Ghost of Tsushima - New Sucker Punch IP

[Uncle Mike]

I'm just finishing up the Iki Island DLC, (exactly what you'd expect, more of the same on a new map, some very light twists, of value to those hankering for more) and I think the issues aren't so much that it's not a beautiful world. I think firstly, traversal isn't fun in and of itself. Open worlds sing when moving around them is fun. Obvs a samurai fling around the map like Just Cause doesn't make much sense, bit it does rather limit the joy of getting from place to place.

 

And then, a lot of the cookie cutter open world map markers aren't necessarily fun either. Go here, press R2, get a point. They're not things to enjoy, outside of a few activities. So I do think at times the template hurts it. Maybe games should start to crib from the last two Uncharteds a bit and have open sections inside otherwise more linear games?

[MattyP]

3 hours ago, hmm said:

I've finally got started on this too, currently maybe ten or so hours in, though I'm finding progress very gradual so far. Not because the game itself is too slow but more that any time I go to play later on in the evening, I find the game tends to just make me incredibly sleepy and I end up going to bed. Not that it's boring either - I really like the combat - but it's the way that, between those battles, you're peacefully exploring this gorgeous environment with the constant, possibly quite ASMRish, wind passing through the trees and surrounding you with mesmerising whirls of colour. Honestly, I'm feeling more relaxed just describing it. Quite a surreal experience so far with this contradiction of brutal violence and gentle, hypnotic beauty.

 

Catching up with some of the earlier thread, I'm surprised by the complaints about its generic open world structure. I feel almost precisely the opposite about it so far. I have read that there are huge numbers of the different collectibles so I can believe that, later on, it becomes a bit of a chore if you see it through, but people seemed to be talking about even the early stages. So far it strikes me as one of the most natural open world games I've played, with almost nothing intruding to take you out of the experience. I absolutely love the navigation system: there's nothing more draining to your sense of immersion than a minimap or a permanent floating signpost on the screen, but here I'm free to wander around taking in the stunning vistas guided by nothing more than an almost subconscious impression of the direction in which the breeze is taking me.

Agree! Its a mesmerising place to traverse - like moving through a Japanese art piece for want of a better description. Feels almost like a zen type experience with the wind to guide you on your way until obviously you start fighting with a Mongol horde somewhere!  Personally so far think the combat is quite clumsy in that there feels little elegance in how you handle encounters... just whack and slice... Might develop a bit further on as you gain skills or craft other types of devices etc. 

 

In a way its a shame a game like this has to rely on combat as it main progression mechanism - I guess there are stealth elements and the premise of the game is built around battles in feudal Japan however I guess fighting and violence sells game and what many gamers want.  Think I'm mostly happy pottering around the world... might actually move the quest on a bit at some point. I think I maybe playing this for a fair while... 

[Floshenbarnical]

On 08/02/2022 at 04:02, hmm said:

I've finally got started on this too, currently maybe ten or so hours in, though I'm finding progress very gradual so far. Not because the game itself is too slow but more that any time I go to play later on in the evening, I find the game tends to just make me incredibly sleepy and I end up going to bed. Not that it's boring either - I really like the combat - but it's the way that, between those battles, you're peacefully exploring this gorgeous environment with the constant, possibly quite ASMRish, wind passing through the trees and surrounding you with mesmerising whirls of colour. Honestly, I'm feeling more relaxed just describing it. Quite a surreal experience so far with this contradiction of brutal violence and gentle, hypnotic beauty.

 

Catching up with some of the earlier thread, I'm surprised by the complaints about its generic open world structure. I feel almost precisely the opposite about it so far. I have read that there are huge numbers of the different collectibles so I can believe that, later on, it becomes a bit of a chore if you see it through, but people seemed to be talking about even the early stages. So far it strikes me as one of the most natural open world games I've played, with almost nothing intruding to take you out of the experience. I absolutely love the navigation system: there's nothing more draining to your sense of immersion than a minimap or a permanent floating signpost on the screen, but here I'm free to wander around taking in the stunning vistas guided by nothing more than an almost subconscious impression of the direction in which the breeze is taking me.

