Ghost of Tsushima - After the Hype | Full In-Depth Critique

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Ghost of Tsushima | Perfecting The Art of Exploration & Discovery
• Ghost of Tsushima: Per...
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
02:59 - Exploration
3:27 - Side Quests
3:42 - Character Tales
6:53 - Random Side Quests (Minor spoilers for a side tale)
8:05 - Mythic Side Quests
8:56 - Side Quest Conclusion
9:19 - My Issue With Side Quests
10:02 - Climbing
11:28 - Stealth
12:01 - Stealth tools
13:08 - Stealth abilities
13:30 - Stealth level design
14:21 - Combat
14:34 - Stand Off Mechanic
15:12 - Combat Basics
16:57 - Stances
18:08 - Combat Tools
18:26 - Mythic Skills
18:59 - Skills Not Stats
19:43 - Weapon & Armour Upgrades
20:19 - Assassins Creed Japan
21:46 - Soundtrack
22:30 - Story
23:16 - Act System (Spoilers Begin)
23:20 - Act 1
24:56 - Act 2
27:09 - Act 3
31:30 - Possible Additions (Spoilers End)
32:31 - Final Conclusion
33:17 - Outro
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[@LazerzZ]

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[@oscurodous7655]

I have an ac related question, did cult of kosmos and the Persian order of ancient get together and made the templar order or was it just order of ancient and of it was order of ancients then what aspasia said was useless and also who is the philosophical king she referred to in the end? Is it king Alfred of weesex?

[@LazerzZ]

The Templars were created as the order of ancients by Pharaoh Smenkhkare thousands of years before Origins. Nothing in Odyssey has any relation to anything in Assassin’s Creed.

[@oscurodous7655]

@@LazerzZ alr so that means that cult of kosmos was pretty much useless and all 3 storylines in odyssey were useless. Thanks mate

[@shottahoes8346]

LazerzZ do you like lasers???

[@zacharywoodward5167]

I thought you were going to do this exact same style of video for The Last of Us Part II. I thought you said that. I’m not trying to put words in your mouth and I apologize if you take is as such. I think you said that you were during your initial thoughts video after you beat The Last of Us Part II. Correct me if I’m wrong. Thank you.

[@gulermo]

can we all agree that the "For Yarikawa" sequence is pure beauty? the way they introduced the Ghost Stance was so incredible it hurts

[@Agito4774]

Dude I fucking loved that moment in the game holy shit

[@albertgarrett782]

Absolutely 1000000%

[@drayshawnc10]

It was cool🤷🏾‍♂️

[@jooka2010]

This whole game blew me away bro...Made me cry over a goddamn horse.

[@lynettesmith3500]

@@jooka2010 real

[@uchihabomber1296]

This was the first game in years where I took so many screen shots

[@brethnew]

I played Read Dead 3 (RDR2) for the first time on my ultrawide monitor earlier this year and yes lots of screenshots too xD

[@alejandrobonfil2818]

Same dude

[@sissokoshwazz6725]

Lol me too, screen shot after screen shot

[@polinttalu7102]

Samee

[@quackquack8775]

I didn't take as many as in Shadow Of War, but holy shit i took a lot

[@jmcman6104]

27:25 the reason we feel such a strong bond with the horse is largely because after each mission, side mission, etc, there’s a little cutscene that plays between jin and the horse, kind of showing their bond. So smart

[@112093hao]

My day was ruined when my horse died… it’s been a week and I still have not recovered..

[@nathanieljefferies5491]

It hurt more for me cause I used my horse to beat iki island while in Act 2 and with all the things we did together with horse charge and the horse armor, losing Nobu hurt me really deeply...

[@tobyjohn4682]

red dead did it better

[@buckyhurdle4776]

@@tobyjohn4682 I didn't really give a shit about the red dead horse, you change horses throughout the game. I actually had just bought the horse, I was more sad about the money I lost lmao

[@houssembensafi9303]

Hear me out here I loved my horse both in Ghost Tsushima and RDR2 games are in my top games of the decade. Now imagine both of the feeding the horse and having to calm the horse when hunting mixed with all the cutscenes with the horse.

[@Sepia1989]

In regarding to UI, I don't see many people talking about the buttons. Round Circle represents shields, pointy Triangle for spears, big Square for brutes, X for dual swords and swords in general. It's so easy to remember and makes this game feel like a true PlayStation exclusive. Also quickfire weapons selection. Up for bomb - you throw it kind of upward. Down for smoke - you throw it down on the ground. Left for kunai - you throw with your left hand. Right for flame - you use katana with your right hand.

[@mackiecheese8841]

YOOOOOO I NEVER SAW THE QUICK FIRE THING LIKE THAT

[@ChrisAssassin]

You are a genius. I was on the last mission of the game and cleared EVERYTHING that I could prior to that- and I probably used less then 10 black powder bombs because I just could not remember it. I only used smoke bombs only for the side challenges too

[@nitsuanomrah6997]

@@ChrisAssassin oh man u missed out i love using charms to make the powder bombs cause fire damage. I like to lure big crowds with firecrackers, then blow them all up. Surviors fight to the death after i hit them with hallucination dart. Sword fighting whole camps def makes u feel like a beast but still gotta use them Ghost tools, it really adds new flavor to the game

[@ChrisAssassin]

@@nitsuanomrah6997 I really only used that stuff after act 3 because I thought that the choice to fight honorably would be there! I got the hang of it in endgame but I had already cleared out everyone so it was only little groups sadly and they ran away when I used the ghost armor New game plus would be dope but I'm thinking of doing a second playthrough on lethal since my first one was one difficulty below that

[@trellified]

Wow, I never noticed the second set up points. Good catch.

