Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS4, PS5
Tested on: PS5
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut – Review
When Ghost of Tsushima was released on PS4, it was clear that the developers made use of the PS4’s full potential when it came to the overall graphical prowess of the last-gen console. We did make the remark that the lip-synching was off for the Japanese voiceovers, but that was about it. The overall setting was very nicely handled, and it offered a solid portion of gameplay for you to plow through. We only concluded that many open-world games are feeling a bit ‘samey’ nowadays; and that Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t bring much new to the table, except for its theme and story. Now, the Director’s Cut has been released for PlayStation 4 and 5, and we were curious to see how this game played on the next generation. We will not be diving into all the basics again for this PS5 review of Ghost of Tsushima. Those unfamiliar with the game can find our original review by clicking here.
Let’s dive in by saying that the game plays extremely smoothly on the PS5 and the loading times have been drastically reduced. Quick travel takes a mere second to register, and there are no frame drops to be detected. The world is one open space to explore, and this is an absolute delight. Sadly, we have to say that the PS5 graphical enhancements are not that impressive. Everything looks crisp and detailed, but many graphical glitches of the original remain, with many clipping errors taking you right out of the immersion. It is quite laughable when a poor peasant begs you to avenge him, for his head to sink in the sand as if he was a cartoon character. Nonetheless, the game does shine thanks to its many beautiful sceneries and impressive armor sets. The blood that soaks your armor during combat still remains a nice touch, clearly showing you’ve just gone through hell. The developers added proper lip-syncing for the Japanese voiceovers in this new version. We are quite happy this has happened, as it is a lot of fun playing the game with the Japanese voice acting, as this also adds a layer of authenticity to the experience.
The PS5 version includes proper DualSense support. While not overly impressive, it does help you immerse deeper while exploring the island. With the feedback you now get from the controller, you can feel the shift in soil or pavement when riding your horse, as well as other cues that match the audio. We have to be honest, it does feel a bit like a gimmick and should only be considered as a fun small bonus, completing the already very expansive package. Gameplay-wise nothing has truly changed, and you are somewhat free to move around the island to tackle main quests, side objectives, or just explore to uncover hot springs, shrines, artifacts, and so on.
Of course, the Director’s Cut is not only an upgrade of the base game, it actually adds a new island to explore, and a new story campaign to play through. The new island offers a lot of the same content, which isn’t a bad thing. You’ll be able to explore your new surrounding in the same fashion as you did during the base game, allowing you to roam around freely. You’ll have some new enemies to deal with, who spice things up with buffs and weapon swaps. This is the biggest change to the game’s base mechanics.
Conclusion
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is, without doubt, the definitive version of Ghost of Tsushima. We recommend getting this title on PS5, as it has a lot of QOL improvements, allowing the game to run a lot smoother. The DualSense support is a nice touch, but it doesn’t add too much to the experience. Just like when it was originally released, the game proves to be a great experience thanks to its very satisfying combat, the great story it tells, its beautiful sceneries, and of course the overall meaty package. We still didn’t very much like the stealth aspect of the game, and we do hope some bugs get patched in the future.
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[…] has gained quite a cult following. We reviewed the Director’s Cut version for the PlayStation here, but many PC gamers were also eagerly awaiting a chance to play this action-adventure game […]