Earlier this week, Sony and developer Sucker Punch announced a new State of Play would be released today showing off an extended look at Ghost of Tsushima. Today, Sucker Punch showed off 18 minutes of new gameplay while going through and discussing how exploration, combat, and customization will work.
With exploration, Sucker Punch wanted to make it one of the core aspects of the game but wanted to do things differently by making it as immersive as possible. Jason Connell of Sucker Punch Productions said “Exploration has been at the heart of our open world design since the very beginning. But you can’t have exploration if you don’t have curiosity. So we’ve continually asked ourselves ‘how can we let the island guide you in the most thematic and immersive ways possible?” The answer is a feature called Guiding Wind which helps the player navigate the island by leading them to a point they marked on the map. Players can call a gust of wind at any time which will point them in the right direction.
There are also other visual cues throughout the island of Tsushima that’ll lead players to something interesting like smokestacks which signify people in need of help. Animals can lead players to other points of interest. Some birds can lead you to hidden locations while foxes will lead players to hidden shrines. Locations you visit will act as Fast Travel points.
A breakdown of how combat works in the game reveals that Jin, the main character can utilize different combat stances which will inflict the most damage to specific enemy types. There is also a parry mechanic that can leave enemies open and vulnerable when timed correctly. You can also use different types of bows to attack from a distance.
As the Ghost, Jin can use other techniques and tactics such as distractions to lure enemies away from each other to slip by unnoticed or to assassinate silently. Smoke bombs can be used to either evade enemies or set them up for an unseen attack. Kunai are throwing knives you can use to take out enemies quickly when spotted. Sucker Punch says that “The Mongols will learn to fear the Ghost. Use that to your advantage.”
Customization not only means Jin and what he wears but you can customize other areas of the game as well. The armor Jin wears not only changes his appearance but each provides different mechanical advantages to suit your play style. Charms can be equipped to give Jin an edge in battle. He can also learn different skills and upgrade them with technique points. Players do not have to be limited to the color of the armor equipped. Dye flowers found throughout the world can change the color of the armor. In addition, Ghost of Tsushima will have a robust photo mode and the option to have the game played in Japanese which can be turned on before the game starts. And, there is an option to play the game in a Black and White mode evoking classic Samurai cinema. Like the language option, this too can be turned on before you get into the game.
Ghost of Tsushima releases on July 17, 2019.