Ghost of Tsushima Review – A Most Honorable Epic

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Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Most great games stand on the shoulders of their predecessors. Ghost of Tsushima unabashedly borrows many of its strongest features from other open-world adventures, and executes on them with skill. The game owes a tremendous debt to the Assassin’s Creed games; in many ways, Ghost of Tsushima feels like an entry in that franchise set in Japan – something that fans have longed for. But it’s unfair to paint Sucker Punch’s immense samurai epic as a copycat. By tapping into Japanese art, history, and culture, as well as the samurai film tradition that followed, Ghost of Tsushima finds a wholly original tone within the gaming landscape. Across an especially vast adventure, players are treated to a tale about the contradictory ideals of honor and revenge, and one in which tense katana duels and quiet moments of reflection claim equal focus.

Structurally, Ghost of Tsushima is an adventure told in three acts, each almost wholly dedicated to one geographical section of a massive island. Astride your loyal horse (whose name you select early on), you gallop between Mongol-occupied forts, idyllic Buddhist temples, and remote mountaintop shrines, gradually ticking off completed locations as your honor-sworn warrior grows in power and acquires new weapons and tools. From convenient fast-travel options to smart delineations of mission types, you always know what you’re working toward and how to move forward. Side missions and distractions are plentiful, and full engagement with the bulk of the content is a project of 50+ hours.

As the survivor of a doomed samurai charge to hold off a Mongol invasion, Jin Sakai is a conflicted and tortured hero. Trained to be the best of his samurai caste, the tension between his familial duty and the need for justice forms the heart of the story. A small but richly drawn cast of allies surrounds him – each flawed in their own way – who are coming to terms with their warring natures. The interwoven stories that unfold carry very little lightheartedness or humor, instead opting for a somber contemplation on the horrors of war. They portray a mother’s grief for her murdered grandchildren, the weight of survivor’s guilt, and the loss of innocence when we perceive our heroes’ failings. As a player, moments of true victory are rare – try to save a man’s family, only to find his wife and child are already dead. The game is a meditation on suffering, and I was surprised by Sucker Punch’s uncompromising adherence to that vision.

Rather than counter that form with levity, Ghost of Tsushima finds relief in nature’s beauty. The island of Tsushima is an exaggerated and painterly vision of feudal Japan, where gently curving cherry trees blow endless blossoms across windswept fields of pampas grass. Set a new objective marker, and the breeze shifts direction to take you to your destination. Birds and foxes emerge to guide you to hidden hot springs and shrines. Especially impressive weather effects set the mood, from ghostly fog-shrouded forests to thunderstorms that presage moments of conflict. Scattered mats invite you to sit and craft poetry with a dedicated haiku mechanic. The artistic presentation, alongside one of the best scores in recent memory, make for a world well worth fighting to save, which makes its desecration feel especially perverse.

The invading Mongol army and its stoic commander, Khotun Khan, emerge as fearsome antagonists, ably subverting Japanese defenses by taking advantage of the samurai’s guiding code. The Khan’s tactics and brutality are especially heinous, and you’ll be almost as eager as the protagonist to bring him down. His minions may not have the same narrative depth, but their varied weapons, attack patterns, and appearances keep the moment-to-moment encounters exciting and challenging, even late into the game.

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In encountering the enemy, players balance two competing playstyles. The first is a particularly smooth and gratifying melee combat system, focused on wielding the katana in a variety of stances. Battles are deadly and precise, and the focus on defensive parrying is a fun challenge. With a dedicated stance for each primary enemy type, combat demands observation of your enemy and quick reaction time. Sophisticated animation work lends a cinematic quality to the fast-paced battles.

The second approach to combat takes Jin down the questionable path of infiltration and assassination. Over time, several tools enhance the options here, letting players mess with the enemy or terrorize them into flight. Both approaches are deeply satisfying; you don’t face consequences for being sneaky instead of straightforward, so it’s not about picking one or the other. You choose your tactics based on what is most appealing to you in a given encounter.

Both styles of play are supported by a robust set of upgrades, many of which provide meaningful new options. I love how the progression front-loads the things you really want for your character into the first half of the game, like parrying blows and deflecting arrows. However, this also means you spend points on things you don’t especially care about later on. On the bright side, the game reserves a couple of its coolest new powers, ability-infused armor sets, and cosmetic options for the late-game, so I remained engaged with progression even after my core tree of upgrades had been mostly filled.

The “tales” that take you between one encounter to the next are mostly enjoyable, and certainly plentiful. Every one of the main narrative missions feels distinct, often presenting rousing large-scale battles and honorable one-on-one duels. The dedicated and multi-part tales for each of your allies are equally worthwhile, telling personal and pathos-laden stories of loss. A third variety of minor tales about the citizens of Tsushima pale in comparison; they grow repetitive, but they’re mostly there for players who simply desire more time in this gorgeous world. My only notable frustration was with occasionally unclear objectives or targets focused on tracking or investigation, leading to moments of fruitless circling of an area until I happened upon the next marker.