[@YoruWasTaken]

“As a long time victim of the Assassins Creed brand” 😂😅🙁🥺😭

[@spudman1734]

Felt this pain

[@RogueAssassin]

We all felt that

[@Largentina.]

@@RogueAssassin Not all of us. Only the people with AC as their profile pic did.

[@jurekavcic4369]

@@Largentina. says the guy who dosent like ezio.

[@Largentina.]

@@jurekavcic4369 Uhh, yeah. That is what I said. Hence me saying that it didn't affect everyone.

[@dogoo5867]

Jin even says as a child that honor means protecting people.

[@islamicschoolofmemestudies]

I mean he even said that if "Honor system" means Obey everything that The Shogun said, you're no different than a slave, hence "you're slave to it". Shogun were afraid that the Ghost were threat but blind to see how devastating the Mongol can be had they reached mainland. Maybe in the 2nd game we would see more Samurai flocked into Jin's figure knowing how impractical and dangerous their fighting system is then starting a new Ninja Clan.

[@enzodebil989]

I believe when people say "this is what could've Assassin's Creed look like or should have" I think it's referring more on the how grounded and somehow realistic looking the combat and stealth system instead of these new AC games where it has super over the top flashy movements. Yeah I know there are these mythical abilities but they are very minimal at least to me. Sure there isn't social stealth or complex parkour system like what Assassin's Creed used to but the idea of how grounded looking this game is what an Assassin's Creed game could be.

[@XProjectHunterX]

1000% agree. This is the grounded approach that ac fans want instead of whatever coke dream they currently are on.

[@MrTrilluccinati]

This game is why a full AC Japan game will never be able to succeed, if anybody wants japanese assassin gameplay they can just get a better version of it with GoT

[@miceatah9359]

nothing realistic about it literally 0

[@VergilDarkslayer]

Why

[@anarche4900]

bestgoro wring arguably where the most memorable assassins creed games shine is where a strong story had taken the lead they could

[@silckyslide6195]

Ghost of Tsushima>>>current assassin creed games

[@matthewblake3423]

I thought you were talking about Game of Thrones there and was very confused.

[@silckyslide6195]

@@matthewblake3423 I wasn't lol

[@muddposs2112]

*Any game that has stealth in it exists* “This game is better than asscred!” Like I am no asscred fanboy or something but can you guys stop comparing these two games as we all already know that ghost of Tsushima is 100 times better.....

[@johnnycage6676]

Muddposs thank u 🤣

[@oscurodous7655]

@@muddposs2112 every game at this point is more assassin's creed than the franchise it self (i am referring to odyssey tho)

[@geraltofrivia-thewhitewolf2693]

I absolutely love this game but I hate the fact that my first horse died it made me very fking sad.

[@bandithiei5497]

RDR2 fans: First time??

[@alejandrobonfil2818]

That part fucked me up big time. More so than most human character relationships in the game itself.

[@Charybdis47]

You get an identical horse the next mission. And in my case I called it kaze instead of kage. Just a z instead of a g. Dont think it was that impactful

[@chernodoggo8732]

Damn what a spoiler Why did you do this to me

[@jason200912]

Yeah they copied red dead. I was annoyed that my white horse is dead.

[@leadvendor]

Bit of fun trivia; Daisuke Tsuji (Jin's VA) selected the Spare Shimura option because he too felt it was the 'right'.

[@saintjimmy_ajh]

Personally, I don’t think the choices at the end are “right or wrong” or “good or evil”, but instead simply just yes or no. I feel like I disagree with the idea that it doesn’t make sense that Jin would honour his uncle and kill him. I think both choices are possible outcomes that I can see Jin doing. Sparing him because he’s the honourless Ghost makes sense, of course! However, i think the alternative makes sense too, as I didn’t see it as him still bound to his honour as a samurai, I thought of it as a selfless act, by not stripping Shimura of his honour and allowing him to die a samurais death, not because Jin had a duty to do so, but that if he didn’t, Shimuras life as the Jito was over regardless, allow him to have honour in death instead as he still wanted it not rip it away and have him suffer being dishonoured If I didn’t make much sense in my explanation, I apologise...

[@LazerzZ]

You can argue both which is what makes a good choice, all that matters is you feel content enough with your own choice to argue that case. Which is what I did. You’ve done the same with the opposite 👌🏻

[@JaySamurai79]

Fate was sealed. I granted uncle shimzy his final request. Jin had already declined the position of adopted son and embraced the ghost. I think they both had honor, but Jin had a different interpretation of it than shimura. In an earlier conversation shimura asked jin what honor is? Jin replied " to help those that cant defend themselves" (or something along those lines) I think if jin spared shimura, the shame alone would have caused shimura to kill himself if not the samurai code. To say which one is canon is hard. You both raised interesting points, this is what makes the game so good.

[@sebastiangabryjonczyk2151]

I totally agree with you imo killing him was an act of mercy, sparing him from the humiliation. I'd also add that in a Buddhist context life and death is to be interpreted differently than in Western society

[@dilshanrasanga9903]

I loved the ending. I chose to spare lord shimura. From the beginning of the game i always wanted to play in the most honest way as a samurai. Forcing the player to become the ghost disregarding the samurai way was off-putting in the beginning. But over the story i started to except the ghost play style. At the end decision i knew that killing him is the most honourable thing to do but he was the only person that jin can call his family. Through the story i felt that relationship so i couldn't kill him. I have already left my honour to save lot of people so in that time i took the dishonest selfish decision to save my only family. Thats what on my mind before pressing the button. Then after that when jin say "i have no honour" it felt sooo much. Man i love this game

[@sayo2409]

JaySamurai79 That’s why I killed shimura as well. The shogun would likely strip him of his title and he’d probably commit seppuku. So killing him was really what he wanted and more than anything. The ending was 10/10 for me because the game gives you a choice. I feel like it could’ve been done for the last of us 2...

