Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut PC Review - Power to the Samurai
The Sony march towards the PC platform continues and things seem to be on a bit of a roll. After the shocking port that was The Last of Us, Sony knocked it out of the park with both Helldivers 2 and Horizon: Forbidden West. So there is hope among people like myself that Sony is finally getting a grasp of the vagaries of the platform. With that in mind, I was cautiously optimistic about Ghost of Tsushima’s debut on the platform. Would it continue the roll or would it once again be a case of Sony tripping over themselves?
Well, good news Samurai fans, for the most part, this is a pitch-perfect port that takes advantage of the PC platform in ways PC players expect. That said, and I want to get it out of the way quickly, there are some fumbles that will annoy PC players depending on their view of the world. The first and most obvious is the PSN account requirement. Now for me, I don’t really care, what is another sign-in on my PC, I mean I am already signed into about a million different ecosystems, stores and sites so what’s one more? But for many, the need to do this, even if it is only for multiplayer, is an annoyance that doesn’t have to be there. Where you stand on the issue will determine how prohibitive this choice by Sony is.
The other issue I came across was a few little tech problems here and there. Minor things for the most part. Some clipping and texture drop that I don’t remember from the original release, the occasional instance of a button press not registering during standoffs and once or twice the enemy AI got itself caught on the scenery. All of this is very very minor and I suspect it will be sorted quickly.
Continuing on the tech side of things, the good news is that Ghost of Tsushima takes advantage of the power of the PC Platform. A stunning game looks even better at 4K, 120FPS and in ultrawide resolutions, let me tell you. Speaking of Ultrawide, it uses these resolutions very well, better than most games if I am honest. This is primarily because all the cutscenes are in-engine and not pre-recorded, so they can automatically adjust out of the 16:9 resolution. It is a small detail, but one I appreciated. It is always a little jarring when playing in ultrawide and then the game shrinks back to 16:9 for some story exposition.
The detail levels are a little below what is the current standard, especially in things like the character’s faces. This is particularly noticeable since I just came off playing Horizon Forbidden West, but it pays to remember that Ghost is a PS4 game, not current-gen. One thing that hasn’t aged at all is the art direction. The flowing winds, the stunning vistas, the amazing weather, all of it is breathtaking and honestly, I don’t know of a game that has surpassed it in these areas. It really is one of those games that playing in the photo mode is a must.
Gameplay-wise, things are still exactly as you remember. Part Assassins Creed, part 1960s Samurai flick, Ghost of Tsushima does a lot of things right, but not too many that are groundbreaking. This is a familiar game for many, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment levels. There is joy in stalking through long grass and picking off enemies one by one until you get spotted and an all-out battle ensues, which is why this sort of gameplay is in so many titles. The game also suffers a little bit from Ubisoftitis, in that there is a very large map with a whole lot of question marks dotting the landscape, so if you find that sort of thing tedious, you can probably walk past Ghost of Tsushima.
There is one thing that Ghost does better than just about any open-world game out there and that is the in-game UI, or should I say the complete lack of UI. A small health/ability bar is it, everything else is beautifully incorporated into the environments themselves. The real highlight of this minimalist design is the guiding wind. There is no mini-map, just the direction of the wind to guide the player and it works beautifully. If you are using a PS5 controller on your PC you can simply brush your finger across the touchpad to get a gust of wind that will point you in the right direction. If you are using an Xbox controller it is a little more awkward as you need to hold up on the d-pad and push your right stick forward. It does the job but if you have PS5 controller, you probably want to use it for this game.
If Ghost of Tsushima is something you have already experienced, then the PC version probably isn’t enough to get your money for a second time. If you missed it first time around though it is a fantastic adventure that is even better on a powerful computer. The minor tech issues (that will likely be patched quickly) do nothing to detract from what is an excellent piece of entertainment. The art direction is second to none, the UI amazing and the moment-to-moment gameplay exciting. The structure isn’t original, but it is a great example of this sort of game and to top it off the voice acting is of ultra high quality. Ghost of Tsushima is a fantastic title and a great PC port, one that shouldn’t be missed by any open-world fan with a solid gaming rig.
Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut was reviewed on PC with code kindly supplied by Playstation Australia.