Beyond these structured missions, thorough map exploration leads to many enjoyable discoveries, from health-boosting hot springs to hard-to-reach shrines that provide new charms to enhance your abilities. I appreciated the many hidden caves and hideaways the map had in store, and I liked the opportunity to do some relatively simple platforming. However, traversal and climbing challenges often trace very static paths, with little freedom to chart one’s own course, and I sometimes found those sequences a bit simplistic.

Ghost of Tsushima captures the mystique, fierce violence, and barely contained emotional angst of the great samurai films. The line of inspiration is clearly purposeful; Sucker Punch included a gorgeous “Kurosawa Mode,” which sets a black-and-white, film-grain, audio-treated effect that doubles down on the classic cinematic vibe. It’s well worth turning on, if only for a few missions. But even beyond that cool feature, this is a game that nails the aesthetic it’s shooting for, firmly establishing itself as the medium’s defining samurai saga.

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Score: 9.5

Summary: Sucker Punch borrows from other open world games, but ultimately charts an original and creative course to craft a samurai epic of tremendous breadth and beauty.

Concept: Face the competing demands of honor and vengeance in a free-roaming samurai legend

Graphics: Sensuous and stunning environments suggest a painter’s vision of feudal Japan, juxtaposed against the brutal imagery of warfare

Sound: An award-worthy score thrums with emotional resonance, summoning cultural instrumentation to bring the world to life. The English voice cast handles the narrative with delicacy; Japanese audio options are supported if you wish for additional authenticityc

Playability: The many interlocking systems and controls are gradually introduced with care, and the learning curve is spot-on

Entertainment: At turns both melancholy and thrilling, Ghost of Tsushima is the open-world action formula at its most mature and immersive. Deep, rewarding, and hard to put down

Replay: Moderate

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Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise Review – Chasing Its Own Shadow

Publisher: Rising Star Games

Developer: Toybox Inc.

Reviewed on: Switch

Some people think the appeal of 2010’s Deadly Premonition boiled down to “so bad it’s good,” but I don’t think that’s accurate. Back then, a lot of us unironically loved the game. It had an earnest charm, conveyed through a unique small-town setting and memorable characters like FBI special agent Francis York Morgan. Yes, it had technical issues, but fans saw past them and developed a genuine appreciation for the gameplay and story. Unfortunately, that degree of goodwill is practically impossible to extend to this sequel; much like the victim at the center of its story, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise feels like a lifeless relic frozen in ice.
 
The tale is split between two main sections. The first takes place in present day Boston, where a pair of FBI agents are investigating the recent reappearance of a murder victim’s missing body. As it turns out, this young lady was the central figure of one of York’s earlier cases, which took place in Le Carré, Louisiana. The agents are appropriately skeptical of York’s involvement, and his aversion to the color red and insistence on talking to an invisible fairy don’t do much to establish his credibility. These present-day portions play like a visual novel, with a bare minimum of interaction and loads of dialogue. It’s not a great way to kick off the adventure, and the pacing and line delivery is agonizingly slow.

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These present-day sections feel plodding, but they don’t take up much playtime. The majority of the game flashes back to York’s time in Le Carré, where he investigates the gruesome murder of a young girl. Once York realizes its connection to a drug ring and the mysterious appearance of red seeds, he’s determined to take over the investigation. The case itself is strange and convoluted, and the investigation goes in directions that even the most ardent fans won’t expect.
 
I really liked the tone and setting from the first Deadly Premonition, and much of that appeal – at least on the story front – is back in A Blessing in Disguise. Characters are never what they seem, and the setting gives director Hidetake “Swery” Suehiro and his team access to a variety of archetypes that aren’t just rehashes of Twin Peaks episodes. There are a few cringe-inducing moments, particularly focused around voodoo and trans people, but none of it feels mean-spirited.
 
Le Carré is home to a robust cast of weirdos, which is probably why York seems to enjoy being there so much. The Casa Pineapple hotel, where York stays, is staffed by a chef, bellhop, and concierge that appear to be the same person. Melvin, the town Sheriff, enjoys recapping what’s going on in the style of a movie-trailer announcer. Patricia, Melvin’s daughter, tags along with York for much of the investigation, providing some sass and local insight. I always looked forward to meeting one of the town oddballs, since it’s one of those all-too-rare situations where you genuinely don’t know what’s coming next. In Swery’s world, anything truly is possible, no matter how dumb, silly, or outlandish.