[@jmcman6104]

This game far surpassed any hype I had for it, can’t wait for the sequel.

[@johnxiong6983]

Unfortunately for me, I set my expectations too high. From all the people saying how good it was, I went in with high expectations and was kinda disappointed on some aspects of the game. This game taught me to not set my expectations so high but to go in blind with SOME expectations. Still a good game though, would definitely recommend.

[@Avogadr0]

*second Mongol invasion of Japan intensifies*

[@jockturner1547]

@@johnxiong6983 Damn man, how high were your expectations? It's a very solid game. I guess there is always that one game that teaches all of us to temper our expectations. For me it was Assassin's Creed 3 back in the day. Ever since then I allow myself to get excited but never expect too much, meaning I'm rarely dissapointed and generally more pleasantly surprised

[@Kloutrous808]

@@johnxiong6983 lol your expectations must’ve been to the moon. It’s unfortunate you got that overhyped for it, but still a good game

[@johnxiong6983]

@@jockturner1547 It's still a good game, but it just falls flat on some things. You know when something is popular so you kinda find it skeptical & be like "Is it really that good?" That's how it was for me, everyone was saying how good it was so I went in like "It better be as good as everyone's saying it is." After playing, it was not as great as people said it was imo, but still a good game.

[@derianardor]

Finally someone else who doesn't hate the story

[@captainstu]

What do you mean, you can’t say “I dislike it” without getting your head ripped off

[@dilshanrasanga9903]

Are there people who don't like this story? 😦 it was freaking epic

[@minners71]

@op I've not seen one person hate the story.

[@Wveth]

The story is just decent, the ending is really good and it has some good moments. Overall it's slightly above average in terms of writing and quite a bit above average in terms of presentation. I do wish they had done more original things leading up to the awesome ending though. And some of the sidequests are REALLY poorly done (like Ishikawa's entire chain has the character flipflopping personalities in almost every mission)

[@dashman8499]

People hate the story?

[@massimoaiello8765]

One thing I would have loved to see is being able to save outfit/charm builds with a way to quick change without having to go in the menu. It was a really big hassle having to change an outfit every time you went from exploring to fighting.

[@Yeetus__Deletus__PS]

Yes, this and that hide charms, which you know, you won't use. Or mark them as favorites.

[@Baccanaso]

Well now you can do loadouts with the update that's coming on oct. 16 And a new game + mode with new merchants/dyes and trophies

[@SilverDreamweaver]

@@Baccanaso 2 days away - I'm staying up that night.

[@ghostblade5954]

New game + bro

[@massimoaiello8765]

Yeah the new game + added builds. Still didn’t add a quick way to change outfits without going into the menu, but still good stuff!!

[@davidbernard1770]

This game was so beautiful that i bust all over my room

[@samuelesquivel6202]

Was?? Not anymore it is?

[@Ashh9]

That's not it mate. You need to hold that energy

[@cripmac7580]

AshfordX i cried😂😂

[@nok4799]

When i got the kensai armor, i nutted all over the controls 😈

[@bwillsskates2638]

Same

[@MisteryDMOR33]

Considering how much samurai films resemble westerns, it's kinda cool that Ghost starts like RDR

[@gavensanders4511]

After playing ghost of Tsushima , Valhalla seems so draining and less competent

[@sidew8ys]

Valhalla hasn’t even come out yet and we know fuck all about the story lmao

[@Foeisudhxj]

@@sidew8ys the game is still gonna be garbage lol

[@ragnar3203]

nobody cares it’s gameplay is basically a copy paste of odyssey

[@Shamyrl]

How do you even know if the game is draining if you haven't even played it yet? Moronic

[@Baccanaso]

@@sidew8ys I know they're painting Alfred as a one dimensional character which is already bullshit

[@GAYXISAFAG]

GOTY for me. Never played a game which had me so emotional charged. It’s quiet Simply a work of art. Loved the story and can’t wait for NG+ on the PS5. In the mean time legends is brilliant and free. I cannot praise sucker punch enough for this game. Truly is one of the best games this generation.

[@Blue-Apple-fc9eo]

I highly disagree.

[@kadenbaio9758]

@@Blue-Apple-fc9eo Congradulations

[@Blue-Apple-fc9eo]

@@kadenbaio9758 Thank you! what did I win?

[@kadenbaio9758]

@@Blue-Apple-fc9eoMy confusion on why you didn't explained why you highly disagree.

[@Blue-Apple-fc9eo]

@@kadenbaio9758 In my opinion, this game is very overrated it has tedious side quests bad stealth poorly RPG leveling mechanics, The characters are boring especially jin Sakai who is a one-dimensional character pointless choices, etc.

[@kodyco7262]

I took 7 screenshots playing this game which is 6 more than I've ever took in a game

[@MCoconut97]

Those are rookie numbers

[@Nahyan_971_]

I took like 200

[@landonishere5163]

I hate this game it’s literally just pressing buttons

[@mixacan1161]

@@landonishere5163 every game ever

[@landonishere5163]

@@mixacan1161 when fighting I mean usually in other games there’s different buttons to win instead of just pressing my attack button

[@bitofgaming5971]

Every single one of your thumbnails is better than the other, they just keep improving! Looking forward to this one G!

