So I've put a bit more time into Ghosts of Tsushima, and I've done a complete 180 on it. This game rocks.
First of all, this game is just stunning to look at, and its environments are some of the best that I have ever seen. The grass density is probably the best-in-class, and makes every landscape look so verdant. When it is sunrise or sunset, and the sky is orange, and the sunrays are just bleeding through the trees - wow. When I play most of my games, i'm not really one to stop and stand around to take in the environment, but in this game, i'm doing it all of the time.
And its beauty isn't just for aesthetics either. Some of my famous bits of game design is how developers can bring UI elements into the game world itself. Dead Space is probably the easiest thing to point at, but in this game, instead of having an arrow on the minimap, or a compass, or some floating icon in the game world, the wind blows in the direction where you need to go. At any point, you just need to look at which way the grass is blowing, and run in that direction. Masterpiece.
On a similar note, every now and again you will come across an animal like a fox or a yellow bird that you can follow to lead you to a nearby point of interest. The fox works really well, because they spawn at fox dens, and then (presumably) follow a scripted path. The birds though, not so much, as they seem to spawn dynamically, then are constantly headbutting terrain like trees, buildings and rocks, which makes them harder to follow than I would have liked.
I really like the story its telling: a samurai taught to be honorable in battle, facing an enemy that does not care, and having to choose between trying to stick to tradition (which hasn't worked, and got everyone killed), or embracing a path that your peers will look down on you for. But admittedly, im still in Act 1, so I have no idea where else/if it will go.
The combat isn't particularly groundbreaking, but it does sell the fantasy. Combat is your usual light or heavy attack, dodge, block and parry. Other than unblockable attacks, the game doesn't telegraph the attack other than watching the character model. Individual fights usually don't last for longer than a few hits. Animation quality is good though, and I do really like the "Face me!" standoff ability, where you announce yourself to the enemy, and then have a quick 1-on-1 fight with them, which allows you to kill them in one hit. Otherwise, you have your usual sneak/instant-kill assassinate move, a variety of throwable bombs etc, and a bow. Nothing too dissimilar from some games that I have played before, but you definitely feel like a samurai.
One thing that I thought would mix the combat up a bit more, were the stances. Each one is more effective against a certain enemy type - Stone vs Sword, Water vs Shield, etc. I would have liked/expected this to introduce new or different combos, but this does not appear to really be the case. Other than the animations, effect against a certain enemy type, and flavour of your Y combo, it doesn't appear to introduce much. I can't really see the skill ceiling being particularly high here.
I'm looking forward to playing more, and I hope it doesn't run out of steam before the conclusion.