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Deadly Premonition 2 is a frustrating experience because it nails so many of the things that made the first game great. For instance, there’s a character named Emma who runs a skateboard shop in her garage. She also plays upright bass at the Owl’s Nest bar with her dad and the owner. Emma’s dad is the town’s pastor, and he also runs the medical clinic. All this is to say that Emma wears a layered shirt with stars on the sleeves and the word “baptize” printed on the front. I don’t know why, but it just about killed me the first time I saw it. It’s weird while being technically accurate, which is a tightrope walk Swery and his team nailed in the first game. I don’t even mind graphical oddities and glitches such as Emma occasionally being rendered in her garage in the same space as her instrument – arms jutting out of its sides like she’s wearing a bass-guitar costume. As a fan of the first game, I wasn’t expecting technical perfection, but my forgiving approach to these shortcomings ends when they affect gameplay. And boy, do they.
 
Emma’s shop isn’t just for show. York had his car stolen when he arrived in town, and he’s been getting around on a skateboard. He’s a better skateboarder than he was a driver – or at least the controls are better. The framerate, however, just about kills it and everything else in Le Carré's open world. It’s a halting, stuttering slideshow that gets worse when using one of the most efficient means of travel. I had to take frequent breaks from playing because it made me nauseated, which has never once happened to me in the decades I’ve been playing games. It’s awful. The framerate problem isn’t limited to your time on the skateboard, either; regular on-foot exploration also pushed my tolerance to its limits. The issue also makes other tasks a complete guessing game; while bowling, the meters that govern your shot’s strength and spin are rendered nearly useless thanks to choppy performance.
 
These technical complications are puzzling since Le Carré is one of the most empty and least engaging open worlds I’ve seen in years. You may see a pedestrian or two, and cars occasionally drive by, but there isn’t much else going on. The town is a vast expanse of identical trees and repeated buildings. Fortunately, I was able to avoid some nausea by taking advantage of the fast-travel system, which is available early on. Taking this shortcut means that you won’t hear some of York’s conversations with his alter-ego Zach – but they repeat themselves so frequently that you probably aren’t missing out. How many times do you really need to hear a recap of Forest Whitaker’s career, after all?

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I loved the play-at-your-own-pace philosophy the first game embraced, which is an important aspect that the sequel is missing. The minigames and sidequests just pad out the length; they don’t add insight to any of the characters. In one of the most egregious examples, you can go on a series of photo-based scavenger hunts by standing where a photo was taken in an album. Find all 20, and you get a small prize and a chance to do it four more times. Nope. Prizes for these side activities include components that you can use to craft special tokens and trinkets, which increase your various gun-handling stats, give you more stamina, or tweak any other number of behind-the-scenes meters. The game is so trivially easy and meeting York’s various food and maintenance requirements is so simple that there’s no reason to engage with any of these systems apart from your own sense of completion.
 
In Le Carré proper, you can use York’s pellet gun to shoot bees, dogs, squirrels, and alligators that attack you. When York taps into his ability to access the Otherworld, combat becomes more of a focus. Here, he’s able to go back in time and witness what happened during pivotal moments. These parts are interesting, but you have to slog your way through some incredibly tedious action scenes to get there. You basically walk through an unchanging series of corridors while blasting the same three enemy types over and over again. Any tension is thwarted because the game pauses for a split second before these enemies spawn into the world, so you know when to expect them every time. From there, it’s a matter of shooting the creep in the face and moving on, whether they’re a scissors-wielding clown or creepy succubus. There are boss fights, but they’re such pushovers that I wondered why they bothered showing up.
 
When the credits rolled, I was completely shocked. Not because I couldn’t believe who the culprit behind all of this was, or how messed up the final encounter was, but because it came out of nowhere. Characters are built up and then deflated without fanfare. There is a final confrontation, but it’s hollow and seems rushed. It’s a weird paradox overall – a game that is simultaneously too short and too padded out, but here we are. It’s bound to be another polarizing title, which ultimately shouldn’t come as a big surprise. I just wish I could have counted myself among its defenders this time. 

Score: 5

Summary: Much like the victim at the center of its story, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise feels like a lifeless relic frozen in ice.

Concept: Catch up with FBI special agent Francis York Morgan and investigate a gruesome crime in the Louisiana town of Le Carré

Graphics: The first game’s visuals were dated when it debuted 10 years ago, yet somehow the sequel looks and performs even worse

Sound: The soundtrack is filled with undeniably catchy tunes, and voice performances fit the quirky atmosphere

Playability: An unforgivable frame rate ruins much of the experience, rendering some minigames virtually unplayable and turning the simple act of walking around into a nauseating chore

Entertainment: Revisiting Deadly Premonition’s unique sensibility is fun, but aggressively poor production values and shallow gameplay make it tough to stick around

Replay: Low

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Marvel's Iron Man VR Review – Not Quite Invincible

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Camouflaj

Release: February 28, 2020

Reviewed on: PlayStation VR

As one of the most beloved superheroes, Iron Man is nearly as recognizable as any other character in pop culture today. Despite his success in films and comic books, video game prosperity has thus far eluded Marvel’s icon. With Iron Man VR, developer Camoflaj lets you step into Tony Stark’s power armor as you fly, blast, and quip your way through several missions spanning the globe. Iron Man VR gives you all the thrills of saving the day, but even early in the adventure, it’s easy to notice the cracks in the armor.