[@StayFractalesque]

was thinking the same thing, as a newish KZbinr myself I've grown a huge appreciation for those tiny attentions to quality and detail..

[@tjbraager625]

I 100% agree with the ending, when i first played the game i killed Shimura because i felt like it was the right thing to do, but after the credits something felt off, but i didn’t Think much of it.... a few weeks a ago i replayed the game again and the ending where you spare him makes much more sense as a part of Jin’s story.

[@Yeetus__Deletus__PS]

Yeah my take was like: your uncle still believes in the Samurai way and honoring his last wish. But imo the scene was so much more emotional than the spare him option. But probably its more likely that he would spare him. I love that both endings have its points and its not like a good and a bad choice.

[@tjbraager625]

Dominik Gerdessen yeah i agree 100% there is no good or bad choice, the one where you kill Shimura is emotional as hell. But the one where you spare him makes more sense as a part of Jin’s arc

[@blackscreenman6117]

Yeah, but the white ghost armour looks way better than the red you get for sparing him 😢

[@popothecat9760]

​​​@@blackscreenman6117it felt like an inFamous and WatchDogs 1 situation but backwards. As both ending still results him becoming the ghost regardless if you choose the "Ghost Ending" (spare) and get the red blood ghost armor called "Vow of Vengeance" while the "Samurai Ending" (kill) and get the pure white ghost armor. (the name of these endings is a complete bullshit because it doesn't make a lick of sense to me) Even though it completes Jin's character but there's still one tiny problem that will eventually become big in the next sequel.... The people that following the ghost's ways, what will they do once they learned that the samurai order is useless? Will they execute the shogun out of anger and "Vengeance" because the Mongols invade tsushima? ...Or will they replaced the old shogun with a new and "Righteous" one to build a new code besides the code of Bushido? (and a possible debut of ninjas)

[@gregpohlmeier]

I’ve played a lot of PlayStation, this was my first platinum simply because I couldn’t put it down. GOTY for me

[@lucifermrngstr2990]

I am still so freaking pissed last of us part 2 won GOTY, such a trash game with bad reviews. If anything Ghost of Tsushima deserves that title

[@columnarbasalt4677]

Delusional much? Comparing Ghost to the Last of Us 2... Lmao

[@kostasspirou1010]

@@lucifermrngstr2990 opinions are subjective, you don't need to be pissed because your personal GoTY didn't win the GoTY awards in the GameAwards. I prefer TLOU2, but if it didn't win GoTY, I wouldn't care because awards don't mean anything.

[@azeeln1594]

I wish there was more main missions and the ending made me cry literally💯 And also the background score that's icing on the cake

[@ulrichleukam1068]

The main missions length was perfect, they could just increase the amount of companion side quest for those who want more. I find it difficult to play a game for more than 30hr, so i was glad to have experienced the main content within that time frame

[@shydreameress264]

@@ulrichleukam1068 I had the feeling that it was too long and then I was sad it wasn't long enough xD

[@GRGCompletionist]

This is honestly the most beautiful game i've ever played alongside Origins. These two games are just visually breathtaking!

[@captainstu]

Glad to see Origins still getting love

[@GRGCompletionist]

@@captainstu Well deserved!

[@starfox_1712]

have you played RDR2 and TLOU2 ? those 2 are very graphically beautiful as well

[@GRGCompletionist]

@@starfox_1712 I fully agree but i'm talking more about open world games. RDR2 is gorgeous sure but i don't find the setting as beautiful as Ancient Egypt and Feudal Japan tbh.

[@starfox_1712]

Lucifer Morningstar ahh yes i see what you mean

[@iateabagelonce]

One thing that's important about Shimura's character is that he's not entirely wrong about the importance of the samurai code. Jin's poison really, really comes back to bite him, and you can feel that it's going to come back to bite him REALLY hard in the sequel, enough that even the possibility of a sequel feels haunting in and of itself. Innocent people die because of the Ghost's actions, and it's not all in black and white whether that sacrifice is worth it or not. You can really feel that doubt and horror settle over Jin when he hears about the Ghost's """army.""" There's also the fact that the ending strongly hints that there's going to be people stealing the Ghost's skills and persona to do evil things. Jin is basically a caped crusader, and just like with most other caped crusader stories, he's probably going to end up creating his most dangerous villains just by taking the risk and making the sacrifice of being the Ghost. At least, this is what the ending felt like it was promising me. This is all to say that this story was really compelling and heartrending for me because Jin isn't 100% right, and Lord Shimura isn't 100% wrong about following the code to set a good and stable example. So you feel that sense of loss or "what if" by the time Jin makes his decision at the very very end. It also makes Jin feel like an extremely active protagonist in his own story. He made choices and he's going to have to live out their consequences, and he's had a massive effect on his environment. And there's no guarantee that those effects are the best or most righteous possible outcome.

[@IntrusiveThot420]

Yeah the part where Shimura explained "our legitimacy is predicated on strictly following the law" was so good. The inflexibility of Shimura is why he was wrong; in emergencies the rules need to bend, but obviously you can't be a vigilante all the time. Man, this story was so good, SO good. It's not this ultra complex heady thing, it just nails its simplicity.

[@Frank-kq4te]

just for clarification, you actually cancel animation, and even enemies does it. Heavenly strike is an unblockable attack that catch the enemy every time and damage guard and health, is definetly more powerful than what you said. Also, dance of wrath uses 3 resolve, not two as you said.

[@111p3t3r111]

jin's relationship with his horse should be a separate whole video

[@gamer2101]

I love their relationship. I wish more games would do that.

