Ghost of Tsushima Retrospective
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Giving Ghost of Tsushima the spotlight it always deserved. In this video we talk about the game, it's many systems and how they work together.
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Since nobody here has brought it up, I will.
Let me preface by saying I absolutely love this game and have done two full 100% play throughs since it’s release
However, on the topic of Jin’s or rather Lord Shimura’s “code of honor”
It’s completely inaccurate to how samurai of pre modern Japan would carry themselves in combat.
There was nothing dishonorable about killing your enemy by any means possible and I do mean ANY means..
If a samurai was dueling an enemy samurai and they accidentally lost their katana mid fight, the opposing samurai would ABSOLUTELY take advantage of this and press the attack even more aggressively.
Jin’s actions as the Ghost are ironically far more accurate to how samurai during the Sengoku period (warring states period) would conduct themselves in battle.
THIS
I do not know a whole lots about these time periods jn history but i did feel there was something off about his “honor” since the depiction of samurai in anything fictional or historically based never follows these supposed rules
I don't really see this as a criticism, though. It's just a fact - the game is very much conforming to a romanticized view of pre Meiji Restoration Japan, i.e. the whole samurai aesthetic, which is intentional. It's in line with the game's tribute to the great cinematic works of Kurosawa and others which also fall into that camp; it's not necessarily trying to be authentic.
@@VignetteQ 100% agree! I wasn’t trying to come off as though I was being critical in a negative sense. I even pointed out how much I enjoyed the game in fact. Ghost of Tsushima does exactly what it sets out to do tremendously well imo
Its more Story thing bro..
They showing two sides of a coin
and saying none of them are good without the other.
I also chose the "kill" ending although in my case it was absolutely because of the hypothetical repercussions of sparing him. Living in shame and possibly exile for disobeying the shogun seemed like a fate worse than death for a man like Shimura. I also had never heard of Tsushima island and never knew that the Mongols tried to invade Japan, so this game caused me to look up that history.
The invasion is where the word kamikaze, popularized in ww2, appears for the first time
11:46 Yuriko's quest destroyed me. I had recently lost my grandma, and it was just a gut shot when I wrapped her storyline.
52:00 I haven't played the game, but as an author, it seems to me that a third perfectly fine option should be to choose to die willingly. Instead of dueling Shimura and the choice being whether to spare him or not, the choice should be "do I accept my fate and regain my honour, or do I resist, slay my father, all to stay alive." I mean, the purpose of the Ghost has been fulfilled, hasn't it? I feel like there should be a seppuku ending, where Shimura acts as Jin's second. It would offer closure on Jin's story, as well as giving Shimura the satisfaction of seeing his son choose the path of honour at the end. The pride would make the pain of having to take his head worth it, I'd think.
But hey man, what do I know, right?
I killed him for the same reason. He clearly holds honour above everything else and for Jin to walk away and leave him after everything he's done would be the ultimate insult.
Something to remember about the ending of this game: Sucker Punch originally decided that the Evil ending of inFamous 2 was canon, but due to player statistics and how many choose the Good ending, that was deemed canon instead. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in a similar situation here.
I prefer the "kill" ending too but i think the "spare" ending is considered the canon one because Jin could never kill a member of his family.
It’s more than that. Spare ending is canon to demonstrate Jin’s commitment to the Ghost persona
The kill ending is canon. It’s closer to how samurai’s were in history.
@@OdinArrow28 I mean, yes. A real life samurai would have absolutely honored his lords wish for a proper death.. I don’t disagree
But the developers themselves stated the spare option is “canon” since it represents Jin’s commitment to the Ghost persona
But I digress. The canon ending can be whatever each individual feels is most appropriate in their eyes.
@@OdinArrow28My guy, Jin's entire character arc revolves around how he gradually grows to subvert and reject his samurai upbringing and values. Were you not paying attention? Whatever choice an actual samurai would make is completely irrelevant. We're strictly talking about the choice JIN would make, and it's made abundantly clear that him choosing to spare his uncle is the option most consistent with his narrative.
