I booted up Ghost of Tsushima for the first time last night, and man: this is a pretty game. So far the combat is engaging and satisfying, but it’s difficult to focus on much when you’re being bombarded at all times with gorgeously lit, stunning visions of Japan at every moment. I hesitate to say that it’s the prettiest game I’ve ever played, but man, it just might be. An early tutorial section underneath an oak tree shedding bright red leaves is a sight to behold.
The game comes with a photo mode, and so far the internet has been absolutely loving it. I’ve messed around a little bit, but my work doesn’t quite compare to some of what I’m seeing from people who are further in the game and its one knockout after another.
There’s a lot to love here, but what keeps taking my breath away in this game is the use of light, something you can see on full display in some of these shots. There’s a beautiful filtering that’s happening much of the time, and while I can’t really speak to the technical achievements behind it, I can say that so far this has some of the most effective deployments of lighting I’ve ever seen in a game. Things look soft when they’re supposed to, crisp when they’re not. I want to play more of this game because I like hitting things with my sword, but mostly I just want to see more of the world that Sucker Punch has built, or even to spend more time in the few locations I’ve unlocked so far.
If I’ve got one complaint about Tsushima, it’s about collecting resources: you’re galloping over a gorgeous hill, wind blowing leaves at your back, and then you’re quickly jamming R2 to grab some bamboo. You’re strolling through the mists of an enchanting hot spring, stop to steal some dude’s flowers. It robs me of the ability to enjoy many of these moments for their own sake, instead cramming in what still feels like a superfluous resource system in on top and reducing these stunning vistas to storage containers for the same stuff we’ve been looting in every game since Minecraft.
I’m about to log back in, so we’ll see if minor gripes fade away or become major gripes. So far the visuals are enough to keep me coming back.
I’m a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Republic, IGN.com, Wired and more. I cover social games, video games,
I’m a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Republic, IGN.com, Wired and more. I cover social games, video games, technology and that whole gray area that happens when technology and consumers collide. Google