• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Ghost of Tsushima |OT| - Summer blade cuts through, the PlayStation shall go on, this is its swan song

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
I like the game so far quite a bit. The only thing I don't really like is the lack of pointing out destination or quest markers very obviously in the area. It seems to be spotty.

And I get why they chose for the wind to be a guide as well, but I think it's a poor idea. I'd rather just have a mini map with something pointing you in the direction of your destination. Credit to them for trying to be unique and think outside the box, but it's more of a hassle than an enjoyable concept.

I'm on the opposite side.

I think it's cool, thematically apropiate and plays into the aesthetics of the game.
 

tassletine

Member
It's worse but only slightly. Combat in Ghost is good but not on Sekiro level - Sekiro's combat just feels better. The world and story of Ghost are way better though. You actually want to help the characters in the game and the good story really drives you. In terms of upgradables and "skill tree" stuff, the system in Ghost is much better and has more of an effect in combat. In terms of gameplay, I had a shit load of fun with both. Ghost has the edge in graphics but Sekiro looks incredible on my OLED - they're both beautiful to look at. If Sekiro is a 9 Ghost is an 8.5.

Ghost is way, WAY better than Days Gone and HZD.
I don't know about that. I presume you're playing on 'Hard'?
At it's peak, one on one the Combat in Sekiro is superior, but I think that could well be down to the immense release that you get defeating a boss. Fighting in groups though, Ghost is superior I think that adds a great deal. Clearing out a room full of enemies unscathed is a satisfaction you don't really get with Sekiro.
There is also the fact that in Sekiro, whilst the combat is great, it's a little finickity -- whereas here the animation is very solid and adds to your character a great deal.

It's definitely a close call though and I completely agree that it shits on HZD and Days Gone -- And I liked both those games.
 

tassletine

Member
The game really has amazing aesthetics. Just wandering around this world is relaxing, just taking in the sights. Some have said Jin doesnt have much personality, but Im digging how chill he is outside of slicing up fools.
Jin is cool as a cucumber. He's great. It's Samurai stuff. Wouldn't work othewise.
 

tassletine

Member
After playing a few more hours today, I pretty much hate the camera system in this game and its really affecting my enjoyment of it.
During traversal its way too close, almost claustrophobic, especially in an open world game where you can go anywhere so having a big FOV is actually logical.
Then, during combat, the camera does try to adjust itself by zooming out, so you can see more, but it so often just gets stuck in objects, or the auto lock on bugs out and you need to manually adjust the camera, which by the way, with the game's bindings is just really cumbersome.
At first I found all of this a minor annoyance, but the more I played the more I grown to hate it.

Also, the wind and constantly blowing leaves is cute, but I already wish I just had a regular gps or compass lol
I'm having fun but there's a lot of other minor annoyances too and it just adds up.
Learn
For one, the running, walking, jumping, basic mechanics are so jittery and unconvincingly animated. With platforming, they didn't even bother trying to make the rocks where you climb more subtle. There's also so many instances of me having to jump onto a plank instead of just smoothly walking onto it. A click must happens.
For two, graphically it's inconsistent and honestly, the only thing saving it visually is the moving colorful environments. Character models are decent, but the animation in faces is pretty lame, along with the voice acting. Textures are weak most of the time, inconsistent.
For three, the transitions from cut scenes to gameplay, or cut scenes in general, are not smooth and very jarring. Consist of characters standing still without any emotion.
For four, there are so many instances of me having to walk up to a lifeless character to trigger a mission. It's not natural and is very outdated.
For five, I've already had numerous missions that have consisted of investigating, tracking, and following paths.
For six, the amount of clipping in combat is hilarious. Along with the lack of variety in how enemies interact and the animation they have when you kill them. It really rinses repeat type of things that I think are going to get old for me.
For seven, speaking of AI, in stealth they're hilariously poor and once again, are pretty much lifeless. The enemies in general in this game are so generic that it just feels you're killing the same exact enemies without any changes in the dynamics of the situation.
For eight, speaking of stealth, it's generally lame which I think most agree with anyways.
For nine, much of the game so far has consisted of me just walking and following a character, only to be led into a brawl with enemies. It's very formulaic. Oh and it also isn't really free a lot of the times so far. I will get an instant fail like rockstar games.
For ten, while the melee combat is generally fun, like i said before, it's rough around the edges with poor enemies and animations, and with a poor camera that has objects like trees get in the way of what's going on.
For eleven, stealth takedowns are pretty generic and old, akin to days gone.