 

I've finally gotten into this properly after owning it for over a year. PS5 version now too. It's phenomenal, both in terms of beauty and gameplay. The story is a bit You Killed My Father Prepare to Die but who cares. I haven't even done any of the main quests yet really, I keep getting distracted by random Tales on the way. I just completed the Heavenly Strike tale - the boss gave me grief for about ten deaths, because I went into it with about 1hp and no Resolve so it had to be flawless. I eventually completed it the second I stopped trying to deal damage and just focused on Parry/ Dodge with a quick attack after, just whittling him down.

 

Large groups of spear-having Mongols can fuck off however, as can the big fatties with the huge clubs.

[Parappa]

16 minutes ago, Floshenbarnical said:

 

I've finally gotten into this properly after owning it for over a year. PS5 version now too. It's phenomenal, both in terms of beauty and gameplay. The story is a bit You Killed My Father Prepare to Die but who cares. I haven't even done any of the main quests yet really, I keep getting distracted by random Tales on the way. I just completed the Heavenly Strike tale - the boss gave me grief for about ten deaths, because I went into it with about 1hp and no Resolve so it had to be flawless. I eventually completed it the second I stopped trying to deal damage and just focused on Parry/ Dodge with a quick attack after, just whittling him down.

 

Large groups of spear-having Mongols can fuck off however, as can the big fatties with the huge clubs.

Don't forget to change your stance accordingly....

[MattyP]

14 minutes ago, Floshenbarnical said:

 

I've finally gotten into this properly after owning it for over a year. PS5 version now too. It's phenomenal, both in terms of beauty and gameplay. The story is a bit You Killed My Father Prepare to Die but who cares. I haven't even done any of the main quests yet really, I keep getting distracted by random Tales on the way. I just completed the Heavenly Strike tale - the boss gave me grief for about ten deaths, because I went into it with about 1hp and no Resolve so it had to be flawless. I eventually completed it the second I stopped trying to deal damage and just focused on Parry/ Dodge with a quick attack after, just whittling him down.

 

Large groups of spear-having Mongols can fuck off however, as can the big fatties with the huge clubs.

It can feel a bit "by the numbers" Sony open world story game. But it's really well done and the world a place you want to experience and explore.

 

I enjoy the way you can approach things either by stealthily moving around and working through the current objective or going in sword raised and full on. Although some tales encourage the stealth option.

 

The fact it's an open world game and I'm still playing is something as usually not a fan - think Sony do nail these type of games and get the balance about right with interesting worlds, stories and gameplay. 

[Floshenbarnical]

2 hours ago, Parappa said:

Don't forget to change your stance accordingly....

have not unlocked yet. I did however compose a haiku, which was very relaxing. 
 

also discovered jump + square = hilarious jump attack, great intro to some ass-kicking

[catinthehat]

On 08/02/2022 at 12:29, MattyP said:

Think I'm mostly happy pottering around the world... might actually move the quest on a bit at some point. I think I maybe playing this for a fair while... 

 

This is how I approached this, Death Stranding, and Red Dead 2.  I just spend so long pottering about and exploring, I don't even care how far the main quest is progressed.  I sometimes dip in to a side quest, or seek our some treasure or something, but the fighting is completely secondary for me.  For my second playthrough of GoT and Death Stranding I stuck them both in Super Easy mode (or whatever they call it) for exactly that reason.

 

I absolutely adore these detailed open worlds, and an in awe of the talent required to create them.

[MattyP]

Currently working through the final act on this... (getting it complete before GT7 arrives!).

 

Really enjoyed it so far. Story is good and keeps it interesting. Difficulty seems a bit inconsistent at times though some of the tales seem to be a trickier than the end of act ones... surprised how easy the end of Act 2 was for example over some of the tales within it!  

 

I'll be working through Act 3 tonight and looking forward to the conclusion of the story. Not sure if I'll go back and mop anything up after the story is done though but enjoy just traversing around the world so may continue doing this whilst exploring some of the side tales perhaps. There is also the Iki Island expansion so will probably go through that after the main story is complete. 

[scoobysi]

Agreed, some of the tales are quite tricky, I think I’m playing on Hard and I had to experiment with some of the armour and charms and required quite a few goes to get past some.

There’s one part of the game on Iki Island that I found particularly frustrating.

Spoiler

The Hidden Cove tournament vs Take in her second phase where she backs off, I can parry no problem elsewhere in the game but found it a bit clunky and random there. The other 3 opponents were relatively easy in comparison.

