Name: Stunning visuals, engaging story & combat
Item: Ghost of Tsushima
Rating: 9.3
Author: Bryan DeLoach

Fantastic gaming experience. The best way I can describe the game is a breath of fresh air. The core gameplay is definitely nothing new (stealth action adventure), but the game design is so gorgeous and crafted with such attention to detail with the mechanics adding just enough new twists to the formula that it makes the whole experience truly engaging through the end. It’s also one of the only games I’ve played recently where I was actually emotionally invested in the characters and the story actually made me feel real emotions. It’s such a simple and grounded story of protecting your homeland, that it’s so much more affecting and authentic than the typical “save the world, use magic, etc” from 90% of other similar titles.

The combat, while taking cues from the Assassin’s Creed and Arkham games has enough of its own identity to feel fresh. Fighting is satisfying and visceral, with multiple stances that you have to learn and switch between, as well as new abilities and trick weapons you can add to your arsenal. The boss duels are truly epic and exciting, feeling very cinematic but also genuinely challenging at times. Also the challenging of enemies to a one on one stand-off is unique and keeps the enemy encounters interesting.

The world design is where things truly shine. Just spending time to ride freely around Tsushima is such a joy on its own. I really appreciate that they removed mini maps and most of the HUD and just let you explore and find cues from the environment. It’s one of the few games my wife genuinely enjoyed watching me play because it was just so pretty to look at.

The story like I mentioned is quite a shining element as well. Dealing with death, honor, and family obligations/disputes makes it feel genuine and relatable. It had enough twists and turns through the play through that I was conflicted but satisfied with its bittersweet ending. It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions that I don’t normally get from action/adventure games.

With all that said, it’s certainly not a perfect game, with a lot of the same old “open world checklist” gimmicks that drag it down after a while. Sneaking through and conquering enemy camps is fun the first dozen or so times, until you realize there’s like a hundred of them and many of them start to feel recycled. It just becomes a chore after a while. With that said though, the game does provide a healthy amount of armor, stances, techniques, gear, etc to work towards getting so the grinding does feel quite rewarding for dozens of hours.

Overall, a really memorable and satisfying experience that I highly recommend. While still a little overly grindy at times, the combat is a lot of fun, the story is engaging, and the world is just too gorgeous to not want to get immersed in.

Fantastic gaming experience. The best way I can describe the game is a breath of fresh air. The core gameplay is definitely nothing new (stealth action adventure), but the game design is so gorgeous and crafted with such attention to detail with the mechanics adding just enough new twists to the formula that it makes the whole experience truly engaging through the end. It’s also one of the only games I’ve played recently where I was actually emotionally invested in the characters and the story actually made me feel real emotions. It’s such a simple and grounded story of protecting your homeland, that it’s so much more affecting and authentic than the typical “save the world, use magic, etc” from 90% of other similar titles.The combat, while taking cues from the Assassin’s Creed and Arkham games has enough of its own identity to feel fresh. Fighting is satisfying and visceral, with multiple stances that you have to learn and switch between, as well as new abilities and trick weapons you can add to your arsenal. The boss duels are truly epic and exciting, feeling very cinematic but also genuinely challenging at times. Also the challenging of enemies to a one on one stand-off is unique and keeps the enemy encounters interesting.The world design is where things truly shine. Just spending time to ride freely around Tsushima is such a joy on its own. I really appreciate that they removed mini maps and most of the HUD and just let you explore and find cues from the environment. It’s one of the few games my wife genuinely enjoyed watching me play because it was just so pretty to look at.The story like I mentioned is quite a shining element as well. Dealing with death, honor, and family obligations/disputes makes it feel genuine and relatable. It had enough twists and turns through the play through that I was conflicted but satisfied with its bittersweet ending. It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions that I don’t normally get from action/adventure games. With all that said, it’s certainly not a perfect game, with a lot of the same old “open world checklist” gimmicks that drag it down after a while. Sneaking through and conquering enemy camps is fun the first dozen or so times, until you realize there’s like a hundred of them and many of them start to feel recycled. It just becomes a chore after a while. With that said though, the game does provide a healthy amount of armor, stances, techniques, gear, etc to work towards getting so the grinding does feel quite rewarding for dozens of hours.Overall, a really memorable and satisfying experience that I highly recommend. While still a little overly grindy at times, the combat is a lot of fun, the story is engaging, and the world is just too gorgeous to not want to get immersed in.

Ghost of Tsushima

Stunning visuals, engaging story & combat

Player Score

Bryan DeLoach