All in all, the strength of this game is when you're exploring and just riding around. The only fresh thing it feels it does it is the way the game sends you to location and missions in a very minimalistic way without intrusive AI. And the combat, when you can get it to work flawlessly without any hitches in camera or janky animations, is fun. But it's not necessarily anything that feels like it's from 2020 considered how rough it is around the edges like i mentioned above with the enemies and camera. It's generally a very gamey game, which many like, which is fine. But it's not immersive for me whatsoever like this game tried to set out and be, and it's one that does not feel like it should be released in 2020 from a Sony studio. Especially as the final ps4 game.

update: ill be a bit nicer. the wind system is quite great to have and it's great seeing the trees and vegetation move so lively. but looking at the trees right now they generally look graphically weak. but yeah, maybe the wind system you can argue makes this a 2020 game. but to me, all around this is a quite outdated game.
Sorry you're not enjoying the game. The lack of camera control is part of the gameplay as is the stealth as they both force you into action and keep you on your toes. The gameplay wouldn't work if you had to wait for guards to look for you etc. It would get dull quick.

I think a lot of the things that you are complaining about are intentional and you're trying too hard to view it through a 'realistic' lens and judge it like that. The graphics are pretty stylised and the game seems to be deliberately arcadey so think that's what SP were going for, not realism or immersion. This is more like an open world Ninja Gaiden.
I don't know how you can view the animation as poor as it has so much character.
 

tassletine

Member
I'm probably 10-12 hours in the game. It might be my favorite open world game visually. The world is so lush and beautiful. The story, while simple, is enjoyable (though it does lean a little too idealistically into the honor of Samurai) as is the cast of characters and voice work

But the combat is kind of a drag. Mechanically it's not bad (besides the stealth which isn't great), the opposite really and at times it feels really satisfying. Standoffs are a neat mechanic especially as they fill your resolve. The bigger issue is the enemy variety and it feels like every combat encounter plays out the same. The game just throws a few archers, spear men, shield barriers and swordsman at you. Occasionally you'll get a brute or a Mongol leader to mix things up, but it's all a really simple game of rock, paper, scissors in which you pick an appropriate stance and parry to kill (swordsmen), dodge to kill (spear men, brutes), or break guard to kill (shield barriers). You can spice things up with quickfire gear (Kunai are really effective to get through encounters faster) but I do wish the game had a few more tricks up its' sleeve (maybe it does later?).

And that's a shame. The world is full of collectibles to upgrade your health, resolve and charms slots, resources for upgrading your weapons, armor and gear and items to customize how your character and mount look, but it all feels a bit pointless when you are presented the same encounters time and time again which is a shame Some of the side quests have interesting narratives and some of the Shrine climbs are fun and feel akin to those Prince of Persia segments in the AC games prior to Origins. Writing haiku is a really clever idea and the hot spring memories are a nice touch in developing Jin's character.
If you're not playing on Hard I suggest that as it's pretty brutal. Taking down a great swathe of enemies perfectly is extremely satisfying.
Also, try playing like a Samurai -- as it works. If you spend your time trying to get clean kills, separate enemies out, backing away etc, then the camera becomes another thing you have to master and that adds a great deal to the gameplay. It's one of those games that allows you to mix up the combat and play exactly how you like. It's very playful.
I think playing it like Arkham Knight (etc) on lower difficulty levels wouldn't have the same effect. Apologies if you are already playing like this!
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
Fuck. I'm flying to Spain tomorrow and I'm still in act 1 because I want to do everything in this glorious game.
Really wish I could play longer, it's that good.

Off topic: Wow you didn't cancel your trip?

With the covid crisis tourism is pretty much dead at the moment.
 

