'Ghost of Tsushima' Set For July 17 Launch, What We Know So Far

Prepare for a trip to feudal Japan as the PS4-exclusive “Ghost of Tsushima” is finally set for a July 17 release.

Set in the year 1274, Mongol invaders attack the island of Tsushima, taking control of the population. As one of the final remaining samurai, Jin Sakai must sacrifice everything to protect his home against the invaders. He must set aside samurai traditions to embark on a new path, the path of the Ghost.

Developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, “Ghost of Tsushima” was first announced as early as 2017 during Paris Games Week, notes Tech Radar. Though Sucker Punch is largely known for the “infamous” games, the developer is departing significantly from that formula with this title. Saying so-long to high-rise cities and neon superpowers in favor of swords and stealth.

So far, the trailers for “Ghost of Tsushima” have shown a huge open world that almost looks like a painting with a soaring atmospheric soundtrack. Aside from up front and outright combat, there will be an emphasis on stealth with players using the element of surprise to avoid being outnumbered.

“Ghost of Tsushima” was noted for being visually impressive during its E3 2018 presentation and president of Sony Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has made it clear that's still the case. In an interview with Famitsu , Yoshida said he was "overwhelmed" by the game's graphics, adding that when he plays it, his "hands stop" because some of the scenes double the beauty of the Japanese landscape.

The game's art director, Jason Connell, stated in a recent PSX panel for the game that the team are taking an "inspired by" approach to the game with the setting serving as a "jumping off point" for a completely original story.

“Ghost of Tsushima” will have a huge open world. Specifically, the setting will be the large island of Tsushima, located off the coast of Japan. Tsushima is a geographically diverse place and the game’s trailer shows that players will be able to travel from lush forests, to rugged mountains and towns filled with interesting characters.

Sucker Punch did extensive research on the real island of Tsushima in order to capture it accurately. If the trailers are any indication, it looks likely that the player will do the majority of terrain traversal on horseback as they move through main story and side quests.

Jin will draw on his samurai training in battle, but in seeking vengeance against the invaders he will stray somewhat from the honorable samurai path through the course of the game in order to learn a new unconventional way of fighting: the way of the Ghost. “Ghost of Tsushima” will include melee combat, with players controlling Jin facing his foes one-on-one as well as encountering small groups against which he alternates between strikes and deadly counters which look like they'll require precise timing to execute.

Stealth will also be needed, however, where being sneaky will give players an advantage over larger groups of enemies. Silent kills, projectiles, creeping around and climbing onto high places will need to be mastered, there's also a grappling hook which adds speed and pizzazz to Jin's movements .

There will also be a Japanese audio track. This will give players the option of playing the game with either English voice acting or Japanese voice acting while reading subtitles.

Although when “Ghost of Tsushima” launches, it will be on the PS4, but given it's been confirmed that the PS5 will be backwards compatible, Tech Radar believes players will no doubt be able to play it when they upgrade their console too. That has yet to be confirmed, however, or if there will ever be a PS5-enhanced version of “Ghost of Tsushima” to make the most of the next-generation technology.