Ghost of Tsushima - PlayStation 4

100x better than TLOU2. This is the game you guys are waiting for. Fun and with no narrative and politics driving the game's story into a trash can. Audio and graphics are top notch. Well worth the price.

Best open world game I have played in a while. I see some comparing it to Assassins Creed and yes it has similarities and as much as I enjoyed Odyssey this is a far better game. Graphics: Are some of the absolute best I have ever seen on the PS4. I think maybe Horizons or Uncharted were the most visually impressive games I had played until now. I am blown away by the environments and visual awe of this game. People look fantastic and plenty of armor and cosmetic choices albeit maybe not quite as many as some other RPG games. The particle effects are stunning. The minimal UI really helps give it a cinematic feel. I can't tell you how many times I just stopped and starred at the incredible landscapes before me. I usually don't bother with photo mode but this game just had too many amazing things to look at. Gameplay: The combat is easily the best i have played in an open world game. I love Witcher 3 more overall but the combat in this is untouched by an other open world RPG. Some are saying it's like Sekeiro in terms of difficulty and while there are moments of difficult combat especially the duels which are like boss fights it's not even close to being that hard unless maybe you put it on hard mode. It does have an easy mode if you need it. The actual combat has your quick and heavy attack, you can dodge and parry and get skills to upgrade these things. It feels really fluid and there were many times I felt like a total samurai badass. You also get a bow and many stealth tools to utilize to spice up the combat or approach the game however you want. The AI is pretty standard, not really good or bad. Story: It's nothing that will blow you away, but it's a good solid story that I enjoyed the whole way through. It won't leave you feeling bitter like TLOU2. Its got plenty if side quests outside the main story and there is no boring fetch quest nonsense, each side quest and activity matters and fits the story of the game. Voice Acting: Top notch I went with the Japanese voices and English subtitles which can take a little getting used to, trying to read them whilst in the midst of also trying to pay attention to the combat on screen. I did get used to it after a while but just something to keep in mind. Also the Japanese voices don't match up to the lips so it's a little weird sometimes. The English voice actors did a great job I just preferred the Japanese because it fits the game more and they are just that good. All in all if you are looking for a fantastic open world RPG to take up a good chunk of time with lots to do and see with the best combat you'll find in an open world RPG. You have the ability to play how you want and experiment. Or you just really want a good feudal Japan style game then this should be at the top of your list.

First impression is that it's like a fusion between 'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' without the harsh difficulty + better story, and open world Ubisoft games (Assassins Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs), but as you play more you find out that the game moves the open world genre forward through it's presentation and gameplay mechanics. Over arching story is better than Sekiro in my opinion as it's more grounded in reality. Flow is really good without having to retry multiple times/deep learning curves makes for a smoother story telling experience. Story lean toward historical accuracy and samurai films than mythical/spiritual themes As an open world game, one of the best in terms of exploration, doesn't' string you along by pointing you where to go like most open world games -Story/Plot: The mongols take over Tsushima Island lead by Khotun Khan. You (Jin) have to retake territory and defeat Khotun Khan. Jin was a honorable samurai pre invasion facing enemies head on. Being outnumbered by powerful enemies, he must adapt and do cheap tactics like stealth and ambushes. You see Jin's inner conflict when he has conversations with other characters as he becomes samurai batma...the Ghost of Tsushima -Presentation Graphics is really good for an open world game. One of the best looking games on the PS4. Foliage, falling leaves, and fog are especially noticeable. Draw distance is really good, no pop in. Something is always going on in the environment whether it's leaves falling, flowers/grass blowing in the wind or fire embers floating in the air. The world is not as expansive as like an Assassin's Creed game for example, but the space it uses don't feel wasted or copy/pasted. Each area has it's own biome and color theme attached to them. There's a Kurosawa mode in the game which turns on a black-and-white filter similar to old samurai films. Gives the game more cinematic flare, but best reserved on second playthrough as it hinders gameplay Game has 3D audio. If you have a setup that supports it, can have an advantage in battle and gives a more immersive experience. If you play in Kurosawa mode; the 3D audio is turned off, and you get a tinny stereo sound to the audio Character performances are excellent (although over dramatic at times), but the lip syncing is a bit off. Didn't break the immersion for me though as there are a lot of great emotional cinematic scenes and set pieces --Gameplay: Main weapon is your katana. Strike, block, dodge and switch stances. Timing and knowing enemy attack animations are important as a missed attack leaves you open. Few strikes from a strong enemy will leave you with a game over screen. Not a button mashing game, as you have to be patient at times with the enemy. As you progress, you gain consumable weapons like arrows, throwing knifes, and variety of bombs. The game consider this Ghost techniques/tools (thus the name of the game) as you're using weapons/tools outside of traditional samurai combat By defeating enemies you increase your resolve meter which you can use to heal or do special attack There's no lock-on system. When crowded by enemies can be hard to focus on who you're attacking especially when you need to dodge an incoming attack inside a tight area like in a building/hut. Enemies don't all attack at the same time similar to Assassin's Creed or Arkham Batman games where they attack one at a time (most of the time), so there's lee way there. Since there is no lock-on, the character movement does feel more fluid and cinematic, so it got that going for it. Take advantage of stances. Some stances are more effective than others depending on enemy type. You can switch stances on the fly where the game gives off a brief slow motion indicator There is stealth in the game, but it's very lenient. You don't need to worry about enemies' bodies after you take them out. Once you take someone out without being spotted, you're practically safe. Assassin animations are way better than anything i've seen in the Assassin's Creed series. Boss battles have the camera hone in on two combatant making for a more epic presentation . Load times are really fast, even for fast travel. Game over loading screen is masked by death animations There's no large objective indicator or mini map, rather you follow where the wind blows (after you set an objective marker on your map). If you're having a hard time, just use the directional pad and it makes the wind more apparent. Makes for a more immersive experience as you focus on the environment around you rather than event markers on your HUD. Gives off a sense of destiny as the world draws you to where you need to be. Camera is a mixed bag. Sometimes it's good, other times if you're in a confined area, the wall can block your view. Best not to fight indoors when possible Main mission and side missions (character, side, and mystic quests) stack. Can take them all on at once, no need to tackle them one at a time. Some side missions can be boring from a gameplay perspective at times as they focus on conversations while walking with NPC to draw out the lore, or have you do fetch quests that feel like doesn't go anywhere. Doing these do help your character as they unlock new weapons and abilities There's no real level up system, rather exploration just give you more tools/perks (easier aiming, larger stagger on enemies), and upgrades (bigger time window on moves, larger draw distance, etc) to defeat enemies with. Able to collect materials to upgrade/craft weapons damage/capacity and armor effectiveness. There are also different armor you can equip that serve different purposes: one can be one combat based and other stealth based. There are charms you can collect which at like materia slots in Final Fantasy VII remake, giving you passive abilities and/or additional stats You can stick to the main story if you want, but you'll be missing out on hidden lore and new gameplay mechanics Main campaign will last you 25-30 hours depending on how many side missions you plan to take on. Very fun game overall. One of the best, if not the best immersive open world games I've played. Along with Last of Us Part 2, great first party game to end the PS4 era with as we move onto the PS5