Keihart

Member
I have a pretty big gripe, the fucking checkpoints. I fucking hate them.
I might just start saving before every mission and restarting from there if i die, it's super cheap. even between checkpoints sometimes enemies are wiped and sometimes they are not, but more often then not they are.
So what it was at first a full camp of enemies ends up as 3 or 5 guys if you die close to ending the fight. It's super lame, it really triggers me.
 

Exentryk

Member
Enjoying the game more now. HDR makes the game look great! The new skills opening up and spending more time with the combat has made it more enjoyable. It's great seeing sword animations while killing the enemies in a few precise hits.

The story side feels very dull though. Jin is very monotonous and needs more dimensions. Quests should also have a little bit of variety (funny, scary, happy, sad, etc)
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
There needs to be a mode that allows for difficulty customization:
> Restricted stealth vision
> longer alert times
> larger search radius
> low rooftops aren‘t safe
> etc.

Regarding general settings:
> allow to shut up mongol archers
 

Bryank75

Banned
There needs to be a mode that allows for difficulty customization:
> Restricted stealth vision
> longer alert times
> larger search radius
> low rooftops aren‘t safe
> etc.

Regarding general settings:
> allow to shut up mongol archers
Agree, a harder mode in general would be very welcome.

Now I'm going to talk about something totally unrelated to that..... reviews.

Some of the reviews said that the game took itself way too serious, after watching several videos and reading about what the mongols did to the people of Tsushima...... this game is much lighter than what actually happened. While I still feel it doesn't disrespect anything.

Could you imagine if they threw in a load of jokes...or tried to make light of the whole thing? That would be another scandal.....
So I really empathize with SP, in that they made the best and most entertaining story about the time period that they could but some reviewers just nitpick for the sake of it, even though they do not realize their suggestions would be far far worse.
 

Bryank75

Banned
Enjoying the game more now. HDR makes the game look great! The new skills opening up and spending more time with the combat has made it more enjoyable. It's great seeing sword animations while killing the enemies in a few precise hits.

The story side feels very dull though. Jin is very monotonous and needs more dimensions. Quests should also have a little bit of variety (funny, scary, happy, sad, etc)
I think they should do a sequel.... new protagonist and not base it on any historic event. That would give them greater freedom. Maybe base it on a Ronin, tell the story of how he became masterless etc etc.

That way humor can more freely be brought in as needed or other emotions.
 
Last edited:

JimiNutz

Banned
I have a pretty big gripe, the fucking checkpoints. I fucking hate them.
I might just start saving before every mission and restarting from there if i die, it's super cheap. even between checkpoints sometimes enemies are wiped and sometimes they are not, but more often then not they are.
So what it was at first a full camp of enemies ends up as 3 or 5 guys if you die close to ending the fight. It's super lame, it really triggers me.

Yeah I've noticed this once or twice and it makes me feel cheap and dirty. The checkpoints are incredibly generous to the point where I feel like I've missed out on one or two epic battles due to the game restarting the encounter with less enemies. It's like the game took pitty on me lol
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
Yeah I've noticed this once or twice and it makes me feel cheap and dirty. The checkpoints are incredibly generous to the point where I feel like I've missed out on one or two epic battles due to the game restarting the encounter with less enemies. It's like the game took pitty on me lol
Yeah, i even had a hard boss encounter that caused me to die a few times, and the game suggested to lower the difficulty via a prompt after death.
This made me even more annoyed than the death itself.
 
Last edited:

Keihart

Member
There needs to be a mode that allows for difficulty customization:
> Restricted stealth vision
> longer alert times
> larger search radius
> low rooftops aren‘t safe
> etc.

Regarding general settings:
> allow to shut up mongol archers
I don't know how i feel about this, on one hand, it looks pretty stupid sometimes, on the other hand, you can run like a mother fucking ninja on rooftops.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
I don't know how i feel about this, on one hand, it looks pretty stupid sometimes, on the other hand, you can run like a mother fucking ninja on rooftops.
High rooftops are cool, but sometimes you are like 1,5m above the enemy and they dont notice you at all.
 

Nankatsu

Member
I don't understand why people think every game needs to be revolutionary in order to be good. I LOVE Sekiro but that games is not "revolutionary". In fact what game this gen considered "revolutionary"?