@@OdinArrow28 you fail t understand Jin I think you didnt play the story. He literally betrays all aspects of samurai and youre saying hes going to choose hypocrisy and waste his fathers life when he cant even stand a monk dying from masako
I love this game. I love it so much that I played it 6 to seven times already. I completely agree with you on the incredible flow of battle this game provides. Judging on how thorough you were in this review, you must have enjoyed analyzing this game. However, I do have some friendly rebuttals to certain points of your review.
The first part is your complaint of how powerful Jin gets in the endgame, have you ever wondered why the game gave Jin so many options in dealing with enemies? From kunai, sticky bombs, smoke bombs, archery, poisons, the flaming sword, all those things sound like overkill when Jin is already pretty powerful with just melee combat, right? It's because the game is showcasing what it means to be a ninja, or to be more accurate, a shinobi. When we think of ninja, we imagine thieves/spies/assassins for hire scaling buildings and sneaking around, but that is a shallow interpretation of what they truly were. In Ghost of Tsushima, the samurai were predictable. What made the Ghost so dangerous is that you had no idea how he was going to come at you. Would he headshot you from the distance? How about chucking a Black Powder Bomb at your feet? Or maybe he'll spit poison into you and make your friends flee in terror at your convulsing, dying body? Why not all of the above? The point is, sticking only to combat is predictable. Sticking only to stealth is also predictable. Assassin's Creed Shadows is guilty of that. By forcing the player to choose between the combat oriented Yasuke, or between the stealthy option Naoe, Ubisoft does not understand what it means to be shinobi. True shinobi in history were the pragmatists of their time. They would adopt any necessary trick or tactic that would succeed in getting the job done, their danger is in their flexibility, just like Jin. You said it yourself that the game is most fun when you are using every trick in your arsenal, and I fully agree. That is what being a shinobi means; having options.
Going further into the meaning of the word shinobi, the kanji written for it basically boils down to "endurance". Shinobi are the kings of survival through endurance. Which is what Jin has been doing since the beginning of the game. Look at his life! Throughout the course of the game, Jin has endured so much, lost so much in order to protect his home. From Ryuzo, Taka, his horse, his reputation, his clan, and his relationship with his uncle, Jin Sakai sacrificed and endured everything thrown at him in order to protect Tsushima from the Mongols, which is why I find his transformation from samurai to shinobi so compelling. I highly recommend you check out Gaijin Goombah's video on how shinobi is Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima. It has one of the most comprehensive analysis of Jin's methods and explains the beauty of a shinobi better than this crude written comment ever could.
Which brings me to my second friendly rebuttal, your placement of the Kill ending over the Spare ending. I have watched quite a few reviews of Ghost of Tsushima, and I do notice that those players that chose to Kill Lord Shimura tend to gravitate toward honorable fighting. I don't deny there's a certain allure of that playstyle. There is a certain rush in confronting a horde of Mongols with nothing but your katana and your wits and prevailing. However, for me, I have always been an innate pragmatist. I have no problem whatsoever with dirty fighting, and I rapidly saw the shortcomings of Lord Shimura's honor. The man threw away one army at the beginning of the game, and was about to do the same thing at the end of Act 2. Ideals are one thing, but when you lose your army, ideals won't do a damn thing for their corpses. You were spot-on in that Jin sparing his uncle is an implicit spit in the face of his honor, because that honor deserves nothing less. That honor took away the entirety of Jin's old life and was about to demand the death of Jin or his uncle. In the face of such a proposition, isn't complete, utter rejection of it the only appropriate response?
Just as you saw catharsis in Jin ending his uncle's life, I saw catharsis in Jin giving one last respectful bow to his uncle, accepting the cost of his decisions, standing up, putting on the Ghost mask signifying how Jin has forsaken the last vestiges of his samurai honor, and leaving as Lord Shimura looks on with awe (and horror) at what his nephew has become... The Ghost of Tsushima.
I chose the spare ending because it seemed like what Jin as a character would have chosen. I always viewed the kill ending as just a selfish caveman choice so it was refreshing to hear your perspective.
The fox quest was dissapointing since it went with mongols. Again. I was so tired of every plot beat being either bandits or mongols.
I think it'd be cooler if it wasn't marked. Since the player has already done fox shrines by that point. They'd be curious seeing one not beside a tree, follow it instinctually and encounter the mongols.
