Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, PS5

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is the inevitable upgrade of the Playstation darling from this time last year. You can find Guy’s Review here.

A daring and well crafted open world, that offered some well crafted takes on the genre. He we are twelve months later with a PS5 and super strength Director’s Cut version of the game. Expanding on Jin’s story and taking him away from the titular Isle, it’s time to visit Iki Island and right some wrongs.

So, we thought about cutting ourselves loose for a feet up three way chat.

Here we go.

Three Samurai Walk Into A Bar

How do we feel about getting back to ‘Shima?

Gerard:

I enjoyed the Iki Island expansion. Sure, it’s more of the same but fans of the original game won’t have a problem with that. One thing that confuses me, though, is that Iki Island is unlock-able from Act 2 of the main game but it should have been unlocked once Ghost of Tsushima (GOT) was completed. As it fills in a whole lot of backstory that is revealed as you progress through GOT. I feel people jumping straight into Iki at Act 2 will miss a lot of backstory & get their arses kicked because the enemies are quite a bit tougher than those in GOT.

Guy:

Totally agree. It felt like “endgame content”. For me, the first thing I probably should address is that my initial feelings about ghost of Tsushima stand, which is it is gorgeous and one of the best Mele combat implementations I have seen in a game in recent memory, however the vigour and zeal that the wider Games media had for it as being the second coming or a super unique title, was misplaced.

Richard:

I pretty much had that view last year, it was pretty, although the ‘plasticised’ look put me off.  The story didn’t really engage me, the environment felt too empty in parts and the story boss fights made me bounce.

Guy:

So that is to say Iki Island is exactly that, a addition to the absolute Beautiful game world, that the original game was. However it’s STILL built on open world tropes which we have been playing for 10 years. So it didn’t offer anything super fresh to a game which I felt was overrated. But for fans of the original it will be welcome I found Jin to be very single note as a character too.

Gerard:

Definitely endgame content. The Iki Island stuff answers a lot of questions about Jin’s relationship with his father and his uncle and without having experienced GOT to completition means you’ll just be confused about why Jin feels like he does. Sorry, lads, but I’ll disrespectfully disagree with you: I found GOT one of my highlights of last year and GOT’s swordplay remains, for me, its strength, especially the standoff mechanic.

There’s nothing like being able to take out four enemies through perfectly executed killing strokes! Will we ever see a time when games that aren’t based on 10 year old open-world tropes, though? Game development for the most part seems to have to check a certain number of boxes – and I think that’s down to publishers, for the most part.

Guy:

Can’t argue. Everything is built of something. I loved the combat. Still do. The addition of Shamans to buff the Mongols is great too. And having spearman swap to shield bearers mid fight was excellent. If a little challenging for my old fingers.

Richard:

I agree with both of you in a way. The combat in general is smooth and effective, so satisfyingly visceral when those stand offs come good. What I really don’t click with is the stances and trying remember to change them. The game soon becomes an Assassins Creed style hit-n-run for me, as I churn through all my gadgets. Jin does send me to sleep though, and not being able to skip cutscenes is irksome.

Guy:

Stance swapping was crucial in the DLC

Richard:

It’s beyond me at the moment. I get why it’s there, I’m just not bothered enough to remember.

Guy:

I admit, it was a challenge to sty alive in the first few encounters. Relied heavily on gadgets But got my feel back.

Richard:

Yes, after almost a year I was more rusty than a Katana in a Gisborne charity shop!

Gerard:

Agree 100% with you, Brown: That kept you on your toes and I found the first thing to do was to take out the shaman so that the buffing was stopped in its tracks. Rich, stance swapping was always a key to success in the combat & despite completing the original game, I still missed the cues when those unavoidable attacks were incoming. I felt though that playing the Iki Island content with a fully upgraded Jin meant he was pretty much a slick samurai killer able to take out most foes competently. He almost felt overpowered at times

Guy:

Overall – Story was a great endgame bow on Jin’s childhood trauma alluded to in the main campaign. The Eagle was a cool ‘badguy’ (girl) using Jin’s own mind against him and him having to hide his true name from the Bandit allies added a twist. Combat was a new challange and its still Oh so pretty.….and when I though Nobu my horse had drowned!!