[@jmcman6104]

The one thing I didn’t like about the stealth is that when you fully upgrade the stealth knife, you don’t get a satisfying animation like you do when it’s not fully upgraded

[@originaldiFernan]

It kills faster, reducing the chances to get cought by other enemies

[@slite2k59]

@@originaldiFernan yeah but the brutality of the weaker ones are cooler imo

[@niclaswa5408]

I thought it was more satisfying when upgraded. Suddenly one snitch was all you needed now instead of multiple ones. Like going from and old used knife to a brand new one.

[@GiRaph9001]

You still have the drop down kill which is surprisingly violent, just stabbing straight through, and I quite like the full upgrade since it’s *so* smooth, assassination isn’t about the brutality, if I wanna be brutal, I’ll use the Hold Triangle Stone Stance attack and just impale someone, assassination is meant to feel quick and smooth, which this does very well

[@MrOskaren]

Actually Shimura made kind of sense... The samurais brought order to the island, and the poison Jin used, was unleashed on the people of tsushima.

[@ThePresidentofMars]

I was annoyed that i wasnt given an option to kill rather than poison but aside from that, im confused how poison managed to escape the shimura castle given all the mongols were killed.

[@MrOskaren]

@@ThePresidentofMars some time had passed and the mongols must have learned about their people being poisoned at some point. From my perspective i saw it as the mongols having found out through trial and error and interragations etc. That the poion came from the purple flowers. They also only found out about the normal poison and not the berserk poison. With all their resources and manpower it doesn't seem to far fetched that they figured it out by themselves.

[@IntrusiveThot420]

Yeah, shimura wasn't just like "muh tradition muh honor" he said "no, you dumb bitch, if you break the rules it strips away our legitimacy as rulers!"

[@agentsmith2378]

Endless beautiful screenshots and a platinum trophy a truly immersive and cinematic experience.

[@bukojoetheslapsoils8273]

I replayed the game last month, on Lethal+, while waiting for Elden Ring and procrastinating for my dissertation. The game is just so beautiful.

[@theswanson8099]

The Lady Masako sound track really nails the tragic story it portrays. The feeling of grief, sadness and mourn.

[@dumitrescusa]

One of the best games I have played and my Goty for 2020. The AC we never got... Also the coop really helps.

[@Max1990Power]

thanks for the critique. i liked the game. played it twice. on hard and lethal. looking forward t o a sequel if that will happen.

[@zsu-23-4shilka2]

I’ve beaten it three times already & I’m currently going on a fourth Edit: Six going on seven!

[@mbosskdawg-vlogsandgames2979]

I tried playing on lethal just to see that boss battles needed to be PERFECT in order to pass and there are too many attacks that are very hard to react to so I think that hard is the goldilocks as its challenging but not brutally difficult to the point of giving your ps4 flying lessons

[@nicholassullivan1239]

I played this a year or so after it was released. Hands down one of the MOST enjoyable, memorable, and beautiful daming experiences I have ever had.

[@zathurnox3783]

I've waited for this video for so long and it's safe to say that james has outdone himself again . It has so much love and passion, I absolutely adore it. I cant wait for the heart of stones retrospective.

[@LazerzZ]

Thank you!!

[@Smurfaliscous]

Already watched on patreon, just came by to drop a like, amazing video

[@MrSunshine251]

Thanks for creating this video. It perfectly encapsulates pretty much every thought I've had about GoT. While there were certainly some aspects that I'm happy to have left behind now that I've finished the game, the sheer scope and breadth in gameplay elements and storytelling are what drove me to 100% completion. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. As it did for you, it definitely scratched the "stealth itch" for me. Thanks again, Laz.

[@lonniefarrare1297]

Same. Didn't stop till I soaked in every last drop! God of War was amazing but I fell in love with Ghost.

[@saribbaig5305]

This. This is the video I've been waiting for.

[@Classymarc]

The nitpick you mentioned about the camera set up in the sidequest conversation is actually a good point you are making, I felt really disconnected from a lot of side missions because I had no relation to the characters, I just played them mostly for the rewards, this was totally different for the main story and the character arc quest where it was more shot as a movie. This is something SP studios should improve on if they will make a sequel or a similar game. Thanks for pointing that out, I was wondering during my playtime why I felt so disconected during these moments, now I have my answer.

[@SilverDreamweaver]

This was a very satisfying and well-crafted video. I'm very happy to have come across it.

[@Thisguy2532]

This is one of those games like Spider-Man, and fallen order, when I do side missions and explore more than I actually do the campaign, getting points to better my abilities is fun and discovering all the hidden gems (getting those trophies low key) and the Japanese dialogue did for me and I feel in love

[@damondgreen2239]

When it came to the ending I didn’t consider Shimura killing himself as I didn’t know much about the culture but I saw it as him trying to die for a code that Jin now saw was flawed and him getting the easy way out when he could find peace but i completely agree that the kill ending is much more emotional and I hope his fate isn’t as grim as it seems.

[@zeldamaster52]

I hope GoT gets some NG+ in the future. It just always feels so satisfying to beat a game and then get to use the tools you earned from your 1st playthrough in new circumstances. Right now it feels a bit empty to get the platinum trophy and know there's no reason to play again other than because you want to. NG+ exclusive content similar God of War or Horizon would be great too.

[@weirdboyrox]

But Legends is coming, something that Horizon and God of War doesn't.

[@Baccanaso]

NG+ is confirmed for next week

[@lokaler_Albino]

@@OliverLee789 that comment did not age well

[@danielosborne4133]

Hey James this vid was very entertaining to watch keep up the good work!

[@NickZan_Ziram]

Brilliant video James! Keep up the amazing work!

[@RadinV1]

Another amazing video James!