Astro bot VR.

tenor.gif
 

SkylineRKR

Member
I have a pretty big gripe, the fucking checkpoints. I fucking hate them.
I might just start saving before every mission and restarting from there if i die, it's super cheap. even between checkpoints sometimes enemies are wiped and sometimes they are not, but more often then not they are.
So what it was at first a full camp of enemies ends up as 3 or 5 guys if you die close to ending the fight. It's super lame, it really triggers me.

Yeah the game often remembers what you killed. So you still did it but you restart with less enemies. It feels kinda cheap. On the other hand if you have to do it all over again because of one cheap shot by one of the final enemies, that wouldn't be cool either. Not sure but I think Witcher pulled the same stuff. There are more open world games who do this.
 
Last edited:

CrysisFreak

Banned
Man it would be so cool if they gave us some Spin Off Sequel experience similar to what First Light is to Second Son tbh.
Ideally on PS5, that would be rad.
Then again development of this game took much more time than Second Son so it's probably not so easy or realistic. Fuck me.

In any case I hope the next project of theirs won't take 6 motherfucking years to come out. Sony please hire some more guys for them jeez.
 
It's really good so far. I'm about 5 hours in? Did 2 main quest and now going in side activities. They only real annoyance is lack of lock-on. Combat would be better with it imo. I love everything japanese so the world sucked me in so much :D
I need to travel to japan one day ,_,
 

Codswallop_

Neophyte
Technically it might be lacking in some areas, like rock textures or the water, but the overall environment is really uniquely crafted and a blast to explore like few other open world games have been this gen. Seems like there are cool sights or another gorgeus view around every corner.

EdPQz3uWAAQ56bB.jpg
 
Last edited:

MrS

Banned
I don't know about that. I presume you're playing on 'Hard'?
At it's peak, one on one the Combat in Sekiro is superior, but I think that could well be down to the immense release that you get defeating a boss. Fighting in groups though, Ghost is superior I think that adds a great deal. Clearing out a room full of enemies unscathed is a satisfaction you don't really get with Sekiro.
There is also the fact that in Sekiro, whilst the combat is great, it's a little finickity -- whereas here the animation is very solid and adds to your character a great deal.

It's definitely a close call though and I completely agree that it shits on HZD and Days Gone -- And I liked both those games.
I think there's too many ways to defeat the enemy in Ghost which results in the combat being too easy even on hard mode. In Sekiro, you only have combat arts, your katana and the trick weapons. You have wayyyy more shit in Ghost and while options are good, it just makes the game too easy. Parrying is Sekiro is way more satisfying than the defensive manoeuvres in Ghost. Boss fights in Sekiro are obviously on another level. Respect your opinion 👍. Game is phenomenal and I love it.
 
Last edited:

Keihart

Member
Godammit, just played the first mission on Komatsu, what a power trip. I had just found the wanderer hat and had mil lvl 3 traveler outfit, felt so right being dressed like that for that mission.
Yup, this is sucker punch, this is a super hero, platformer, stealth action game after all.

EdSf1p8WsAAiRnS

 
Last edited:

Ozzie666

Member
I love how the game takes pieces of so many other games and mashes them into this beautiful counter balance between violence and beauty.
Whilst the climbing isn't Zelda level, its an interesting addition. The core of the game feels like Second Son, very Sucker Punch. The little subtle changes to open world design, are very welcome. The story telling and side missions, very engaging.
 
S

Steve.1981

Unconfirmed Member
Still loving it so far, but I can actually see open world fatigue kicking in pretty hard with this game. It's looking like a very repetitive job to find all the collectables, clear all the forts, etc...

Think at first I was just too immersed in the excellent Samurai fantasy to notice. Now I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to mainly focus on the "Tales" & just leave most of the other stuff for the post-game after taking a break & coming back.

Does anyone know if you can continue playing after finishing the story? I assume you can at least reload a save just before the last mission, or something like that?
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrS

Keihart

Member
Still loving it so far, but I can actually see open world fatigue kicking in pretty hard with this game. It's looking like a very repetitive job to find all the collectables, clear all the forts, etc...