Richard:

I probably shouldn’t have gone straight to the new island like you say Gerard. I THINK I read somewhere that it could have done with a mini refresher tutorial. 100%  Talking of tropes, the whole woozy hallucination thing, yeah, nah. 

Oh God, the horse did have me worried, for 5 minutes.

Guy:

I would only buy this DLC if I had 100% the main game. As its just more of the same tbh though. Its for real fans who just need more.

Now Legends Mode!!! That is some awesome game design. I love it

Gerard:

We mentioned earlier that it’s more of the same and it is, deep down. There’s some new mechanics: Your horse can now charge down enemies and there are haptics from the controller. Exploration wise, there’s shrines to visit, records to collect, peasants to save but I can’t be arsed with the bamboo strike things: Too hard for my old gamer fingers.

If you stick with the exploration there is some rather neat sets of armour to collect at some shrines (all three pay homage to three iconic PlayStation games) and some nice horse armour. Which I, unfortunately, unlocked once I’d completed the main game as I didn’t bother with the mission till after I’d completed the main story line.

Richard:

I do want to try Legends also. Gerard I remember when I did the bamboo  things last year, I watched it then closed my eyes to repeat the pattern It worked!

I’ll enjoy collecting the armour, just got to find the time. I have noticed a few things around the Dualsense too. My favourite being the effect when you put your sword away.

Guy:

Legends is where my attention kept being drawn too. It has amazing customisation and built strats/metas and essentially gives tuned, linear co-op missions in the Tsushima world with that same amazing combat. Takes out the open world tropes, just leaves the cream.

Richard:

Something I do appreciate on the PS5 is that the pampas grass doesn’t look like a flock of sheep in the distance anymore.

Guy:

It is a stunning looking game on PS5

Gerard:

I really do need to check out Legends more. I dabbled in it briefly but just haven’t had time. Oh, I forgot to mention the motion controls for playing the flute at animal sanctuaries. If you’re a fan of petting virtual monkies, deer & cats, Iki Island has got you covered. Visually, as you mentioned, it is stunning on PS5, especially when you visit some of the pastel coloured fields.

It is a virtual photographer’s playground!

Richard:

Yes, admittedly looked good on PS4, but this makes the PS5 feel like a leap.

Guy:

Yes. That flute motion mechanics WAS excellent. Very clever 3d effect of music and motion.

Richard:

I’ve only found one so far, and, err, walked away.

Guy:

The combat is still one of the best implementations of melee outside of that Arkham/Mordor style. For me thats the reason to play. And the pretty pretty purrrty places. As I said, wouldn’t buy this DLC myself unless I had 100% the main game. As its basically just more of the same

Richard:

Agree on that for combat, some good risk vs reward there. It feels like you can connect, just remembering the combos gets tricky for me.

So, overall, we’re impressed, happy Samurai? It wasn’t broken and they didn’t fix it, just another healthy does of pretty, vicious Samurai adventuring.

Gerard:

I’ll never get a platinum on GOT because I just can’t be arsed with the bamboo strike or archery challenges but I was always interested in what the “?” on the map uncovered.

Agree about the combat: Being able to sneak in to a camp, take out some heavies silently, then pick off foes, one by one, was always a great time, especially fully maxed and enemies run away from you! *in what the next “?” on the map uncovered.

Richard:

That’s satisfying, oh and thankfully I just got the blowpipe. Which is a bit handy.

Guy:

Yep. Overall a good romp, more of the same, great for fans, but won’t win over non believers. 

Hallucination blow pipe is a great time. Send a Heavy crazy and watch the carnage from a hiding spot.

Richard:

That’s me all over

Guy:

God I wish we had a new Splinter Cell. Sigh

Gerard:

I’m impressed but then I was one of those gamers who was impressed with the original game. It’s more of the same but for me that’s a good thing. Next I want to see SuckerPunch bring us a new game in the inFamous series to PS5!

Richard:

Damn yes, that would be great.

Guy:

Righto. Must dash. Need to feed the horses

Richard:

Cheers guys, Sake time?

Gerard:

Must be bourbon-o’clock by now, right?

Thanks again to Playstation NZ/AU for the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut review code(s).