Ghost of Tsushima is a massive open-world game with a whole lot of stuff to do, and completing everything to get that sweet platinum trophy is quite a time investment. If you're feeling a little hollow about the several dozen hours you spent following all those foxes around, PlayStation is about to make it better with a special gift: the opportunity to spend $70 on some special merch.
"If you’ve ever felt like your Ghost of Tsushima journey deserved to be remembered beyond the screen, we’ve got something special to share," Sony says in its announcement. "Starting today, we’re introducing a new merchandise program that celebrates your in-game achievements with special collectibles — beginning with Ghost Rewards."
If you have the "Living Legend" platinum trophy, you'll be able to order a $25 commemorative pin, which is made of "zinc alloy metal" with "clear enamel filling and laser print art" and comes in a "custom leatherette display box and sleeve." I don't really know what any of that means, but the pin at least looks quite nice in the photos.
But if that platinum trophy still eludes you, no worries – if you've beaten the game and gotten the "Mono no Aware" gold trophy, you can instead buy a $30 commemorative T-shirt with a design representing the game's final duel. Both items are up for pre-order right now, and will ship in "2-3 months."
I happen to have enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima enough to grab that platinum trophy, but upon seeing that both items combined with tax and shipping would cost north of $70, what little enthusiasm I had for the extra merch quickly evaporated. Don't get me wrong, I've spent far more money on far dumber collectables, but something about being asked to drop cash on merch as a reward for an in-game accomplishment doesn't feel great.
Especially when there's precedent for this kind of thing being free. Back at GTA 4's launch, Rockstar gave away a free "key to the city" to players who achieved 100% completion of the open-world game within two weeks of its launch. One of the great regrets of my gaming collection is that I never got that key – I did manage to 100% GTA 4 in the span of 14 days, but I only did it a month after launch, so I never got my key.
PlayStation isn't treating this as a one and done promotion, either. "This is just the start," Sony says. "Ghost of Yotei Rewards will arrive later this year, giving players another opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with unique merchandise. We’ll share more details closer to launch." Whether that's a promise or a warning is for you to decide.
