Ghosts of Tsushima Review thread

[Casual Shinji]

I don't know, I did a mission with the sensei guy and I was going to be stealthy about it, but totally messed up the stealth, got spotted by an enemy and had to fight it out with them. Then the sensei told me that his ways were not the same as mine. I would have to play the mission again to be sure if it changes. I'll let you know if someone tells me off for smashing peoples doors rather than opening them

The way you play does apparently influence the weather. The more you stealth kill the more stormy it gets. At least that's what I've heard. I don't stealth kill since standoffs and regular combat are 10 times more fun, so I can't corroborate that.

 

[Hawki]

Ghost of Tsushima called racist by Kpop fans but Japanese people love it

Ghost of Tsushima is receiving raving reviews but Kpop fans think Sucker Punch is racist and have no right to create a game about Japanese culture. Unlike

www.sausageroll.com.au

Alright, party's over guys. By consuming this game you're engaging in cultural appropriation. Frankly, I'm absolutely disgusted, and have no desire to associate with any of you. You disgust me.

(Yes, this is sarcasm, in case you're wondering.)

 

[happyninja42]

I don't know, I did a mission with the sensei guy and I was going to be stealthy about it, but totally messed up the stealth, got spotted by an enemy and had to fight it out with them. Then the sensei told me that his ways were not the same as mine. I would have to play the mission again to be sure if it changes. I'll let you know if someone tells me off for smashing peoples doors rather than opening them

Yeah that archery sensei is where I do have a bit of a headscratch with Ghost's honor system. I mean, he's a samurai, but the archery tactics he teaches you, seem very sneaky to me. So it seems contradictory. But it's not just him, multiple characters comment on whether or not you fight honorably. I suspect, in that example with the archery sensei, that the fact that you engaged stealth mode AT ALL, is what triggers that. If you had just walked in, openly and did a Standoff and fought them directly, my theory is the dialogue would be different. That's what I plan to test on my second playthrough, by avoiding stealth entirely, other than where the game forces it. And even then I'm going to try and bypass it. Like during the assassination tutorial mission, I suspect using arrows might not count as dishonorable. So oneshotting the guards would still prevent anyone from reacting.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Jim loves it enough. He's right that it's a better AssCreed game than all of the games from the past decade. I remember when certain users on V1 said a Japanese AC game or an Assassin's Creed could never work in Japan. I said before, and I will say it again, they were full of crap. No intrusive microtransX help too.


Here is something extra from ACG.

The cloth physics in the wind are pretty impressive in that second link. I like how he changed directions to show how Jin’s cape shifted, and when it’s blowing into his back it kinda hugs his body with no apparent clipping. His sword sheath was actually a collision point for it.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Ghost of Tsushima called racist by Kpop fans but Japanese people love it

Ghost of Tsushima is receiving raving reviews but Kpop fans think Sucker Punch is racist and have no right to create a game about Japanese culture. Unlike

www.sausageroll.com.au

Alright, party's over guys. By consuming this game you're engaging in cultural appropriation. Frankly, I'm absolutely disgusted, and have no desire to associate with any of you. You disgust me.

(Yes, this is sarcasm, in case you're wondering.)

I had to look up what Kpop means. Is it really just slang for Korean pop culture? Apparently it’s also a band. In any case what makes them so special?

 

[Hawki]

I had to look up what Kpop means. Is it really just slang for Korean pop culture? Apparently it’s also a band. In any case what makes them so special?

K-pop usually refers to Korean pop music.

And as far as I can tell, it's fans of Korean pop music (and others) being upset that American developers have made a game about Japanese people, and are upset that Japanese people aren't offended. Or something.

Believe it or not, I don't actually go looking for this stuff.

 

[Dreiko]

I had to look up what Kpop means. Is it really just slang for Korean pop culture? Apparently it’s also a band. In any case what makes them so special?

K-pop is just like J-pop but for Korea.