Would've elevated it imo.
I've not seen anyone else bring these details up but the game itself hints that the 'Spare' ending is probably the 'good/canon' ending.
Throughout the game no matter what the weather is if you start assassinating mongols it starts to turn gloomy and a thunderstorm takes form. This was intentional and described as your ancestors/father disapproving of your actions as the weather doesn't change if you fight like a samurai.
Fast forward to the ending choice if you choose to kill Shimura, after the credits end Jin will be sitting in his shack at night while a thunderstorm rages outside but if you spare him Jin is instead peacefully writing something during the day with calm and brilliant sunshine.
The game is hinting that your ancestors disapproved of you killing Shimura.
Jin at the end of the story would not kill his foster father, maybe if the game had a branching narrative where you can embrace honor and forever live in shame for not saving your father, but Jin as it stands in the finished game gets past his shame of failing his father and through it gains the ability to forgo honor when it can save lives. He also doesn't kill his father's killer in his dreams anymore, he instead lets him go simply because he recognizes defending his country is more important than defending his personal honor.
Also the implication that the Shogun would punish the samurai leaders for not using every strategy imaginable against the mongols is nonsensical to a point the story suffers from it. The "samurai code" makes sense for domestic wars as a way to keep things from escalating, but it makes no sense to apply to an invading army that is going after the civilian population.
I love this game. Due to Demon Slayer season 4 starting I started replaying it again and yeah this game is still my personal fave game of 2020. The story got me I knew that the true antagonist of the game is the Samurai's honor code not Khotun Kahn. Jin transforming into a Ninja/ Ghost and every choice even the ones at the end makes sense for the character and Iki island was a great expansion to get into the mind of Mongolian spiritualism and Jin's mind and legacy as being the son of Clan Sakai
30:55 I’m only in act 2 only done 2 of the main missions and I’m already insanely powerful
56:14 the Iki province wasn't all criminals and raiders, the Sakai committed atrocities in the name of honor namely killing non combatants because they were "aiding the criminals", I think the game leaves it intentionally open, but I see it as a hint toward the hypocrisy of the Sakai "honor code", if you are willing to terrorize peasants because you have a vague justification for it, how can you claim you are honorable if that honor only extends to your peers.
honestly i felt this game is best played on hard as tbh that difficulty was very comfortable in my playthrough and i was being a fed a decent but not overwhelming challenge at the end
i disagree about the lock on
it really benefited me tbh. even in crowd battles.
First playthrough ending I Killed, the second I Spared. I thought both were very emotional, with Kill maybe just taking it.
You can kill your uncle..
But not cuz of the code of honor..
cuz you love him! cuz he was a father to you!
but i don't think you should kill him..
its the arc..
Fvck this honor why should i live with such a burden
knowing that i killed someone that was like a father to me!?
this is being blind and a slave..
that i can't do...
But you're right both are emotional..
Definitely my favorite game of that generation.
U deserve more subsrcibers bro
Hope I can find a good deal on a PS5 to replay this gem in its full glory
just wait for pc relase
It's on the subscription package for free.
You can upgrade to PS5 Directors Cut for £9. I did.
I actually hate the bows in this game. They skew the clear dichotomy of warrior vs ninja playstyles by rounding out the ranged approach.
If youve ever carried a bow, you know that sneaking around corners is a no-go. Not to mention all the ghost weapons you’d be carrying would all clunk around.
In the woods and the fields, the bow is practical and cool. But it makes no sense for the ghost. The ghost has kunai and the blow gun, the iron climbing claw, bombs etc.
The bow is really a wash and I never use it outside if the super advantageous high ground you get sometimes, but then it feels kinda cheap.
Also, swinging a sword while carrying a bow greatly limits mobility.
Samurai were mounted archers. Just giving you a sniping weapon in a stealth v samurai warrior game is just odd, even though archery is smooth in the game.
I wish the map had a city or a few areas dense with people and multi story Japanese roof top buildings.