[@charliecarey704]

I chose to kill shimura and although looking back on it it makes sense that I should’ve spared him for the story arc but after seeing both endings killing shimura shows so much emotion that I don’t regret my decision

[@ryanl9224]

I killed him too, and while I understand why people spared him, I believe that when you kill him, it's not for Jin's honor, but to preserve Shimura's. Jin's honor is long dead and he has embraced the Ghost by the end. However, In that culture and time, being left alive like that would have been utterly humiliating, and while I understand that we as the audience doesn't agree with the honor code, it's clear that Shimura was never going to see things the same as Jin. To me, it was more respectful to his character to kill him. I don't think either ending are bad tho, if one was bad, Sucker Punch wouldn't have put them in the game, they clearly cared more about creating a linear story. They made it clear that both endings (while I think they said sparing him is canon) are viable based on the story and characters of Jin and Shimura. And I think that's the problem, with games nowadays having multiple endings (good and bad ones usually) I think people forget that you can have more than one ending that make sense

[@Nickong67]

Ryan Leonarczyk If Jin didn’t kill Shimura, Shimura would’ve committed ritual suicide in front of the Shogun for his failure anyway.

[@ryanl9224]

Nick Ong yea I figured that too

[@memecliparchives2254]

@@Nickong67 That's what I'm saying. I bet Ghost of Tsushima 2 starts on a dead body of Shimura, leading many to believe either Jin killed him or he killed himself.

[@ragnar3203]

I got confused I chose not to because I thought that would be the good ending but the way the scene plays out it seems like the bad ending 😂

[@jkli0_597]

Great vid dude! Your videos are insane, keep up the good content

[@ppjeje929]

The part when you get the ghost stance gave me chills and I smiled so hard it was fucking great.

[@thebutcherds4900]

This game became my favorite Sony first party game , definitely top 10 of all time

[@adnanljevo1211]

Your content is out of this world, I really enjoy your videos, you deserve way more subscribers. Keep up the grind, and thank you.

[@LazerzZ]

Thank you! 🙌🏻

[@CrispyBeefChunk]

Just finished Ghost and I absolutely loved it. Great analysis video man, super well done.

[@tyrecarmon20]

And here I am starting a new play through and playing it again

[@They_are_Arthur]

In regards to the ending (spoilers(this is kinda long)) I think the "kill" option can work well and keep Jin in-character. When I was playing this game, midway through Act 2, I started to find the Ghost methods a lot more effective than the Samurai methods, and I found myself straying away from the Samurai code. I could count the amount of standoffs I did in Act 3 with one hand. Despite my leaning towards the Ghost and my complete dismissal of the Samurai way, I found the epilogue to be a conflicting mission. I may have had disdain for Shimura's ways and the way how he treated Jin before this mission, but I also had a small bit of respect left for him. Shimura is a really old man, who sticks way too close to his tradition and honor code that there would've been no way to convince him otherwise. During the final Haiku, I knew I was going to have to confront Shimura in a duel. Jin's only family left is his uncle (almost father), and it was a duel to the death. Then the game presented me with a choice. Kill, or spare. I won't lie when I say that this exact moment broke me. I started bawling out tears. I had beaten Shimura in a duel and he was begging me to finish him, but I wanted to stick to my ways of the Ghost and spare him. Keep my Uncle's honor, or leave him honor-less? I even prematurely knew that the ending involved a kill/spare option, and even though I didn't know the context, I wanted to choose the option that benefited the ghost. The fact that I was actually crying such a river over this moment showed myself how connected I felt to Jin and his history. He was born into a family that valued honor but in the span of a few weeks, Jin and I had strayed away from that. I probably sat there for 2 minutes contemplating which option to choose. Ultimately, the pressure of Shimura's last request got to me and I chose the "kill" option, which I would like to believe Jin also felt pressured into it in the moment. Even in this "kill" cutscene, you could notice that Shimura chooses to dig the Tanto deeper into himself instead of Jin, and Jin cries out in sadness. This ending broke my heart because I didn't want to do it, and I think that's the beauty of giving the choice to kill Shimura. The game emotionally beat me up, and while I was writing this, I let out a few tears remembering my decision. Thanks for reading!

[@jamesmontgomery1930]

I like to believe Jinn placing his hand out while traveling through a field perfectly summarizes Ghost of Tsushima. Necessary? No, Crucial to a video game? No, Lead to microtransactions? No. It did however make you realizes the people who made this game wanted to make a character that not only fits the look of the setting, but they themselves can do the little things to enjoy the beautiful world. All that was needed was the ability top control Jinn, but you never leave Tsushima. Sorry, I love this game and the tiniest details will always outdo any online season pass.

[@Agito4774]

100% agree with you dude and beautifully said :)

[@aquavillager5909]

This game is one of the rare few that makes me WANT to do the side missions

[@PartStupid]

I loved the symbolism in the leaves at the end. How they form a ying and yang of sorts and represent each side. In the end Jin walks out of, breaks free of, the red leaves which represent the dogmatic samurai side and into his new opposing side (the Ghost for the people side). I chose to spare Shimura. I kind of pity him and hoped this act might not be taken as shame but instead initiate growth ad understanding in Shimura (if not change at least understanding). He is so dogmatic he cannot see where honor falls short and would rather he and his people die then betray any of their principles.

[@zsu-23-4shilka2]

I only spared him in my ng+ playthroughs cause he ain’t worth killing

[@GiRaph9001]

I also spared him, but I didn’t even think of it as dishonorable, I just struggle to kill anyone in games, unless they are NPCS, then they burn, but in cutscenes, I struggle, I couldn’t kill the Lion in biomutant (who murdered my family) so how the hell was I going to kill my Uncle? I spared him because I saw it as more of a “hey, you might see me as a villain, but I’m not a monster, I don’t kill good people.”