Think at first I was just too immersed in the excellent Samurai fantasy to notice. Now I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to mainly focus on the "Tales" & just leave most of the other stuff for the post-game after taking a break & coming back.

Does anyone know if you can continue playing after finishing the story? I assume you can at least reload a save just before the last mission, or something like that?
are you actively searching for the side content ? because what i've been doing is just doing it organically, you can trust that if there is a point of interest that you haven't look, there will be a yellow bird to guide. So i only use the map to tackle main missions or collectibles if i feel like it.

Just a tip since sometimes the hud can trick us into thinking that is the only way and make it feel like a chore.
 
Last edited:

xrnzaaas

Member
Still loving it so far, but I can actually see open world fatigue kicking in pretty hard with this game. It's looking like a very repetitive job to find all the collectables, clear all the forts, etc...

Think at first I was just too immersed in the excellent Samurai fantasy to notice. Now I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to mainly focus on the "Tales" & just leave most of the other stuff for the post-game after taking a break & coming back.

Does anyone know if you can continue playing after finishing the story? I assume you can at least reload a save just before the last mission, or something like that?
Yes the locations from the question marks can get repetetive. I think there's around 30 fox dens alone. Some of the locations are cool like shinto shrines which feature unique climbs.

You can play after the main story, nothing is lost.
 
Last edited:

Peroroncino

Member
I would kill for an option to hide the quiver on your back. It looks so jarring when you're wearing a Ronin Attire, which is basically a hakama. I want a sleak ronin look goddammit.
 

HotPocket69

Banned
Still loving it so far, but I can actually see open world fatigue kicking in pretty hard with this game. It's looking like a very repetitive job to find all the collectables, clear all the forts, etc...

Think at first I was just too immersed in the excellent Samurai fantasy to notice. Now I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to mainly focus on the "Tales" & just leave most of the other stuff for the post-game after taking a break & coming back.

Does anyone know if you can continue playing after finishing the story? I assume you can at least reload a save just before the last mission, or something like that?

You can keep playing after you finish the main story. Nothing is missable.
 
S

Steve.1981

Unconfirmed Member
are you actively searching for the side content ? because what i've been doing is just doing it organically, you can trust that if there is a point of interest that you haven't look, there will be a yellow bird to guide. So i only use the map to tackle main missions or collectibles if i feel like it.

Just a tip since sometimes the hud can trick us into thinking that is the only way and make it feel like a chore.

I'm doing my usual open world thing & spreading my time between main missions, side quests & a bit of general roaming around. Just thinking that with so much to do in this game, it might be an idea to "mainline" it a bit more, so it doesn't all become a chore. I can always come back later!

I like that you can follow a bird or fox to a side activity, or just ignore them. That's a nice touch. Using the guiding wind to find collectables is really cool as well.
 

Keihart

Member
I would kill for an option to hide the quiver on your back. It looks so jarring when you're wearing a Ronin Attire, which is basically a hakama. I want a sleak ronin look goddammit.
You can change weapon and it won't show.
I make a point that if the costume doesn't show the bow i can't use it...yeah, i like to roleplay like that OTL
 

KiNeMz

Banned
Holy fuck. This game. The most beautiful looking game to date. I've been immersed in photo mode for half my time with this game. I never use photo modes. But this game. The sunsets. The golden forest. It's phenomenon.

I've played non stop all weekend. This game is fantastic. Although it has some flaws. But the combat just keeps improving.

Well done sucker punch. I love how they kept this game under wraps for so long. Nailed it.
 

Peroroncino

Member
You can change weapon and it won't show.
I make a point that if the costume doesn't show the bow i can't use it...yeah, i like to roleplay like that OTL

Once you change the bow to bomb for example, the quiver is still on your back, unless you mean something else? Then by all means, let me know.
 

HotPocket69

Banned
So the bow that you saw in that State of Play, the one that basically blasts dudes backwards like a shotgun....

It’s a longbow and it’s tied to a mythic tale in the first region and its fucking AWESOME. It also can be equipped with explosive arrows.
 

Fake

Gold Member
Looks like user score is pretty high. John from Digital Foundry told on the last video he will be curious about the user review about GoT.
 