I love that game
Honestly, i just wasnt much of a fan, maybe its because i mostly play RPGs but the progression felt extremely shallow, i need more than pretty graphics to enjoy a game, i play plenty of pixelated indie games, i dont get easily distracted by high end graphics, good graphics is something you implement when the core mechanics are spot on, its just sprinkles on a cupcake, and the combat and progression just felt way too simplistic and shallow for my tastes, you get one katana, one bow, no armor and 3 stances for the entire game
You get many armors and there’s 4 stances. 5 if you wanna include the ghost mechanic.
@OdinArrow28 the outfits are cosmetic, they don't have different stats applied to them, GoT is not a RPG like Rise of the Ronin
@@mathewhosier9739, hah. I was just coming here to say that you’d probably like Rise of the Ronin. Personally, I love both games. As for the armors in Ghost, they do indeed have stat modifiers. Example, the Ronin gear makes enemy detection slower and increases melee damage. Those modifiers increase every time you upgrade the armor.
@mathewhosier9739 Rise of Ronin was terrible, and a game doesn't need stats to be good. The game uses logic over numbers to determine what armour is better. Samurai armour has more durability than than any other armour in the game.
@@mathewhosier9739And Ghost also has better combat than 99% of RPGs
Im not fully agree with op jin on the lower diff it is but mean its not a bad thing sometimes its fun on lethal you can not get hit more than 1 or 2 and you can make it harder by don't use charms or only cursed charms. I think the most that have to be improved is the swim mech and the floating in the air when stuck on rocks.and the game learn more grinding instead of going from point a to b🙂
Of course I killed lord Shimura!
Sony have already confirmed number 2 is on the way!
The hype for the sequel is starting to build especially with recent casting rumors of Sanada possibly playing Uncle Shimura
I heard a rumour the sequel will be shown off next month, i wonder if it was bullshit or not. We'll see...
It’ll probably be shown this summer at summer game fest when PS does a showcase. I hope it’s sooner though
The shrines/hot springs etc is just an excuse for you to run around the map
The fact that you played this w the English VO instead of the Japanese kinda killed me a bit. 😢
I mean I understand but this game was made with the actors that are used speaking firstly english. I noticed cause I started the game in Jap and the guy who voices Jin in Jap is Zoro from One piece so it was jarring for me especially cause I know what Daisuke sounds like from other games like Death Stranding
You speak of "innovation" then use God of War and Tlou2 as examples like they aren't the same old over the shoulder action adventure games we've had for the past decade.
I never said those titles are innovative though, I just described what I believe are their most telling features.
kino
Woo
I will never get over how the developers marred such a beautiful game by copy/pasting the very same assets for every hot spring. So disappointing. Also, the fox you can chase around has the same beginning and ending animation every single time. These are just two examples of where they definitely cut corners and this is also evident in numerous other places. Damn shame!
The fact that there's so many of those fox shrines doesn't help either.
The game's mission design in general is repetitive. Many missions are just "Follow a trail, fight a bit, rinse, repeat."
You mean like every game that comes out nowadays ff7 remake and rebirth are so much worse with that and dont get me started on al the crap mini games cuz they need to fill out 50 hours
@@Sirfortune881 haven't played those, how are they worse?
@@Sirfortune881 brooo....that damn card game in ff7 rebirth was completely unnecessary
Cutting corners like that is an unfortunate necessity with game development. If they spent the time to polish up all those small nitpicky things, the game would never be finished. Every game that’s ever been made has cut corners like that, it’s just a matter of WHICH corners to cut.
Nitpicking small details and pointing out the bits that could have been polished more is easy. Making a game to completion is hard. Making one without any unpolished bits or elements that could have used more focus is impossible.
lol youre riding full on kill ending because you want traffic in the comments. Jin valu es life above all otrs, he let t monk escape from masako there are still Mongols in the island, the kill ending makes him a hypocrite, hes letting his uncle win in the battle of principles total bullshi
biased AF
How ?
This personally is my fav game of all time. No idea how you found it even remotely "tedious". Only game I have ever 100%.
Trust me mate I love the game too. Easily amongst my personal favourites. There are areas I feel could be improved upon though. This video was my 4th playthrough of it so perhaps that played a factor.
One of my favorite open world games, the third act though is a slog, and even the act 2 area could be a lot smaller and compact.
Not to mention the Legends mode. sunk so many hours into that.