Summary
- Ghost of Tsushima is a stealth-focused action/adventure game that encourages strategy and careful timing.
- The game features a variety of Ghost Weapons, such as Kunai and Sticky Bombs, that should return in a sequel.
- Smoke Bombs are invaluable for quick escapes or assassinations, while Firecrackers are useful for distracting foes and breaking up groups of enemies.
The stealth genre isn't quite what it used to be. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, the stealth video game genre was seeing a golden age thanks to games like Splinter Cell and Thief. In these games, stealth wasn't just an extra option for a handful of players to use to make the game more challenging, but instead, the only way to play the game, encouraging strategy and careful timing. While stealth games have largely disappeared, their legacy does live on in some big-budget action/adventure games, games like Ghost of Tsushima.
Alluded to in its very title, Ghost of Tsushima is a little more stealth-focused than some of its AAA action/adventure contemporaries. Taking on the role of the samurai Jin Sakai, players must drive Mongol invaders from their homeland of Tsushima by any means necessary, whether it's taking them head-on in a duel, or sneaking behind enemy lines and poisoning food supplies. Along the way, players will obtain a slew of stealth-centered Ghost Weapons, and there are a good few that should carry over to a potential sequel.
Crucial Ghost Weapons For the Ghost of Tsushima Sequel
Kunai
By far one of the most useful Ghost Weapons in Ghost of Tsushima, the Kunai is a throwable blade that can be used to gain the edge in a head-on fight, or take enemies by surprise from a distance. While in a duel, a thrown Kunai can break a foe's defense and knock them off balance, allowing the player to land a powerful counterattack. Once upgraded, players can throw three Kunai at once, acting as a great last resort for any fight against overwhelming odds.
Sticky Bomb
One of several variations of the same gadget, Ghost of Tsushima's Sticky Bomb essentially acts as a more powerful, but limited-use Kunai. Rather than break the defense of multiple enemies at once in an instant, the Sticky Bomb is instead primarily used as a way to damage and distract larger enemy types, with upgrades causing all those surrounding them to be caught in the lethal blast.
Smoke Bomb
An integral gadget in just about any stealth game, Ghost of Tsushima's Smoke Bomb is truly invaluable. While the Smoke Bomb can be used in a variety of situations, it's best used as a form of quick escape, giving players a few brief seconds of much-needed reprieve in a losing fight. While in the Smoke Bomb's fumes, players can dash away to gain a more advantageous position, or they could use the cover to quickly assassinate a handful of enemies. With an additional upgrade, the Smoke Bomb can even be used to regain some lost health, making it the ideal gadget for tough encounters like bandit camps.
Firecracker
Not the most useful Ghost Weapon of them all, but still a good option that should carry forward to a Ghost of Tsushima 2, the Firecracker is the best way to distract foes and break up large groups of enemies. An upgraded form of the Wind Chime, the Firecracker can be thrown in a fairly wide arc, giving the player plenty of freedom in where they guide their enemies to. For players attempting a mainly pacifist run, Firecrackers become one of the best gadgets in the game, letting users slip by undetected.
Caltrops
A Ghost Weapon that's exclusive to Ghost of Tsushima's multiplayer Legends mode, Caltrops can easily become one of the most useful gadgets in the entire game, just as long as players use them correctly. Thrown either at their feet or in an arc, Caltrops are used to slow enemies down, and with a few upgrades, can even damage enemies that pass through the area.
Ghost of Tsushima
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- July 17, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4 & PS5
WHERE TO PLAY
A storm is coming. Discover the expanded Ghost of Tsushima experience in this Director’s Cut. Uncover the hidden wonders of Tsushima in this open-world action adventure from Sucker Punch Productions and PlayStation Studios, available for PS5 and PS4. Forge a new path and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima. Challenge opponents with your katana, master the bow to eliminate distant threats, develop stealth tactics to ambush enemies and explore a new story on Iki Island.
- Number of Players
- 2-4
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- Metascore
- 83
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