KiNeMz

Banned
Y
It's really good so far. I'm about 5 hours in? Did 2 main quest and now going in side activities. They only real annoyance is lack of lock-on. Combat would be better with it imo. I love everything japanese so the world sucked me in so much :D
I need to travel to japan one day ,_,
Our don't need lock on. You party and dodge as the attacks come at you. It will begin to make more sense as you progress. And you fight more.
 

Peroroncino

Member
For one, the running, walking, jumping, basic mechanics are so jittery and unconvincingly animated. With platforming, they didn't even bother trying to make the rocks where you climb more subtle. There's also so many instances of me having to jump onto a plank instead of just smoothly walking onto it. A click must happens.
For two, graphically it's inconsistent and honestly, the only thing saving it visually is the moving colorful environments. Character models are decent, but the animation in faces is pretty lame, along with the voice acting. Textures are weak most of the time, inconsistent.
For three, the transitions from cut scenes to gameplay, or cut scenes in general, are not smooth and very jarring. Consist of characters standing still without any emotion.
For four, there are so many instances of me having to walk up to a lifeless character to trigger a mission. It's not natural and is very outdated.
For five, I've already had numerous missions that have consisted of investigating, tracking, and following paths.
For six, the amount of clipping in combat is hilarious. Along with the lack of variety in how enemies interact and the animation they have when you kill them. It really rinses repeat type of things that I think are going to get old for me.
For seven, speaking of AI, in stealth they're hilariously poor and once again, are pretty much lifeless. The enemies in general in this game are so generic that it just feels you're killing the same exact enemies without any changes in the dynamics of the situation.
For eight, speaking of stealth, it's generally lame which I think most agree with anyways.
For nine, much of the game so far has consisted of me just walking and following a character, only to be led into a brawl with enemies. It's very formulaic. Oh and it also isn't really free a lot of the times so far. I will get an instant fail like rockstar games.
For ten, while the melee combat is generally fun, like i said before, it's rough around the edges with poor enemies and animations, and with a poor camera that has objects like trees get in the way of what's going on.
For eleven, stealth takedowns are pretty generic and old, akin to days gone.

All in all, the strength of this game is when you're exploring and just riding around. The only fresh thing it feels it does it is the way the game sends you to location and missions in a very minimalistic way without intrusive AI. And the combat, when you can get it to work flawlessly without any hitches in camera or janky animations, is fun. But it's not necessarily anything that feels like it's from 2020 considered how rough it is around the edges like i mentioned above with the enemies and camera. It's generally a very gamey game, which many like, which is fine. But it's not immersive for me whatsoever like this game tried to set out and be, and it's one that does not feel like it should be released in 2020 from a Sony studio. Especially as the final ps4 game.

update: ill be a bit nicer. the wind system is quite great to have and it's great seeing the trees and vegetation move so lively. but looking at the trees right now they generally look graphically weak. but yeah, maybe the wind system you can argue makes this a 2020 game. but to me, all around this is a quite outdated game.

Still better than tlou2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In tlou you have the same stealth takedown animation all over again and you can't even kill someone without akwardly grabbing them first, even if you want to kill them from the get go, very clunky design.
 
Last edited:

Keihart

Member
Once you change the bow to bomb for example, the quiver is still on your back, unless you mean something else? Then by all means, let me know.
yeah, i think you are right, i was thinking of the bow itself but you were talking of the quiver.
 

KiNeMz

Banned
Lock-on could've fixed the camera issues honestly
I don't think it would help when your fighting 10 enemies.

I agree the camera gets in the way sometimes. I've found in always adjusting the camera to keep it in a semi birds eye view.
 

Nankatsu

Member
Still better than tlou2. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In tlou you have the same stealth takedown animation all over again and you can't even kill someone without akwardly grabbing them first, even if you want to kill them from the get go, very clunky design.

200w.webp


Yes, you can? Only thing it takes it's having a melee weapon. It's one hit kill.
 

Nankatsu

Member
And it's not a stealth takedown. lol

Well it can be, if you do it when other NPC's are not around.

But yeah, I perfectly understand what your saying.

The way the game handles stealth non-grabbing takedowns is usually throw arrow shots and silenced pistol. I have no problem with that to be honest.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom