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[SJRB]

Ghost of Tsushima is as amazing as it is spiritual. This game is not new but I think about this game almost every day (even if it is just a fraction of a second). The way of the Samurai has many resemblance to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and in that spirit the game offers a lot of room for reflection and contemplation. This by itself is an amazing accomplishment because it not only enriches the game but also elevates the player while they go through these struggles. Not many games offer the chance to calm down, sit down and reflect on what is happening. One very specific part of this are the haiku. While traversing the war-torn island of Tsushima you will encounter locations where you can rest, meditate and compose a haiku.

This is where Ghost of Tsushima touched me in a way no game ever has. After all the battles, all the struggles, you find this beautiful location, sit down and the game lets you reflect on a theme while also giving you the freedom to compose your own haiku.

A haiku is a Japanese poetry form consisting of three lines, where line 1 and 3 have five syllables, and the second has 7. So every haiku ever created follows the 5-7-5 schema. Haiku can be about anything, but my favourite haiku are about the melancholic reflection on life or one self using nature as an allegory.

In the game, when composing, every line has three options, so there's 3^3 options for every haiku. The game gives you the freedom to select the lines which resonate with you the most.
After you've compiled your haiku, the main character Jin Sakai will recite the lines you chose for you while the game shows the most amazing shots of nature.

You contemplate about loss, family, war, hope, faith, fear, death. An endless stream of human emotions beautifully compiled in this videogame with its immaculate visuals and soundtrack. Themes that are as topical in this game as they are in our everyday life.

I am not exaggerating when I say these haiku touched me deeply. After playing this game I bought several books with haiku compositions and still read them from time to time. It's an amazing way to express the complexities of life. I wish I could shake hands with whoever at Sucker Punch thought of and created this idea because it made me a better man. In fact, I want to shake hands with everyone who made this game because it is an incredible spiritual experience. The music, the visuals, the themes are all S-tier.

Anyone who played the game and remembers the story knows that this one may sound simple but cuts deep:

Eyes that saw my pain
A bond broken forever
This is where we part





(meditation is important, anon. Reflect on what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Your mind and your body are the two most complex and important instruments you will ever own. Keep them in sync as much as possible. Never forget who you are, where you came from and where you want to go.)

 

[TheRedRiders]

I remember I started working full time back in 2021, after around 4-5 months of savings I purchased a PS5 and one of the first games I played was Ghost of Tsushima, those first 8-12 months of work were very difficult for me for various reasons, but this game really got me through those rough times. It will always have a special place in my heart.

What resonated with me the most was the art direction and atmosphere of the game, it's so dam beautiful, the falling colourful leaves, the bright blue sky, the long green grass all accompanied with a beautiful soundtrack. The conflict and ultimately the meaning lies in the dichotomy, that this heaven like place has become ravaged by bloodshed and war. Something we see in our own lives, whether it be on a personal level or a more global one.

SpiritualGaf2023

 

[Nankatsu]

As Christmas lights twinkle
In the night sky bells jingle
Please, give me gold.

 

[Icymanipulator]

One of my favorite aspects of the game. Left a big impact on me my first time through. Felt really special and unique.
I also love how the haiku you wrote gets preserved in the items information in the inventory.

 

[Trilobit]

I gotta say, atheists have the worst frames of reference for spiritual things.

 

[struggler_guts]

Oh man yeah I loved the haikus! The different options really helped to make it your own too. I was sad when I hit the last one, maybe it's time for a replay....

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

Game is the best samurai game to do it.

But the mechanics behind the Haikus were kinda annoying, tbh.

 

[bender]

Way of the Samurai is the best Samurai game ever. Also:

hey sexy mama!
who likes blackjack and hookers?
wanna kill humans?

 

[DavidGzz]

What resonated with me the most was the art direction and atmosphere of the game, it's so dam beautiful, the falling colourful leaves, the bright blue sky, the long green grass all accompanied with a beautiful soundtrack. The conflict and ultimately the meaning lies in the dichotomy, that this heaven like place has become ravaged by bloodshed and war. Something we see in our own lives, whether it be on a personal level or a more global

Yeah, it's beautiful. Never have I paused a game more often to take screenshots than in this one. They also made it super easy to do, even mid combat. I hope GoT2 is in the way!

 

[kiphalfton]

Haikus are annoying
Makes you sound like a try hard
But such is NeoGAF

 

[Hemingwayoffbase]

Ghost of Tsushima
A game of soulful feeling
While slashing a sword

 

[//DEVIL//]

The game won my heart the second the intro / title music kicked in while I was on the horse.

A classic game that goes up there with Shadow of the Colossus for me

 

[sigmaZ]

I gotta say, atheists have the worst frames of reference for spiritual things.

For one, how do you know they are atheist?
Also, plenty of religious people find solace in mundanity as well. That's basically the underpinnings of most religious philosophy. We just happen to live in a world where the mundane includes digital media.

 

[Lord Panda]

Divine wagyu mate
Delectable heart attack
A warrior's death

 

[Whitecrow]

I dont know
Haikus confused me
What an ugly chant

 

[semiconscious]

i'm thinking that i've gotta start trying to take my video games more seriously...

 

[DenchDeckard]

A ubisoft style game
Painted with a Sony brush
Welcome to slumber

 

[Vick]

Violently agree OP.
Played in japanese dub and hearing the composed haiku felt legit moving, every damn time.

But the whole game was a surreal experience, filled with heart and magic.. still the most visually dazzling thing I've ever played as well. Guess I found what to replay next, thanks.

 

[GymWolf]

I thought
It was just
pretentious crap

 

[Vick]

I thought
It was just
pretentious crap

Nah, that's TLOU Part II.

This has different roots entirely. It's fine is not for everyone.

 

[Lord Panda]

I thought
It was just
pretentious crap

Even haiku bro
Your verse is nonsensical
Now do better fool

 

[Xtib81]

Can't say they did anything for me honestly. I didn't find them really thought-provoking either.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I actually enjoyed the main run of this game and I thought these were great. It did a good job of creating the pace and vibe of the game which was often peaceful and serene which legit once put me to sleep when I tried playing a little tired.

Everything about this game did come from a place of respect, I feel and it did come across as faithful of Japan and from a place of admiration of their culture.

 

[poodaddy]

This thread exists
For those who would sniff
Their own rectums

Read that while imagining dramatic waves and a cliff for maximum effect.

 

[RoadHazard]

It's the most beautiful game I've ever played. Maybe in competition with Flower.

 

[RoadHazard]

This thread exists
For those who would sniff
Their own rectums

Read that while imagining dramatic waves and a cliff for maximum effect.

Not a Haiku. But I'll give you an E for effort.

 

[Shakka43]

I couldn't make any sense of them, by the end I was just putting together the fastest combination I could to be done with it.

 

[ayokunaj]

I love it

 

[Shakka43]

A ubisoft game
Painted with a Sony brush
Welcome to slumber

A quality brush can be a huge difference between a great work of art or a subpar one.

 

[Heisenberg007]

True. And I was listening to Ghost of Tsushima's soundtrack today, and I noticed how beautiful some of those tracks are -- especially "Lady Masako" that I had totally ignored.



Everything about Ghost of Tsushima is a masterpiece.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

Can't get myself to buy this despite loving Samurai flicks. Looks like another Content Over Quality Ubisoft checklist fest with a, obviously, beautiful coat of paint.

 

[Scotty W]

A gold Gaffer
Drops a post into the pond.
Derp resonance

 

[SJRB]

The amount of people in this thread who are unable to count to five or seven is staggering.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

Can't get myself to buy this despite loving Samurai flicks. Looks like another Content Over Quality Ubisoft checklist fest with a, obviously, beautiful coat of paint.

Upon Having clocked 70+ hours and with the credits rolling...I have to agree.

