Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut PC Review — Still The Prettiest Open-World Game To Date

One of the most anticipated Playstation PC ports finally hit the stores on May 16, although not everyone worldwide can access it. Nevertheless, it is definitely one of the best PC ports in a while, and the consistency of NIXXES with its porting support is absolutely commendable. This brings us to our other question: How well does Ghost of Tsushima hold up after four years? Honestly, pretty well.

Story And Setting

Ghost of Tsushima kicks off with a cinematic shot of the samurai army prepping to face the Mongol Army on the outskirts of Tshima Island, helmed by Khotun Khan. The entire prologue is a war setpiece that ends with the samurai’s crushing defeat, setting the tone of the game. Amongst the army is a survivor named Jin Sakai, who swears revenge against Khotun Khan to save his uncle and the Tsushima Island.

It’s a simple story of a hero who rallies his fallen allies and forms new alliances to take on a greater foe, told with great effectiveness. There is definitely an Assassin’s Creed DNA in its mission design, but those aspects get overshadowed quickly by the Kurosawa-inspired epic that unfolds before the eyes.

The writing also doesn’t lose any momentum in the companion’s sub-stories, and they are just as good, if not more. The only weak part of the main story was the villain Khotun Khan, who sticks out as a weak link in an otherwise very good epic.

It’s a simple story of a hero who rallies his fallen allies and forms new alliances to take on a greater foe, told with great effectiveness

Also, I personally didn’t enjoy the story of Ikshima Island as much as the main story, primarily because it felt more like a Far Cry story rather than a Kurosawa one. Apart from that, I feel that the overall story should’ve had more clear consequences or paths for choosing honor or dishonor.

The Meaning Of Honor

The story unfolds with lingering questions of honor and dishonor as you backstab your enemies and slit their throats under the cover of darkness. These acts violate the samurai code, but when the lives of your loved ones are at stake, is upholding the honor code really necessary? Jin and his uncle Lord Shimura always had a different definition of honor.

To Jin, honor meant protecting others, while Lord Shimura had a much more traditional definition. In a sense, Jin upholds his definition of honor even if it means breaking the samurai code. Ghost of Tsushima places both the player and the protagonist in an intriguing dilemma, asking them to reflect on the definition of honor and whether it is worth upholding when so many lives are on the line.

Gameplay

Ghost of Tsushima features stylish, cinematic combat that combines free-flowing action with intense duels. Over the course of the story, Jin gains access to 4 fighting stances: Wind, Water, Stone, and Moon. Each of these brings interesting dynamics to the gameplay as different enemies are centered in different combat stances, encouraging the player to keep switching stances to keep the flow of the combat going.

Ghost of Tsushima places both the player and the protagonist in an intriguing dilemma, asking them to reflect on the definition of honor and whether it is worth upholding when so many lives are on the line.

In addition to that, Jin has ninja tools that can be used in both melee combat and stealth, such as kunai knives, poison and hypnotizing darts, and bows. Ghost of Tsushima even further rewards the player for playing well by granting “resolve” and filling Jin’s Ghost Stance meter, which further opens more options for countering and defeating the enemies.

The set of tools and mechanics available to Jin is commendable and really makes its combat stand out from its peers. This is true for the first half of the game, but I can’t say the same for its full runtime.

Interesting Combat Dynamics That Are Not Suitable For The Runtime

Four different combat stances, Ninja Tools, Skill Trees, and Enemy Variety, are accustomed to these stances and tools, and a handful of setpieces here and there keep things interesting. On paper, it sounds great, and it is for the time being. Ghost of Tsushima felt great when I didn’t have access to everything, and every combat encounter was a real struggle as I slowly gained access to everything that was available to me.

Sadly, the game reveals its cards too early and barely leaves anything for its third and a portion of the second act. The open-world missions, the Mongol-infested fortresses, and even the main story missions can start to feel repetitive as the combat doesn’t evolve beyond that point.

The set of tools and mechanics available to Jin is commendable and really makes its combat stand out from its peers.