I need one trophy for Platinum in the main game and have nearly completed Iki Island but what I’m thinking might be the final tale seems tough. I’ve gone off to upgrade my armour a bit more before returning.

 

I want to finish off this and HZD Frozen Wilds (which I’ve only just started) before I buy either HFW or Elden Ring, although GT7 will probably delay the purchase of both of those a bit more. I’m really itching to play HFW too  .

[davejm]

Is there a good part of the story to take on Iki island?  Currently mid way through act 2.

[scoobysi]

33 minutes ago, davejm said:

Is there a good part of the story to take on Iki island?  Currently mid way through act 2.

Best to finish the main storyline I think.

[TheFixx]

Is there anywhere selling this on offer for PS4? I've been keen to check it out because I like Sucker Punch games, especially Sly Cooper.

[MattyP]

Just finished this earlier this morning! I started playing last night and didn't notice the time... Ended up being 1.30 in the morning before I could blink! Not done that for a long while!

 

Great end to the story and just felt like an epic game in terms of scale and feeling being part of a big battle.

 

Lovely visuals and sound. Still amazes me that this runs on a PS4! Of course lovely frame rate improvement on PS5 but still.

 

This has felt as much next gen as anything I've played. Very enjoyable game and to be fair if you have a PS5 and haven't played this worth picking up if you like the premise of the game (historic fuedal Japan). Also has a bit of depth to the swordplay if you stick it on higher levels with some moves to learn if you enjoy fighting games obviously not as deep. The stances add an extra element. I will say it can be a touch frustrating at times when you are surrounded by enemies and attacked from all sides but best to avoid this and form strategies to avoid this scenario (ie: RUN!).

 

So onto Iki Island now! Just have to find where it opens...

[CheekyMonkey]

I started this again recently on PS5 after kind of losing interest on PS4 last year, and have to agree with a lot of people here it's an unbelievably good game. I just can't get over the sheer amount of content, I've tried to finish it in time for Elden Ring but it just keeps going, and going, and going... Does it get boring? Hell no! 

If anything it's become a little easy now, but that's only made it an even better experience in my eyes. After a few hours in, I would be creeping around terrified of being spotted, picking off a few stragglers here and there, and any battles with more than 2 or 3 enemies I was toast. Now I saunter casually right up to the front door of a Mongol camp and challenge them, wipe out 5 of them without batting an eyelid, then dance around about 10-15 warriors, switching stances in some sort of marvellous Samurai bloodletting dance routine, while the remaining 4 or 5 guys actually drop their swords and run off into the wilderness in abject terror. Absolutely amazing stuff. 

[scoobysi]

Got the last couple of trophies for Platinum tonight and finished off Iki Island too. What an absolute stunning game.

 

 

[CheekyMonkey]

I've played this solidly now for 2 weeks. It's just phenomenal stuff - the world they built, the missions, stories, the combat - its glorious. If you like open worlds with samurais, battles and scenic, moody sword duels under moonlight there's really not much more you can ask for. 

 

I mentioned above that once you've advanced a fair bit you can become almost unstoppable - but oddly enough this is where the game really took off for me, when you truly become "The Ghost". Having the bad guys cowering in terror as you advance towards them is an empowering experience I've not seen in a game to this extent before. 

 

I had to chuckle just now when I was clearing a fort, and just as I was down to the last 2 guys, I noticed even their dogs became terrified, turned tail and scampered off (leaving their masters to a bloody end)! 😂

 

One of the best games I've played for sure - and I can finish this up tomorrow and move straight on to Elden Ring. How bloody amazing is that!? 

[davejm]

28 minutes ago, CheekyMonkey said:

I've played this solidly now for 2 weeks. It's just phenomenal stuff - the world they built, the missions, stories, the combat - its glorious. If you like open worlds with samurais, battles and scenic, moody sword duels under moonlight there's really not much more you can ask for. 

 

I mentioned above that once you've advanced a fair bit you can become almost unstoppable - but oddly enough this is where the game really took off for me, when you truly become "The Ghost". Having the bad guys cowering in terror as you advance towards them is an empowering experience I've not seen in a game to this extent before. 

 

I had to chuckle just now when I was clearing a fort, and just as I was down to the last 2 guys, I noticed even their dogs became terrified, turned tail and scampered off (leaving their masters to a bloody end)! 😂

 

One of the best games I've played for sure - and I can finish this up tomorrow and move straight on to Elden Ring. How bloody amazing is that!? 