It's a very, very overhyped game that does absolutely nothing new with the old and tired Ubisoft formula, in fact, it doesn't have anything "Sony" in it to the point that if you told me that it was.made.by Ubisoft I could have actually believed you.

- Camps that need clearing? check
- Vast, almost empty open world ? Check
- Gazillion of activity icons on the map/world in the form of Haiku spots/Fox dens/mountain shrines/bamboo strikes/banner collecting etc ? Check
- Quests which take you from one side of the map to the other for no apparent reason other than to pad the gameplay time ? Check.

It's basically another open world check-list game where the only standouts were the combat system and standoff mechanic, absolutely zero respect for the player's time...

From a production point of view is easily an 8/10 but, if you start analyzing most of the things the game does, as a "game", it's a 6/10 due to its sheer tediousness.

Days Gone, a game which on paper sounds/seems like a 5/10 due to its "unoriginality" is a much better game than GOT when all has been said and done.

We stand together
In Immense tediousness
Warriors spending wealth
In an open, vast , committee produced tripe

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

Upon Having clocked 70+ hours and with the credits rolling...I have to agree.

It's a very, very overhyped game that does absolutely nothing new with the old and tired Ubisoft formula, in fact, it doesn't have anything "Sony" in it to the point that if you told me that it was.made.by Ubisoft I could have actually believed you.

- Camps that need clearing? check
- Vast, almost empty open world ? Check
- Gazillion of activity icons on the map/world in the form of Haiku spots/Fox dens/mountain shrines/bamboo strikes/banner collecting etc ? Check
- Quests which take you from one side of the map to the other for no apparent reason other than to pad the gameplay time ? Check.

It's basically another open world check-list game where the only standouts were the combat system and standoff mechanic, absolutely zero respect for the player's time...

From a production point of view is easily an 8/10 but, if you start analyzing most of the things the game does, as a "game", it's a 6/10 due to its sheer tediousness.

Days Gone, a game which on paper sounds/seems like a 5/10 due to its "unoriginality" is a much better game than GOT when all has been said and done.

We stand together
In Immense tediousness
Warriors spending wealth
In an open, vast , committee produced tripe

I understand why people dig it but yes, this type of game design isn't anything I'm vaguely interested in. Thanks for clearing up any doubts I may have had lol

 

[RoadHazard]

Can't get myself to buy this despite loving Samurai flicks. Looks like another Content Over Quality Ubisoft checklist fest with a, obviously, beautiful coat of paint.

It's really not. Yes, it shares some of those open world tropes, but executed so well. And the game just feels wonderful to play, has an engaging story, and isn't nearly as bloated as most AC games.

 

[RoadHazard]

Upon Having clocked 70+ hours and with the credits rolling...I have to agree.

It's a very, very overhyped game that does absolutely nothing new with the old and tired Ubisoft formula, in fact, it doesn't have anything "Sony" in it to the point that if you told me that it was.made.by Ubisoft I could have actually believed you.

- Camps that need clearing? check
- Vast, almost empty open world ? Check
- Gazillion of activity icons on the map/world in the form of Haiku spots/Fox dens/mountain shrines/bamboo strikes/banner collecting etc ? Check
- Quests which take you from one side of the map to the other for no apparent reason other than to pad the gameplay time ? Check.

It's basically another open world check-list game where the only standouts were the combat system and standoff mechanic, absolutely zero respect for the player's time...

From a production point of view is easily an 8/10 but, if you start analyzing most of the things the game does, as a "game", it's a 6/10 due to its sheer tediousness.

Days Gone, a game which on paper sounds/seems like a 5/10 due to its "unoriginality" is a much better game than GOT when all has been said and done.

We stand together
In Immense tediousness
Warriors spending wealth
In an open, vast , committee produced tripe

Hard disagree. I always get bored with AC games long before the end, with GoT that didn't happen at all. I finished it and the DLC with 100% completion, and still wasn't bored. The only reason I stopped playing was that I had nothing left to do.

 

[Zathalus]

I love Ghost of Tsushima, but the haikus in it are mostly terrible.

 

[Neilg]

I love a bit of Buddhist philosophy, poetry and finding metaphor, but I found the haikus pretty tedious and kind of shit.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

The most boring aspect of the game for me personally.
I just spammed X or whatever, to make my 3 choices iirc.
Unnecessary chin stroking crap.

 

[Kumomeme]

at first im worry that this game gonna be another Assasins Creed. just a skin slapped on already known samey soulless mechanic gameplay

turn out not just it not even feels same, the other aspect like aesthetic, mechanic, duels, haikus etc breath 'life' to the game. this is a good example of where the developers pour their love, passion and cultural appreciation that it reflected in the gameplay and player journey in it as whole.

really looking foward to replay this on PC.

 

[Big Baller]

My favorite new Sony IP over the last 10 years.

 

[The Fuzz damn you!]

As Christmas lights twinkle
In the night sky bells jingle
Please, give me gold.

Haikus are annoying
Makes you sound like a try hard
But such is NeoGAF

Divine wagyu
Delectable heart attack
A warrior's death

I dont know
Haikus confused me
What an ugly chant

A ubisoft style game
Painted with a Sony brush
Welcome to slumber

I thought
It was just
pretentious crap

This thread exists
For those who would sniff
Their own rectums

Read that while imagining dramatic waves and a cliff for maximum effect.

A gold Gaffer
Drops a post into the pond.
Derp resonance

So many people mocking the haikus who can’t count to five.

There’s got to be a link here.

Edit— as for the OP - I expected to find the haikus trite and superficial… and they were, to a degree, you just can’t escape that when offering up this lego brick approach to poetry. Yet I found them quite affecting at the same time. We make the meaning we find in the world, and the lines were generic enough to allow us to make the necessary connections to the world of the game. To that extent, they were superbly well done despite their inevitably generic nature.

At worst, they were a novel gameplay approach that helped break up the gameplay and showcase some stunning visuals. At their best, they were an interesting attempt at evoking the sublime.

 

[Lord Panda]

So many people mocking the haikus who can’t count to five.

There’s got to be a link here.

Edit— as for the OP - I expected to find the haikus trite and superficial… and they were, to a degree, you just can’t escape that when offering up this lego brick approach to poetry. Yet I found them quite affecting at the same time. We make the meaning we find in the world, and the lines were generic enough to allow us to make the necessary connections to the world of the game. To that extent, they were superbly well done despite their inevitably generic nature.

At worst, they were a novel gameplay approach that helped break up the gameplay and showcase some stunning visuals. At their best, they were an interesting attempt at evoking the sublime.

As an Aussie, I pronounce 'Wagyu' as 'Way-gee-yoo' followed by the obligatory 'mate'. Yeah didn't think you'd buy that, so I'll go and commit bogan seppuku now.

 

[The Fuzz damn you!]

As an Aussie, I pronounce 'Wagyu' as 'Way-gee-yoo' followed by the obligatory 'mate'. Yeah didn't think you'd buy that, so I'll go and commit bogan seppuku now.

As a fellow Aussie, you’re full of shit. Love the attempt, though.

 

[cireza]

Ugly flat textures
No physics, that was too hard
Emotions galore

 

[HighPoly]

booooooooooooooooooooooooring

 

[RoadHazard]

booooooooooooooooooooooooring

Don't worry, CoD isn't going anywhere.

 

[Ozzie666]

The game has soul, pasison and respect for the genre. Haters going to hate, but the love and devotion from the developlers flows through the game. Something I could appreciate whilst playing, different enough than your typical Ubisoft bloat game. So well done, maybe even a labour of love.

 

[Moonjt9]

Yeah I totally agree. It’s quite unique and the moment of reflection and serenity for each haiku felt special in the scope of the game.

I also really liked the hot springs. Really beautiful scenery and reflection there too.

Ghost of Tsushima is a special game for sure!