In 2017, it was revealed that Sucker Punch was working on a project unlike anything we've seen from the studio before called Ghost of Tsushima, a game set in feudal Japan during the Mongol Empire's invasion of the country. This was completely out of left field, coming from the studio that's most well known for the Sly Cooper and inFAMOUS series. While I enjoyed those games, I never thought the studio would end up creating one of my most anticipated PlayStation exclusives. With E3 just around the corner, we'll definitely be seeing Ghost of Tsushima present during Sony's presentation.
I love samurai, and I imagine you do too, if you're reading this. Some of my favorite pieces of media have constructed stories revolving around Japan's warrior class, including great films like The Last Samurai and Seven Samurai, as well as notable anime like Samurai Champloo and Afro Samurai. Of course, I can't forget to mention games like Nioh, Bushido Blade, Samurai Shodown, Onimusha, and my personal favorite, Total War: Shogun 2.
There's been an absence of serious stories revolving around samurai, and I so desperately want that gap to be filled by a game that not only features a gripping narrative, beautiful Japanese visuals, and bloody yet oh-so-satisfying combat, but one that also gives us a more personal look at the virtues and mentality of the soldiers during this riveting time in the country's long history. We've already seen small glimpses hinting at all of these things in the game's reveal trailer. I was initially more than apprehensive thinking about a Western developer tackling such demanding hopes, but Sucker Punch has proved to me that they can create games that are special and resonate with PlayStation's most dedicated fans: there's no doubt about that. The developer has had many years to really flesh this game out, and with Sony behind them, I trust they're tackling this project with the utmost care it deserves.
If you've been to Japan, you know that there's no shortage of beautiful, exciting places to go, whether it be the rural or urban areas. Now, Sucker Punch has a huge opportunity to take advantage of this beautiful country using the full power of the PS4. With visual spectacles like God of War, Uncharted 4, The Order: 1886, Horizon Zero Dawn and more showing what the PS4 can do at its full potential, the prospect of just how beautiful Ghost of Tsushima could look really does excite me quite a lot.
[pullquote]"Sucker Punch has proved to me that they can create games that are special and resonate with PlayStation's most dedicated fans."[/pullquote]
Combat will be another feature from Ghost of Tsushima that I'll be looking forward to hopefully seeing at this year's E3. There's yet to be a modern game that takes on third-person cinematic samurai combat effectively. Some might argue that Nioh tried this to an extent but, in my opinion, it doesn't really raise the bar in any sort of way. I'm hoping that players will be able to really take control of the way they play Ghost of Tsushima. What I mean by that is I want to be able to go into battles head-on or take things from a stealthier approach. I've had countless discussions in the past with other gamers about Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series missing a game that takes place in Japan, and that series is a good example of one that perfectly blends both action and stealth together. I hope that players will feel rewarded by approaching combat in Ghost of Tsushima however they see fit.
I'm also hoping Ghost of Tsushima will take full advantage of an "M" rating. There's something that's oddly satisfying about the arsenal of a samurai, and I'm hoping that Sucker Punch will give players lots of weaponry and tools that'll result in absolute carnage. After all, the katana is one of history's most beautiful weapons, so I hope to see it put to good use in Ghost of Tsushima.
[pullquote]"I want Ghost of Tsushima to be great; in fact, I want it to be looked to as the precedent for samurai games and more."[/pullquote]
We don't know a lot about the world in Ghost of Tsushima, aside from Japan's history during this time period. What will its open world look like, and how will its unique setting and time period influence that? Will I be able to customize my armor and weapons? I'm hoping for some customization options here, and I think it's a safe bet that there probably will be. As for the open world part, we'll just have to wait and see. But as we've seen with a slew of other PS4 exclusives, whether the game is linear, open world or semi-open, this should have practically no effect on whether or not the game is good or bad: it's all about the execution here on many of the things that I've already mentioned.
There are still a lot of questions that I have about Ghost of Tsushima. The game has been hidden from PlayStation fans for many years, and I'm sure many of you were just as surprised as I was when we found out this was Sucker Punch's next epic tale. I want Ghost of Tsushima to be great; in fact, I want it to be looked to as the precedent for samurai games and more. My E3 dream is that this will be the samurai game I've always dreamt of playing.
As we near E3, what do you want to see the most at this year’s show? What’s your dream scenario? Be sure to let us know in the comments. Lastly, be sure to check out some of the other hopes and dreams for E3 2018 from the rest of the DualShockers writers.