Now, I know Koreans had issues with samurai depictions in media in general because of WWII and the events of the Japanese occupation of Korea, they just see anything related to samurai as some sort of Japanese-supremacist icon, but I think that's ignorant in this case here cause this game is basically like a playable Akira Kurosawa film and he was a filmmaker with a long history of anti-war sentiments and made a lot of films criticizing Japan's actions in the war, so to toss him out with the bathwater, or toss this game out with other things, is just completely ignorant.

I remember a few years back Koreans were mad that some char's sneaker in a game had a print of Japan's imperial sun flag on it, so this is nothing new though.

 

[happyninja42]

K-pop is just like J-pop but for Korea.


Now, I know Koreans had issues with samurai depictions in media in general because of WWII and the events of the Japanese occupation of Korea, they just see anything related to samurai as some sort of Japanese-supremacist icon, but I think that's ignorant in this case here cause this game is basically like a playable Akira Kurosawa film and he was a filmmaker with a long history of anti-war sentiments and made a lot of films criticizing Japan's actions in the war, so to toss him out with the bathwater, or toss this game out with other things, is just completely ignorant.

I remember a few years back Koreans were mad that some char's sneaker in a game had a print of Japan's imperial sun flag on it, so this is nothing new though.

Also, at least so far, there is definitely some debate on whether the samurai code is actually "good". One of the characters seems to be on a track to become a tyrannical asshole, despite being an "honorable samurai". And the "thief" is openly critical of the samurai way, and has often pointed out the flaws in the way they behave, and how it impacts everyone ELSE around them. I'm only in the beginnings of Act 2, so I can't say how well this narrative thread persists throughout the game as a whole, but it's definitely not just "Samurai = Good, Not Samurai = Bad." Morality and social systems are questioned, at least somewhat.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ghost of Tsushima called racist by Kpop fans but Japanese people love it

Ghost of Tsushima is receiving raving reviews but Kpop fans think Sucker Punch is racist and have no right to create a game about Japanese culture. Unlike

www.sausageroll.com.au

Alright, party's over guys. By consuming this game you're engaging in cultural appropriation. Frankly, I'm absolutely disgusted, and have no desire to associate with any of you. You disgust me.

(Yes, this is sarcasm, in case you're wondering.)

Well, the Kpop fan are full of shit. Where the hell were you guys when Ubisoft made an Assassin's Creed game in China? It was not offensive by the way. Where the hell were you when anime did racial or cultural stereotypes that are hurtful, but not Korean? While anime has gotten better about it now, there are still cases where a black person can be drawn stereotypically or not like a normal person. It goes to show how people like to pick and choose what to be offended at, while ignoring others. Hell, they might as well be offended by Koei Tecmo for all of the Dynasty Warriors games. Kpop fans who are "offended" by Ghosts, would you kindly fuck off? (Atlas voice).

 

[Dreiko]

Also, at least so far, there is definitely some debate on whether the samurai code is actually "good". One of the characters seems to be on a track to become a tyrannical asshole, despite being an "honorable samurai". And the "thief" is openly critical of the samurai way, and has often pointed out the flaws in the way they behave, and how it impacts everyone ELSE around them. I'm only in the beginnings of Act 2, so I can't say how well this narrative thread persists throughout the game as a whole, but it's definitely not just "Samurai = Good, Not Samurai = Bad." Morality and social systems are questioned, at least somewhat.

A lot of these stories are about a quest to discover what is truly right or good. You never just have something be good throughout. It just kinda emerges after enough adversity and the spilling of enough blood to shock people into a revelation.

This goes back centuries too, Musashi is known for basically dishonorably fleeing a duel with Kojirou and hitting him with an oar and a bunch of other random dishonorable things and he's one of the most beloved figures when one thinks of samurai. It's always a lot more gray than reactionaries want to believe.

