Sorry guys! Â Work/life has been busy and I've been using all my free time to actually play the game.
So yeah, I can already basically tell Ghost of Tsushima is going to be one of my favorite games of all time. Â Sorry for hyperbole haha. Â I think basically the most simplistic way to look at it is a much better Assassin's Creed, with some elements/inspiration from Breath of the Wild, and maybe a little Nioh and Sekiro perhaps. Â So, basically a very well designed and somewhat streamlined open-world adventure stealth game with obvious passionate care/focus paid to art direction, environmental design and the combat system. Â This is for me the most beautiful game I have ever played easily. Â But what I love about it is that it is not all graphics/looks over substance.
A note about myself---I typically have no interest in open world games and AAA games in general for that matter. Â I've played Assassins Creed 1 and 2 only (they were just okay and barely held my interest) and Breath of the Wild (wonderful game but a bit empty). Â That's about it for my open world experience.....tried Witcher 3 and got bored very quickly and found the combat too generic. Â But, I do have a huge subject bias for all things samurai/ninja...so I am looking at Ghost of Tsushima from the perspective of someone who loves the subject matter and always intended to get the game. Â My biggest question mark was would the combat be lame/generic as usual for a Western dev and would I tolerate the open world.
And basically the game has exceeded my expectations on both fronts. Â The world is rich, beautiful and engaging--I actually want to do all the side quests! Â And this is bar none the best "casual"/non-hardcore combat system I have ever encountered in a game. Â It is MUCH deeper and refined than something like Assassin's Creed. Â Obviously, this is a totally different kind of game so the combat is nothing like Ninja Gaiden, DMC, Nioh in terms of depth or difficulty. Â In general, Ghost is not a hard game but it is a thoroughly engaging one. Â Combat feels satisfying and lethal---you will often die in 3-4 hits and likewise you will kill enemies just as quickly. Â The hit detection, inputs, movement and animations are super crisp and responsive. Â These are probably the best "realistic" sword combat animations I have ever seen in a game. Â Enemies are not particularly smart but aggressive and attack in groups, and pleasingly do not wait but will attach at the same time. Â So, at any given time you will be facing a fast swordsman closing at you fast, a spearman launching an unblockable thrust and two arrowmen sniping at your from afar. Â So the encounters have an awesome chaotic, brutal quality to them.....honestly it is a feeling that is similar to Ninja Gaiden at times (the feeling, not the depth of mechanics obviously). Â You have to manage the space or you will die quickly. Â There is also a very good intrinsic soft lock in the game....it was absolutely the right call of the devs not to have a lock-on feature....you quickly have to maneuver and adapt between multiple enemies and attacks coming at you at the same time from different directions. Â On top of that, you get some GREAT one-on-one cinematic duels----impressively it is the same core combat system used in these duels as the regular melee action. Â This to me is an indicator of just how well designed the combat fundamentals are.
So again not a hard game (note I am playing on Normal right now and saving Hard for my next play thru), but engaging and honestly just super fun. Â Why is it super fun---well, the game just gives you so many incredibly fun skills and options that honestly just make you feel like a badass. Â Parries, counterattacks, dodges, perfect dodges/parries, multiple stances with their own movesets, "Ghost" tools like kunai, smoke bombs, grenades, your bow and arrow....and I am no where near unlocking them all! Â
Stealth is decent and fun but nothing new---it is the same kind of stealth for the most part from games like Tenchu, Assassin's Creed, etc. Â So good but not great---this is where I would have liked them to have done a bit more personally, but it is fine and enjoyable as is.
Anyway....sorry for the length and possible incoherence...typed this up fast. Â Basically, if you like samurai/ninja, traditional Japan, etc. this is a must play IMO. Â I cannot overstate how beautiful the game is and how amazing they have captured the natural world, lighting, etc. Â
If you are someone who has played a lot of open world games, I can see how perhaps this would just be more of the "same" but not the case with me. Â In many ways it is still just the usual open world game stuff/tasks...but I would just argue done in a much more engaging, streamlined way.
I never would have thought this possible either but a Western developer has also now designed one of my favorite combat systems ever (granted they got some input from Sony Japan I am sure and also brought in renowned Japanese sword masters from the Tenshin Ryu Hyoho school for the mo-cap!).
Hebass, do you agree man?