 

I'm on Act III now and I had the same feeling; with regard to it being more enjoyable the more of a badass I've become!

[sandman]

Is the PS5 upgrade worth it? I'm playing the PS4 version on my PS5 and that looks incredible.

 

 

[Parappa]

1 hour ago, sandman said:

Is the PS5 upgrade worth it? I'm playing the PS4 version on my PS5 and that looks incredible.

 

 

Yes. and you get the DLC. 

[Captain Kelsten]

I bought this on release on my PS4 pro and enjoyed it but, like many games, got distracted. I’m really looking forward to starting again and getting stuck in properly with the nice ps5 upgrade  

[Len]

I need to do the very same thing (started on ps5 after finishing TLOU2 and it just felt so clunky after that so stopped to come back later) at some point.

[Nathan Wind]

Thirded. I mostly got distracted by the legends mode though, to be fair. Really must go back and do the story.

[smac]

On 17/03/2022 at 14:30, sandman said:

Is the PS5 upgrade worth it? I'm playing the PS4 version on my PS5 and that looks incredible.

 

 

 

So there is an upgrade path from PS4? I hadn't looked for one, but I think I might indulge if (when) I fancy a replay. 

[Captain Kelsten]

45 minutes ago, smac said:

 

So there is an upgrade path from PS4? I hadn't looked for one, but I think I might indulge if (when) I fancy a replay. 

If you own the base PS4 game you can pay about £25 to upgrade to the ps5 director’s cut. 
 

If you own the PS4 director’s cut, you can upgrade to the ps5 version for about a tenner I think. 
 

If you own the base PS4 game and want to upgrade to the PS4 director’s cut you can and I think it costs about £15. 

[smac]

Ta. I got the base PS4 game when it was 30 quid on Amazon - so another 25 quid to get the PS5 DC seems worth it.

[Captain Kelsten]

No worries - I only know because I looked into it myself yesterday

 

[teddymeow]

100% the DLC now after buying the DC at launch and, quelle surprise, not playing it!!

 

Proper good stuff on 0S5. The realtime lipsyncing is great and the way the game gets it's hooks in to drive you to find all the secrets is impressive.

 

The standoffs are still a highlight!

[Stanley]

Started playing this now that it is included in the new PS+ subscription, and I’m really enjoying it. 
 

I am surprised I didn’t play it sooner tbh because I enjoyed all the Infamous games. 
 

It’s obviously completely different to anything they’ve done before but it’s the same high quality you get with their games; it looks amazing and the sound is great too, and controls are nice and fluid. 
 

I am still getting to grips with the combat, timing and so on, but it does feel awesome doing those stand offs! I like the balance between stealth and open combat too, and how they integrate it into the samurai code of honour - it makes a change from every other game where you feel like you have to use stealth first and only revert to open combat should you mess up. Here it kind of turns that on its head - and it feels quite refreshing. 

[KartoffelKopf]

Yep, loving this too. Wasn’t sure if I was ready for another open world epic so soon after Elden Ring but this is perfect and obviously nothing like Elden Ring at all. 
 

The structure is pretty generic stuff. Uncover the map, reveal the icons, level up, do the side missions etc. but the world is stunning, the setting is perfect, the story is intriguing and the combat is kinetic and varied.

 

There is a ton of game here too. Just watched a video on what Legends mode is and it’s a whole other massive co-op mode. Looks amazing and reminded me a little of Mass Effects 3’s MP mode in its structure, which is a good thing.   

[KartoffelKopf]

Legends mode is absolutely bananas as a piece of free DLC. Been hammering it for the last week or so and it's ridiculous fun. Great breadth of classes and play styles and focussing on the spooky demonic side of the games story which they only touch on briefly in the main game. I only meant to give it a quick go before I tackled the Iki Island DLC but that hasn't had a look in. The combat system totally comes into it's own.

 

As a complete package, I think this is my favourite of the Sony Exclusives. It's just endless multiplayer content really for a fraction of what the looter shooter publishers would be skinning me for. There are no seasons or skins or whatever and whilst there is no ongoing support, so it does have a finite shelf life, my encroaching middle age and need for more sleep and less late gaming means I can jump on here and there and I'll never feel like I've got to keep up with anything.