 

[happyninja42]

A lot of these stories are about a quest to discover what is truly right or good. You never just have something be good throughout. It just kinda emerges after enough adversity and the spilling of enough blood to shock people into a revelation.

This goes back centuries too, Musashi is known for basically dishonorably fleeing a duel with Kojirou and hitting him with an oar and a bunch of other random dishonorable things and he's one of the most beloved figures when one thinks of samurai. It's always a lot more gray than reactionaries want to believe.

Yeah well that's the difference between Hollywood history and real history. It's never historically accurate, even when they claim they are "based on a true story", and the people involved are STILL ALIVE and could be contacted to fact check things. They will still take "creative license" with facts, because story. So I don't really care that something that is obviously fiction, isn't accurate in itself, I assume none of it's true, and just enjoy it as a story.

I am bothered however, by how many people take the details as portrayed in fiction, as fact, and color their worldview as a result of that. THAT part, is where I think the "smudging of historical facts" is problematic. But if the creator makes a point to not say "THIS GOOD, THAT BAD" very definitively, and it's presented as debatable and/or questionable, I'm fine with it to an extent.

So on one hand, I don't have an issue with a culture, that has a less than pleasant opinion on historical japan, being annoyed at their presentation in something. But on the other, I'm like "Yeah well it's fucking fiction, just like the majority of the korean movies/shows that positively portray your culture during that same period."

It's all a mess, yay history and people's devotion to it! I swear I wish people would stop giving so much of a shit about history, especially the further back it goes. It invariably has less and less direct relation to current life, and is prone to historical/heroic revisioning, in a way that just serves to isolate and divide us.

Yeah, back in the 13th century, it's good odds that EVERYONE was some flavor of Weapons Grade Deuchebag, but they're all dead, so don't construct your life based on how they lived theirs.

*rant mode off*

 

[BrawlMan]

Today's my birthday and my older brother got me the game! I'll be popping this in later! Wooo!

 

[happyninja42]

Today's my birthday and my older brother got me the game! I'll be popping this in later! Wooo!

Hope you enjoy it. Also happy "1 more year not dead" day.

 

[stroopwafel]

Today's my birthday and my older brother got me the game! I'll be popping this in later! Wooo!

happy b-day!

 

[BrawlMan]

happy b-day!

Thank you!

 

[Dalisclock]

K-pop usually refers to Korean pop music.

And as far as I can tell, it's fans of Korean pop music (and others) being upset that American developers have made a game about Japanese people, and are upset that Japanese people aren't offended. Or something.

Believe it or not, I don't actually go looking for this stuff.

My understanding is there's a bit of bad blood between them. WW2 is a big part of it to be sure(Japan really didn't make any friends in East Asia during the 1930's and 1940's) but apparently there's a fair bit of discrimination against Koreans in Japan as well.

That's my limited knowledge as an American doing a quick web search on the subject and who visited South Korea for a couple days a decade ago(and I was sick the entire time....in the middle of winter). I'm sure there are others around who have a much better knowledge of the subject

 

[Dreiko]

Today's my birthday and my older brother got me the game! I'll be popping this in later! Wooo!

Happy birthday! May I ask how old? XD

Also you have a good oniichan right there.

 

[BrawlMan]

Happy birthday! May I ask how old? XD

Also you have a good oniichan right there.

31.

 

[BrawlMan]

My understanding is there's a bit of bad blood between them. WW2 is a big part of it to be sure(Japan really didn't make any friends in East Asia during the 1930's and 1940's) but apparently there's a fair bit of discrimination against Koreans in Japan as well.

It goes further than that. This was not the first time Japan did an invasion or campaign in Korea. It goes as far back as the Sengoku period. A time where Japan was defintely not making friends and were still in the isolationists phase.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

So apparently the game is the fastest selling original IP on PS4, at nearly 2.5 million in the first three days. Not surprising considering the console is in its 7th year with a massive install base. Either way, congrats SP.