[@kaidengallagher4685]

What a video 25 hours to go I can see already it's outstanding

[@unclebayek8923]

Felt exactly the same with this game. I tried to play is as slow as I could because I just enjoyed everything.

[@samalmond2321]

This video is like my brain got competent and just created a video for me with excellent editing, telling me everything I felt about ghost of Tsushima. I agreed with absolutely everything you said here.

[@yazannatour2587]

Another fantastic review, thanks for your effort and keep it up ❤❤

[@Shvabicu]

The reason to kill Shimura is to honor his wish, not the Samurai code. Sparing him is more cruel to him than killing him. It also carries much more emotional impact than sparing him and is imo a masterpiece of an ending, while the other is just forgettable. Shimura could not live with the disgrace and would perform Seppuku anyway. You can't save him.

[@trumps_toupee]

Agreed. Jin sacrificed so much to help others; it follows that he would kill Shimura if it meant that he would be honoring his Uncle's request. Also: the Shogun is willing to kill the hero who galvanized the people, created a fighting force from farmers, took back the island and single-handedly killed the commanding officer of his enemy's forces. Even if Shimura didn't commit seppuku, what do you think the Shogun would do to the guy who failed to kill the person who undermined his authority? Certainly he'd kill Shimura and replace him with a new Jitō.

[@NYGAMER29320]

I understand what you’re saying but I still don’t get Jin killing his last family member. All game he says Lord Shimura is all I have. I suppose it’s poetic that he would have to sacrifice everything, very Batman of him. However, they didn’t turn me enough as a player to say yeah I should kill him. I wish Shimura made me hate him a little more so I could bring myself to do it lol.

[@adamb5438]

I killed him because even though honor didn't mean much to Jin, it meant everything to his uncle and I wanted to respect his wish to die for honor on a beautiful day. Plus I wanted the white ghost armor. I'll probably let him live in NG+ for the red.

[@ashaelleschem1819]

Wow definitely looking forward to this!!! :)

[@ppjeje929]

“No mercy” and “Reckoning In Blood” are my favorite songs in the game.

[@FeeIRG]

Currently on act 2 and you dont want to know how many screen shots i have! Its such a beautiful game and i love how the horse isnt just a car like in most other games.

[@evancorbett152]

5:27 *starts laughing in Itachi Uchiha*

[@Narfu1]

I feel like this game is like The Witcher 3, amazing at launch - but after 3-4 years this game will be considered a relic and a masterpiece to the videogame community

[@myherobeaste7]

Witcher hahhhhh such a boring game assassins creed origins was way more better than that. A game I regret buying and putting in my system

[@rattlingmender1648]

i disagree simply bc as good as it is, in a few years i dont really standing up amongst other giants

[@kostasspirou1010]

I personally think that it's gonna be the other way around. When it came out people loved it, but as time goes by, I don't think it will age well, specifically in terms of Open World, because it's very generic.

[@kostasspirou1010]

@@rattlingmender1648 Same, it's great, but nothing crazy.

[@BillyL_13]

Excellent well made video, I'm happy to subscribe

[@LotanLevant]

After being drained by Odyssey, this game reminded me of why I love video games.

[@chriss5049]

First Game I've 100%'ed I started with Pong.

[@juicewar3805]

I hope that if sucker punch makes a new infamous it's as beautiful and good looking at Ghost, and I wish Ghost did an infamous and let you choose honor or dishonor but, it's still such an incredible game

[@zacharyclark4092]

I would argue actually that the ending is about honor.

[@barnabystg5289]

I love this game and this is a great video, one thing that I felt was lacking from this game was a large town or village full of people, that would have been so cool

[@Baccanaso]

Maybe for the next game if it takes place in mainland

[@jusafuto]

Thank you so much for making this review! I am not much of a gamer and I had seen this game being hyped a lot so I was curious. The depth of your observations and your perspective were compelling. So much so that it made me decide to play it, because I would like to experience what you described and I think there are so few instances where you get to have a first experience like that. I stumbled upon this video and liked it so much that I'm checking out the one you made of TLOU2, which is the only game I play. I would love to see one like this GoT "after the hype" for TLOU2 if you made one, which you do mention at the beginning of that first one, so I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks again for making such great content!

[@shuyo6073]

This is a game where you can play it again in 1-2 years and fully enjoy it again.

[@00spiderwolfman]

Story spoilers ahead With taka being my favorite side character and Jin my favorite main character, when taka died I legit shouted no! Needless to say I was really engaged with the story side quests and all but after taka died. it became even more personal for me it takes a very well made and engaging story for me to care that much well done got!

[@nexvenator689]

I love this game so much I have replayed it at least 20 times

[@animusdx]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the gorgeous aesthetics and backdrops as well as how they integrate exploration with the wind.

[@shortwavelengths7713]

The question is do I watch it on patreon now, or do I wait for the premiere with everyone?

[@LazerzZ]

perhaps a bit of both, perhaps at the same time.

[@shortwavelengths7713]

LazerzZ double the screens, double the beauty

[@spartanq7781]

@@LazerzZ Ah that Assassin's Creed Brotherhood reference very clever.

[@gamania122]

Spoilers!: Or you could argue that killing Shimura is the last act of honour that Jin will commit, it is his uncle that taught him honour, and it will be with his uncle that his honour lies, with his death, so dies Jin's honour with him. I think it is more poetic that way.

