
Of course, the main and side missions but not all of what there is to do on Tsushima. As in the Genre is common to discover all sorts of more or less hidden places, help you, either to steel yourself for the next adventure, or just to dispelling serve. So it is to bathe in the secluded Onsen (hot springs), to create a small Minigame of bamboo heads, or particularly picturesque locations of little Haikus to. While the former is the life energy of Jin is a little bit increased, there are for rhymes only purely cosmetic headbands. In addition, there are hidden shrines, to collect Mongol artifacts, and to rid settlements of the barbarian conquerors.
Welcome to the unusual method of and us the game leads to all these things. Because of the well-known Marker on the map one is looking for (initially) in vain. Instead, you should keep to the travel around, and the eyes open. Because you should be in the vicinity of a point of interest, a handsome yellow bird, which leads us twittering to that point, we should follow. Other places to be addressed by the above-mentioned NPCs, and then appear on the map. Also the way you can as usual point, however, it is not made for loud Ads and signs. In place of these the Wind that always blows in the direction of the selected target. This may not be particularly realistic, but in any case, more atmospheric than a thicker red arrow in the corner of the image.
What else was there? Oh, the Mongols!
The big question is: How to play the whole thing for now? Damn good, even if the basic Gameplay Loop is no different from various other representatives of the Genre. Running or riding his trusty steed from A to B, meets highwaymen, or Mongolian Patrol and exempt small neighbouring settlements of the besiegers. In between there are the larger fortresses to take or to infiltrate, often in the course of the main missions. First of all, this is only possible on the direct way, which is due to Jin’s Samurai honor, he would have invaded but never an enemy in cold blood from behind, without giving him the Chance at a honest fight. He quickly sees, however, that he will come with his valiant stance against the all-powerful (and far less honorable) Mongols far, and in the art of silent killing under ways.
Apart from the specific missions that require it to be not discovered, it is left but, in principle, the player how he wants to approach to the respective situations. Whether the head held high (and sword) should be through the gate, or sneaking over the rooftops, in each case, a whole lot of tools are available to the player for the fulfilment of its goal. About throwing knives, smoke bombs, a bow with the opponents silent, powered off, but also the bees or Hornet nests do not contain any incitement to adversary divert attention from himself. In direct combat, Jin falls back on his beloved Katana, but he has some options, because after he learns up to 4 different combat postures by Watching (or in the two fight to defeat) enemy leaders. Each has special combos that are particularly effective against spears, swords, or plate carrier. These Stances can be during the fight changed and go after a bit of familiarization quite intuitive, which is especially in the advanced game course is also necessary if you want to go from the sometimes rather intense Fight as the winner.
In the course of some main and side missions, it always comes back to duels with strong opponents. The design in a playful manner, though, like the regular battles, but are treated in an atmospheric and exciting. At the end of these meetings, as well as Completing Quests, the Free of settlements or the Off stray opponents to legend status, which is used here as Equivalent to the experience bar. So you can earn Skill points to various passive and active skills to distribute. The equipment is visually diverse, especially in the Form of collected flowers purchased, color schemes, therefore, but only has the body armor and the sword’s actual influence on our values, and skills. So the former gives a variety of combat or stealthy bonuses that appreciated while forging for armor, but never can be changed. The Katana, however, remains always the same, but can be up to 6 in the course of the adventure the collected Spells, the passive effects. All items of equipment and weapons can be improved at the corresponding NPC for the the required materials. The latter are to be found anywhere on the huge island, to procure more or less difficult. So you need to be killed for example for animal skins it is only to get the rare resources.
But only a few, pick some flowers…
Mechanically different Ghost of Tsushima only in Details of the mass and the Open World Play, every year, the market floods. What is it but from this mass highlights the truly stunning presentation. Again and again you get caught in, instead of riding to the next destination, to just stand somewhere on a seaside cliff and fabulous to enjoy the view. Forests of bamboo breaks through which the light of the morning sun, rugged mountains raging about where Thunderstorms, or picturesque lakes in the dusk. No 3 steps you can run before it expires again Amazed. To detail come lovers settlements and very authentic-looking Outfits and armor. Only the good successful and diverse faces sometimes, especially in cutscenes and Close-up, strangely flat. The roof is a rare and, given the rest of the game offered brilliance verzeihbarer blemish.
The same may also be about music and sound said. It was the soft sound of the wind in a remote forest or wild battle sounds in the middle of an intense Skirmish, everything sounds as you would on the ground. The music remains, of course, the Setting according to the classical Japanese sounds true and is never in the foreground, it adapts perfectly to every Situation and fits perfectly into the overall picture. Also the dubbing into German, and into English is excellent. Mention here should be fully Japanese voiced version. In connection with the anytime dial-up Black-and-White mode is to beat the Flair of a feudal Japan hardly be. This mode is not only inspired, quite obviously, by the works of legendary Director Akira Kurosawa, but also named after him.
Also on the technical side, there are more little to the Game. Even in the high-resolution Setting, everything feels liquid and the Bugs were so good as not to. Tiny graphic Clitches, like a a house on the corner of a flying bird are all there is to complain about here. In the Performance mode, the thing is not running soft actually butter, looks but great worse. The decision is, therefore, a the depends here, the priorities of the respective player.
CONCLUSION
Apart from a few Details, remains a Ghost of Tsushima , the well-known Open-World formula is largely true. But it is precisely these Details, such as the Lack of obvious signs and thousands of quest markers on the map, as well as the magnificent visual presentation and the wonderful unpathet of side quests, a incredibly deep into the world of a war-torn feudal Japan to immerse. Even doubters of the genre then, as I am, to the television restraints. Sucker Punch is doing here actually is no real error, everything is at least as good as that of comparable competitor, the usual. Whom this kind of game is anyway, don’t really get is not a viable excuse for this pearl. Unless he can win Samurais and ancient Japan so nothing at all…but you three should try it also.
What Ghost of Tsushima is? An Open-World Action adventure set in feudal Japan.Platforms: PS4
Tested on: PS4 Pro
Developer / Publisher: Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release: 17. July 2020
Link: Official Website
