Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is arriving on PlayStation 5 almost exactly one year and one month after its original release. The game includes brand-new content - Iki Island - in addition to features that take advantage of the improvements in hardware, such as 3D audio, 4K visuals aiming at 60 frames per second, and DualSense support.

After a majority of his clan is wiped out by Mongolian invaders, Jin Sakai, a samurai who is fighting to rebuild his family and take back his island's legacy, becomes a powerful soldier who is called upon to take back the island of Tsushima.

It's awesome to return to Tsushima after playing it on PS4 originally. A Mongol army led by Khotun Khan's initial invasion is one of the most cinematic and impressive opening sequences in video games. Seeing how impressive Ghost of Tsushima looks on the PS5, it's hard to believe it ever ran on a PlayStation 4. This island still stands out because of the colours, weather effects, and how the weather affects nature.

As Jin explores Iki island, he encounters a large group of Mongols who seem to be possessed by rage. When he defeats them, he discovers the ruthlessness was caused by a mysterious shayman. In addition, Jin discovers that this shayman is from Iki Island, a land where Samurai are unwelcome, and also the place where Jin's father met his untimely death when he was youthful.

The original game did not provide much of Jin's backstory, but Iki Island fills that gap beautifully. This feels like a crucial piece of storytelling whose absence makes the base game's story weaker.

This Director's Cut is the perfect excuse to return to Tsushima. In terms of visuals, the game is now comparable with other Sony tentpoles. There are plenty of reasons to play the game a second time, despite the nagging feelings of repetitiveness or nagging feelings of repetitive gameplay.

I hope this review motivates you to go back to this masterpiece if you played it only on PS4.

AJ