Ghost of Tsushimarocked the gaming world
when it launched on July 17. From its frenetic, addicting combat; engaging, thought-provoking story; and gorgeous open world that looked straight out of impressionist paintings, Sucker Punch’s latest IP was elevated to the status of being the swan song of the PS4. It truly was one last final hurrah before ushering in the next generation, with countless gamers singing praise for the amazing—and optimized—world Sucker Punch crafted, especially on such aged hardware.
If that wasn’t enough, Sucker Punch announced DLC for all owners of Ghost of Tsushima in August, promising free multiplayer content for all owners of the game. In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Sucker Punch detailed what sort of content would be arriving to players’ games come October 16.
Here are the top five exciting things about Ghost of Tsushima’s Update
Ghost of Tsushima
is an excellent game but far from a perfect one. As an open-world game, it has its fair share of open-world jank that can be hilariously immersion breaking or downright frustrating. Sucker Punch has done a good job through patches to clean up players’ experiences, but not all issues had been addressed, namely the game’s armor system.
Nothing is wrong with how armor sets functions or how they look. The problem lies with not having a concise, easy way to change between sets.
For a game that takes itself seriously, having protagonist Jin Sakai look the part of a feared, Mongol-slaying warrior is integral to the experience. However, with the way equipping armor functions in Ghost of Tsushima, players are constantly swapping outfits, charms, and other cosmetics to better tailor their experience at certain parts of the game.
Players may want Jin to wear the fabled Clan Sakai samurai armor for longer standoff streaks and better combat engagements when coming across large Mongol groups. If they prefer picking enemies off at a distance, they could opt for the legendary archer Tadayori’s armor, not to mention supplementary charms that benefit each playstyle.
Having to constantly contend with the game’s rudimentary system for specific engagements was a tiresome ordeal, especially when considering how so many other open-world games have simpler, easier to work with loadout systems in place.
The new update does away with those concerns entirely.
The Version 1.1 update now introduces an armor loadout system that makes switching armor, vanity gear, and charms as easy as pressing a button. Armor sets can be fitted with whatever players want to get the best immersive and role-playing experience possible with little hiccups in between.
The newest update gives players who finished the game a reason to come back. Gamers can now restart Jin’s journey with all of his skills, gear, and vanity items intact and face off against the Mongol horde with the full might of the Ghost. The game’s difficulty will also be increased to give seasoned players a challenge, but can be adjusted in the settings.
Along with this fresh start, new powerful charms are available for Jin as well as additional upgrades to his sword, bow, and armor to aid his quest against Tsushima’s invaders. Players will also get a New Game+ horse to accompany them on their journey.
In addition to these upgrades, New Game+ also introduces the Ghost Flower Merchant, a mysterious masked vendor that gives players new armor dyes and vanity gear only found in New Game+. Their wares are bought with a new currency called Ghost Flowers, which can be earned when re-doing previously done quests.
On top of all these enticing features, completionists will be happy to know more trophies have been added for the new challenges that await.
It’s a shame New Game+ starts right after Jin is defeated by Khotun Khan at the beginning of the game. It would have been some sweet justice to defeat the Khan with the full might of the Ghost so early.
The multiplayer aspect of the update can shoulder a great deal of the credit for how much hype the update generated. The ability to explore the breathtaking world of Tsushima together with friends was a dream no more, and Ghost of Tsuhsima: Legends is throwing its own spin on the already established world.
Rather than exploring the island already seen, players will be delving into the mythical and supernatural underbelly that was teased throughout the main game’s Mythical Tales.
The mode is prescribed with three distinct modes: story, survival, and raid.
Story mode is a two-player co-op adventure that has gamers exploring a haunting, fantastical world of myth, as compared to the more grounded single-player world. Enemies, locales, and characters will reflect this, inspired heavily by Japanese myths and folktales.
Survival has four players teaming up to take on waves of fantastical enemies while defending key locations in Tsushima. The longer players last, the more rewards they will earn.
The Raid mode has been less detailed than Story or Survival. The official blog post describes it as an “epic three-part adventure” that has four players delve into Iyo’s realm, and will require the utmost skill, communication, cooperation, gear, and more. The blog post said the mode will launch in the weeks following the update.
From its description alone, it sounds like it will be a cross between story and survival, with perhaps a boss element involved. Whatever it is, it sounds just as fun as the other multiplayer content and a fresh addition to the game. It should be a blast to take on with a group of friends
Along with the new multiplayer mode comes new classes.
To make each player in the lobby distinct from one another, Ghost of Tsushima introduces the four classes from which players will choose: Samurai, Assassin, Hunter, and Ronin.
Each class has exclusive techniques, gear, and special abilities to set players apart and give them a unique role when tackling multiplayer content. The Samurai can use Hachiman’s Fury to hack away at overwhelming odds. The Hunter activates the Eye of Uchitsune to eviscerate foes at a distance. The Assassin teleports around the battlefield like a demon out of hell. The Ronin? He can summon a spirit dog (which gamers can absolutely pet!).
All classes have multiple layers of customization, including vanity gear, voices, and emotes, giving gamers free reign in designing their personalized, perfected Legend. These abilities and gear are tied to class progression and purchased via a currency exclusive to the multiplayer mode. It will incentivize players to do well in the modes multiplayer offers.
The amazing thing about the update is how everything is still tied to Tsushima and its mythos and lore. Along with Ghost Flower Merchant, Gyozen the Storyteller is a new character players will meet with the update.
Though Gyozen mainly functions as a hub for players to access online and multiplayer, he still serves as the central messenger in telling the Legends of Tsushima stories. He will serve as the connective tissue that links the legends of yore to the tales of Jin and everything in between.
If the mythical tales of the original game were any indication, Gyozen’s tales—and the multiplayer’s story by extension—will be a blast to play. Long lost techniques will be passed down and history will be left up to the players’ interpretation.
More lore is always good, especially coming from a world as rich and meticulously crafted as Ghost of Tsushima.
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