And that is only because the encounter design has no variation. It comes down to repeating the same set of tasks in every encounter to get by. That wouldn’t have been a problem if it had a high ceiling of a challenge, but once you get access to everything, the game becomes very easy, and the thrill of struggle and encounters is lost.

If Ghost of Tsushima was a shorter, more focused action game, it wouldn’t have suffered from this problem, but being an Open-World game comes at a cost.

Cinematic Samurai Duels

Even if the combat outstays its welcome, it never fails to look amazing. Controlling Jin and dancing around the battlefield, hacking and slashing every Mongol soldier that approaches, always looks amazing. Whether I am surrounded by Mongols or clashing against a ronin in a 1v1, the cinematography never loses its strength.

An Interesting Approach To Open World But Not The Activities

Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t really break any boundaries, but I like its approach to the open world. Instead of high beams coming down from the sky or the over-reliance on the mini or the big map, the game uses existing in-game effects to guide the players towards their destination without breaking their immersion with out-of-place effects or hud. 

It makes clever use of guiding winds, flying birds, and foxes to guide Jin to nearby points of interest. Although not every activity is interesting, there is still enough variation for those who want to go for 100% completion. Activities involving trailing or repeatedly doing the same set of tasks didn’t do much for me. That said, I strongly recommend doing all of Jin’s companion sub-stories.

The Legends Mode Is A Cherry On Top

On top of a very robust single-player campaign, the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut PC port also comes with a multiplayer mode called The Legends. A feature that was missing in Uncharted and Last of Us. There isn’t much to say about that hasn’t already been said, but it functions just like its console counterpart. 

A new set of levels with a redefined art direction, more gear, enemy types, and most importantly a working online functionality makes it more than just a free add-on.

It’s a fun mode that I recommend checking out if you have someone to play with, but even solo, it still doesn’t lose its charm. 

Visuals And Performance

Honestly, I am at a loss for words here because “WOW.” Even four years after its release, Ghost of Tsushima remains the prettiest open-world game to date, rivaled only by Elden Ring in terms of art direction. The hustling and bustling of flora and fauna is reminiscent of beautifully choreographed traditional dances. 

Its excellent use of vibrant, distinct colors will make you stop every 30 seconds to open Photo Mode, and this is even truer in the PC port, which features ever-higher-resolution textures and effects.

Even four years after its release, Ghost of Tsushima remains the prettiest open-world game to date, rivaled only by Elden Ring in terms of art direction.

The entire world feels as if it were painted with watercolors. Sucker Punch undoubtedly set a new bar for art direction with Ghost of Tsushima, a standard that, to this day, is rivaled by only a handful of their peers.

A Filter Worthy Of The Name Kurosawa

I initially never paid much heed to the Kurosawa mode back in PS5 playthrough, and a part of me always felt why I would ever suck the life out of this word for a black-and-white filter. I never could’ve been more wrong. Kurosawa mode is not a simple black-and-white filter; it’s an entirely different experience.

The cinematic flair this mode adds makes Ghost of Tsushima feel like a 1956 Kurosawa-directed movie. The added visual and audio noise also contributes to this. It looks like a completely different game. If this is your second time playing Ghost of Tsushima, I strongly recommend checking out Kurosawa mode.

In short, I could write another 1000 words admiring the beauty of this game, and it still wouldn’t be enough, so my only suggestion would be to go and check it out for yourself. Lastly, the PC port is smooth as butter. Easily one of the best ports in a while.

Verdict

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is a samurai epic worth experiencing, and thanks to the stunning PC port by Nixxes and Sucker Punch, there is very little reason not to. Despite not breaking any boundaries and still grappling with some common open-world issues, I wholeheartedly recommend Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut to others for its breathtaking cinematography and captivating Kurosawa-inspired narrative.

This has been my Ghost of Tsushima Diredctor’s Cut review. While you’re here, consider checking out some of our other articles. 

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• XDefiant
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