You assume the role the popular Avenger who has served as one of Marvel’s most iconic characters for years. Once you don the Iron Man suit, you use PlayStation Move controllers and the PSVR headset itself to dictate how and where you fly. Tilt the controllers behind you and you hurtle forward, and change direction by adjusting the angle of your arms and where you’re looking. Flying forward feels intuitive and terrific; whenever I was speeding along a linear path, I truly felt like a capable hero.

Combat in Iron Man VR is superb. Using the motion controllers to access Iron Man’s full arsenal of weapons truly made me feel like I was one of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Whether I was blasting waves of drones with Stark’s signature repulsors or unleashing a furious wave of lock-on missiles at a stunned adversary, Iron Man VR effectively makes you feel like the man in the suit. My favorite combination to pull off was to ground pound a hovertank from the sky, then while it’s airborne from the shockwave, melting away its armor with a chaingun, and finishing it off with a cluster bomb. Chaining together combos to take down ferocious foes never ceases to satisfy, and I always looked forward to testing my aim and improvisation in the more intense firefights. If things get too hairy, defeating enemies charges your unibeam, an awesome ultimate attack that can level the playing field and shift the odds in your favor regardless of the situation.

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Most missions take place in open areas, requiring you to complete objectives while fending off waves of enemies. As you turn at all angles and adjust your height, the frantic pace can be disorienting. The controls are imprecise if you physically turn around (and away from the sensors), but the only alternative is using the buttons to manually turn and readjust the camera, which completely ruins the thrilling sense of presence the game is intended to create. Even near the end of the campaign, as I began to feel like an expert in the flight controls, I often went soaring into walls and struggled to keep up with the more nimble bosses, fighting in environments full of beams and pillars. These encounters rarely resulted in my defeat, but they went on far longer than they held my interest.

Tony Stark is more than just Iron Man. Between missions, you take control of the complicated man behind the iron mask. In these sections, you move around by selecting waypoints in the environment and teleporting. While Stark’s mansion has fun Easter eggs and inconsequential minigames, the most valuable use of your time at home is customizing your armor. In addition to getting new paintjobs, you can use earned skill points to unlock upgrades. These improvements range from speed boosters and faster health regeneration to various new weapons. While I barely noticed the speed advantages granted by those upgrades, my two loadouts played very differently from each other by the end of the game thanks to the diverse selection of auxiliary bombs and guns available to equip.

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During these heavily restricted in-between moments, you get a glimpse into the life of Tony Stark, the internal struggles of reconciling his past as an international arms dealer with his desire to be a heroic beacon for the world, and how his decisions affect not only those he cares about, but those he doesn’t even know exist. That premise serves as the backdrop to the story, as the supervillain Ghost seeks to avenge those killed by Stark Industry weapons using her hacking skills and high-tech suit. This assault on both fronts of Tony’s life leads to compelling situations and fun moments, even if Ghost’s sidekick, Living Laser, feels ripped from a Saturday morning cartoon.

As a huge fan of the iron Avenger, Iron Man VR has me torn. I love the feeling of putting on the iconic suit and destroying waves of enemies, but for every moment I felt like a seasoned superhero soaring into action and taking down the bad guys, the finicky flight controls made me feel more like someone who snuck into Stark’s workshop to take the suit for a spin with no prior training. Iron Man VR delivers a fun adventure for fans of Marvel’s iconic hero, but it too often feels hindered by the virtual-reality technology rather than elevated by it.

Score: 7.5

Summary: Iron Man VR delivers thrilling combat and fun flight mechanics, but navigating big, open areas is frustrating.

Concept: Don Tony Stark’s iconic Iron Man suit in VR as you soar through several missions to stop a revenge-driven adversary

Graphics: Flying through the clouds and over water looks good, but the Shanghai map is a mess of fuzzy textures and poor sense of scale

Sound: The signature repulsor effects sound terrific, and most of the voice acting is good

Playability: Flying around and blasting enemies out of the sky is simple enough, but once the maps open up and the objectives become more complicated, the learning curve gets steep

Entertainment: While trying to precisely navigate is frustrating, using Iron Man’s full arsenal in combat is satisfying

Replay: Moderate

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