What makes a game a good game? I guess that would depend on the type of gamer you are. I value gameplay, music/sound, graphics, story, characters and the like. When all those come together in a tight package, that’s what makes a game great. Ghosts of Tsushima is one of those games. With the release of the sequel, Ghost of Yotei coming soon, I thought it would be prudent to go back to the original game in preparation for its release.

Ghost of Tshushima is a 3rd person, action/adventure title that will seriously test your sword skills. This game is gorgeous. It’s a PlayStation 4 title with an upgrade for the PS5. It doesn’t look dated at all, even though it’s a last gen title. The game world is vast and picturesque. Every detail you could imagine has been recreated in the world. Beautiful rolling hills dotted with colorful flowers. Dense forests and snowy fields, it’s all there. The seasons change and weather effects can affect how you play. For example, it may start to get foggy, making it easier to sneak around and catch the enemy of guard. It may start to rain, a drizzle at first and the next thing you know, you’re in the middle of a deluge. They leave footprints in snow or mud. If the snow is thick, it slows down your movement. The attention to every little detail really is amazing.

In Ghost of Tsushima, you play Jin Sakai. Jin is a well-respected, young samurai. Everything was going fine until Khotun Khan shows up with his Mongol army. They invade your country, a small island called Tsushima. His goal, conquer the island and then use it a staging area to attack mainland Japan. This isn’t some crazy hypothetical situation. It’s based on actual historic events. Don’t worry though, Jin isn’t alone. Along the way you make friends and enemies. You never know what to expect. There are a lot of twists and turns, and some scenes may bring a tear to your eyes.

The music and sound are just as high quality as the graphics and story. Traditional Japanese music pumps through your speakers or headset and really helps to sell the idea of a lived-in world. Even the English voice acting is excellent. Using the DualShock touchpad, you can use swiping motions in different directions to achieve certain effects. Got lost? Swipe up and the gust of wind complete with leaves floating in the breeze, letting you know what direction to go. It’s an ingenious way to help you navigate the world.

Seeing as how you are a mighty samurai warrior you must have some sword skills. And boy does Jin have them in spades. Basically, there are four sword stances that you can instantly choose from. Holding down the right trigger and then pushing one of the main buttons switches your attack. And good thing too. Each stance is designed to deal with a particular enemy. Fighting a guy with a shield and sword, choose your stance. If you don’t use the right one, they’ll kick your rear end. The gameplay is deep and as you level up and become more powerful, you start to strike fear in your enemies. Defeat a general or commander in battle and they freak out and try and run from you. You also have a short bow that’s lethal and accurate and fun to use. Riding on horseback while firing arrows is so cool.

There is no nudity or bad language. The only real issue is the level of violence. This game is very, very violent. I highly recommend that kids do not play or see this. Men running around with giant razor blades cutting and slashing your enemies, it’s gets gory. There are realistic blood spatters, beheadings and people burned at the stake, impaled. It’s not a safe game for kids at all. If you can get over the violence, a great game is to be had.

In the end, Ghost of Tsushima is an excellent game. It has gorgeous graphics, a really good story, tight tantalizing game play and new game plus to go back and finish up any loose ends. If you can get past the violence, you're in for a treat. The high quality of this game really makes me excited for Ghost of Yotei which comes out later this year. This is an excellent first step and I look forward to what the developers have in store for us in the future.