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We've all been there. Everyone is talking about the hottest new game – or in this case, a stone cold classic – and you just can't bring yourself to care. TV static droned between my ears the first time I heard of Red Dead Redemption 2, and as someone with absolutely zero interest in the whole outlaw cowboy fantasy, I let that absolute masterpiece of a game pass me by until just a few months ago. My self-ascribed stubbornness has a tendency of keeping me from greatness that way – and I don't want it to happen again.
I was relying upon Assassin's Creed Shadows to challenge my rigid tastes further still. I'm a horror and fantasy hound through and through, so the whole shinobi-samurai action hero shtick never really appealed to me. Still, as I told myself back when the game was first announced: if any franchise could change my mind about how much fun it would be to swashbuckle about with katanas in bulky ancient armor, it would be Ubisoft's iconic stealth series. But now that it's been delayed to the new year, I've decided to take a stab at a certain game that's been sitting in my Steam library for months now. After just two hours, I'm glad I did.
On my dishonor
Taste is a funny thing. I've always prided myself on being the kind of person who makes their mind up about things pretty quickly, because I know exactly what makes my brain tick and what does not. At least, that's what I've been thinking this whole time, especially when it comes to action archetypes that just don't speak to me. But after misjudging Arthur Morgan unfairly all these years, I've come to realize that perhaps going out of my comfort zone is necessary.
Avoiding Red Dead Redemption 2 was not a choice, exactly. I just never cared to seek it out, and for that, I am ashamed. In the case of Ghost of Tsushima, though, I have a bit more of an excuse for why I'd never given it the time of day: it was a PS4 exclusive when it launched back in 2020, and I am a proud PC and Xbox kid. I don't mean that in a tribal sense. I was reared on PS2 and PS3, and still keep the former console handy whenever the desire to play one of the best James Bond games ever strikes me. But Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut has been sitting pretty in my Steam library since its May 2024 launch, and now, I'm banishing my preconceptions so I can give it a fair shot.
And wow, what a shot this is. Where Red Dead Redemption 2 took a while for me to warm up to, the deliberately slow, languid pacing of those introductory missions, I've been immediately taken by Ghost of Tsushima. Choosing my experience mode is the first thing that piqued my interest. I went with Samurai Cinema for an English-subtitled Japanese adventure, which feels closer in line with the cinematic tone I'm expecting. Already, those expectations are being met.
As Jin's story unfolds before my eyes, the expertly-written script charting an emotional journey from fearful teenage clan lord to brave samurai warrior, I'm reminded that this is exactly how Red Dead got me. It just goes to show that while the iconography, style, and setting of Mongol-invaded Japan might be far from my usual genre beat, I am a sucker for a brilliant story. The worldbuilding is sumptuous right from the get-go, and by the time I'm introduced to the Guiding Wind mechanic, I already see it as a genius indictment on the necessity (or lack thereof) of mini-maps in an open world game. The fact that the combat already feels sharp and intuitive to me, as a true-blue hack-n'-slash fan? That's just a happy bonus.
I really have to thank Ubisoft for this gift. If Shadows hadn't been delayed to Valentine's Day, I'd probably have let Jin sit on ice for quite a while longer. I don't know when I'll be able to finish Ghost of Tsushima – in any case, hopefully before February – but I'm proud of myself for pushing the boat out just that inch further in the name of experimentation. That, and the pride of Clan Sakai.
Check out these beautiful games like Ghost of Tsushima for open world action-adventures galore while we await Ghost of Yotei.