[@sergioherrera1391]

Really great review i loved it, it is also one of the few reviews i have watched where the reviewer does not have to bash tlou2 to get their point across, superb work brother!!

[@pierre-huguespouech6271]

Lazer, no doubt, again great video. Content, edit, presentation. Agree or not doesn't matter for the viewers (and every smart person should know that one can never agree on subjectiv topics anyway so what's the point trying?...) awesome work for all of them. P.

[@RogueAssassin]

Absolutely loved the game. Great video :)

[@harmansingh95100]

Thank you, I don’t know how people say the story is the weakest aspect of this game. Combined with the music and a plot that a lot of people can understand and a dilemma that takes place makes this an amazing story in my opinion

[@Jaguars32]

I had finished playing this game a week ago and it’s by far one of, if not, my favorite game of all time

[@andreasviken2949]

2028. The PS5 pro has been out for a few years Sucker Punch drops GOT 2. I can't even imagine how good that game would look when this game looked absolutely amazing.

[@moisetibasima1354]

Ghost Tsushima is a good game, the combat is really fun. The different stances, weapons and techniques really make it interesting and the stealth is fun too. I understand you're criticism about the side quest didn't bug me though. I also wanted to experience the whole story by the end I had completed 98% of all side quest. I wish the samurai and ghost contrast could've gone deeper with more flashbacks or something else. It's fine this I just would have preferred. Maybe it's not needed cause when there were hostages I couldn't take chances they way I did when there weren't I had not choice. The ghost is needed to defeat the Mongols not the samurai. The ending was sad I wanted Lord Shimura to live I don't believe in the code. So I took my feelings out of the equation and just thought about Lord Shimura a disgraced samurai is not an easy life so for his honour I killed him. Even though me and Jin don't believe in it anymore. It's about Lord Shimura not me. Great video again I've started watching after TLOU2 video.

[@IntrusiveThot420]

Old post, but take a look at the cutscene when you spare Shimura. I think he smiles, just a little bit, and maybe understands Jin's philosophy, just a little bit.

[@finleytobinjones]

i can't count how many times i've said "wow" out loud when playing this game, from the story to the stunning visuals

[@MiloMcCarthyMusic]

Probably my favourite thing about this game is how there is basically no HUD, and it’s very minimal when it is there, and it’s only there when you absolutely need it.

[@xxmartinixx11]

This game is simple in a sense that it delivers a story and a nice expansive world with a nice variety of things to do. The game doesn't pack the screen with a million UI icons and the devs simply polished the game to the best level, the story is one of simple revenge yet the way it is delivered with classic Akira Kurosawa style, the gameplay is something we've seen before but the Eastern style to it alongside the pure polish makes it incredible, the visuals and exploration are amazing, you see beautiful rice paddies scorched by the Mongols wrath and then a peaceful waterful where a lone Ronin wishes to challenge your skill. Everything in this game comes together in such a perfect way for me that it was a simply breathtaking piece of art in the video game medium. Great video James

[@bumboo100]

Spoiler: if you dont kill Shimura, the shogun is going to kill shimura for failing to kill the ghost. Since Shimura is so obsessed with Honor, imagine how embarrassing it would be for him to face the Shogun and ruining his family name. So honouring Shimuras last wish does make sense, even if Jin has become the ghost.

[@jason200912]

Shimura doesn't physically visit the shoguns they only write letters to each other.

[@bumboo100]

@@jason200912 " face the people the shogun sends to kill shimura" better ?

[@jason200912]

@@bumboo100 I don't think they would have the power to execute a daimyo

[@Wveth]

@@jason200912 Shimura only gets to remain Jito if he kills Jin. Failing that, he has to answer for his crime of raising and working alongside a traitor. He will be executed. Hell, Shimura is the type of the guy who wouldn't even need to be escorted. If the Shogun told him to come to mainland Japan for his execution, Shimura would just go.

[@jason200912]

@@Wveth what's jito

[@ethanjames0311]

I think I might disagree about Horizon’s side quests being more worthwhile (however, it’s been a while since I played it so I apologise if I’m misremembering). I recall Horizon being filled with pointless side quests that rarely felt worthy of my time by the end. I think the difference was that Horizon’s tone and personal character journey made you feel less obliged to complete every quest. Aloy has more important matters and so you didn’t feel guilty about skipping them. However, in Ghost of Tsushima, Jin’s duty as a samurai and his mission to save his home makes every quest feel like something he is compelled to do. While some of them are less impressive than others, I will say you always felt justified in doing them. They could get a bit repetitive in terms of gameplay, but I will say that narratively they always felt justified.

[@gamer2101]

I feel the same way Ethan.

[@brucesnow7125]

Thank you for giving the story the praises it deserves.

[@Extella_Nights]

So, whats everyone's favorite armor set? Mine is Kensei set with white dye, Ryuzo's hat, Wolf of Tsushima mask, and Immortal Hope sword

[@manuelstampfer724]

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best games I’ve ever played, I wish there were more games like this.

[@dementedspirit1359]

Lol, bullshit. Almost every game released these days is open world like this one. While I like the game, after taking a LONG break from “open world” games, it did nothing NEW. Easy, and extremely repetitive, which is why I got burnt out on them in the first place. If anything it’s a decent start onto something that will hopefully lead to something truly great in the sequel.

[@-keiskx1774]

How dare you say anything negative of this game

[@ConsciousBrosCommunity]

Dope review my dude, for sure. However, bit of feedback regarding the audio - do you use a pop filter for your mic? When listening on a system with some bass, your P's and even some B's are *popping* quite a bit

[@notme3603]

I needed this and so do everyone that play this game because besides being also a masterpiece it is still far from perfect