Now, the Director’s Cut version of Ghost of the Year Tsushima It’s here, and it’s even better than before! The graphics are so good, that you’ll feel like you’re actually traveling through the beautiful island of Tsushima.There are also new things to do and discover, which makes the story even more interesting. Plus, the game has been tuned to run super smoothly on your PC, at least that’s what the makers promise. So join me as I go on a journey through the Director’s Cut, exploring its engaging narrative, stunning world, and myriad improvements to see just how good it all is.
A story of honor and sacrifice
Set in 1274, Ghost of Tsushima sees you take on the role of Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai left on the island of Tsushima during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. As Jin, you must master the way of the samurai as well as employ stealthier, more outrageous tactics to become “The Ghost” and repel Mongol forces led by the ruthless Khotun Khan.
The story is a classic samurai tale filled with themes of honor, sacrifice, and the internal conflict between tradition and practicality in the face of an overwhelming threat. While Jin’s character arc of abandoning his rigid samurai code to protect his home is a bit predictable, it is elevated by memorable supporting characters like the thief Yuna, the famous archer Sensei Ishikawaand your honorable uncle Lord Shimura. The cast is well acted in both the English and Japanese voice tracks (though I recommend the Japanese audio for full immersion). Overall, this is an entertaining narrative supported by strong character performances that keep you engaged throughout the lengthy campaign.
Important Side Questions
However, what really makes the story resonate is how cleverly it’s intertwined with the open world. Rather than simply showcasing the map with simple side quests, Ghost of Tsushima weaves meaningful, often emotionally heavy side stories that bring Jin’s allies and Tsushima to life. Special Mythic Tales go even further, immersing you in the island’s folklore through gorgeous animated vignettes and then sending you on fantastical quests for legendary armor and techniques. It’s a great example of combining open-world and narrative design, and one of the game’s greatest strengths.
The Way of the Samurai (and Ghost)
At its core, Ghost of Tsushima is a tale of two play styles: samurai and Ghost. As an honorable samurai, Jin can challenge enemies to cinematic standoffs and engage in Arkham-style swordfights, blocking and dodging attacks while switching between four stances to exploit enemies’ weaknesses. It’s an immensely satisfying combat system enhanced by crisp audio and visual feedback, stylish flourishes, and the ability to quickly end battles with well-timed attacks.
On the ghost side, Jin can sneak through pampas grass to assassinate enemies, use devices like smoke bombs and firecrackers to confuse groups, and terrorize Mongols with fear-inducing ghost weapons. While not as strong as contemporaries like Assassin’s Creed, stealth is doable and provides a welcome bit of variety.
Tsushima: World of Wonder
When not swinging swords, Ghost of Tsushima offers a wealth of exploration and side activities. The world itself is breathtaking, a lush, picturesque patchwork of grasslands, forests, mountains and settlements that artfully guides you to points of interest with visual landmarks and natural cues like wild animals and the wind, rather than just filling the map with icons. Abundant collectibles like records, banners and artifacts help bring the world and culture to life.
The Pillars of Honor test your reflexes with climbing challenges, while soothing hot springs and haiku spots offer respite with light gameplay and gorgeous scenery. Particularly noteworthy are the Fox Dens, adorable fox companions that lead you to Inari shrines to expand your charm and boost your stats. It’s constantly rewarding to explore off-the-beaten-path, and Tsushima Island consistently impresses with its serene beauty and meticulous, handcrafted feel.
A port well ported
Ghost of Tsushima was always a great game, but PC PortSimply put, this makes it an eye-pleasing treat of the highest order, especially if you have the hardware to push the resolution and frame rate. On my rig with an Nvidia RTX 3080, Intel i7-10700K CPU and 32GB of RAM, the game runs at around 60fps at 4K resolution and graphics settings maxed out.
Moving up to 1800p brought frame rates up to 90-100fps, and 1440p pushed it to 120fps and beyond. This is with Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling, which works wonders at maintaining visual fidelity and sharpness even at a lower base resolution.
The art direction remains as charming as ever, a romantic, painterly view of feudal Japan with lush foliage, dramatic weather effects, and lighting that bathes everything in a soft, warm glow. Textures are clear, distances are vast, and special effects like waving grass, fluttering leaves, and blood splatters give the world an incredibly dynamic, fantastic feel. The PC port also adds highly configurable graphics settings, allowing you to fine-tune the game’s visuals to your liking.
A very welcome feature is the PlayStation Network functionality, which includes a system-level overlay for viewing trophies, accessing voice chat, and connecting with friends for Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, the included co-op multiplayer suite. It’s a seamless, unobtrusive integration that offers the following benefits Sony‘without feeling any pressure on the ecosystem.
Iki Island: An Exciting New Chapter
The Director’s Cut includes a large chunk of DLC, including the Iki Island expansion, the Legends co-op mode, a digital mini art book, director’s commentary, and the Hero of Tsushima skin set.
Iki Island is clearly the highlight, a full-blown continuation of Jin’s story that adds a huge new map full of content. The narrative sees Jin traveling to the neighboring island of Iki to stop a dangerous Mongol sorcerer known as “The Eagle”, but also to confront the sins of Clan Sakai’s past on the island.
Without spoiling any details, it’s a more personal story that delves deep into Jin’s backstory and psychology, casting doubt on his adherence to Bushido, and building to a powerful climax. In addition to new story missions, the expansion also adds new enemy types like fast swordsmen and hallucinogenic sorcerers, new skills and gear, additional mini-games, and an absolutely adorable cat you can recruit as a companion. It’s an extremely generous expansion that feels like a proper sequel squeezed into a DLC package.
Legends: Mythic Multiplayer Action
Legends is the co-op multiplayer component of Ghost of Tsushima, and while not as significant as Iki Island, it does provide a few hours of supernatural samurai action. Supporting matchmaking and online play for up to 4 players, Legends offers two gameplay modes: a narrative-driven series of missions starring a quartet of magic-wielding warriors, and a survival mode involving battling waves of enemies and completing objectives. It’s a fun straightforward diversion with some cool twists on single-player combat, like “empowered” ultimate attacks and the ability to revive allies. It might not keep you hooked for more than 5-6 hours, but as a free add-on, it’s hard to complain.
Respect, liberation and amazing views
Ghost of Tsushima was one of the best open-world action games of the last generation, and the Director’s Cut builds on that strong foundation even further. Offering plenty of bundled DLC and excellent PC optimization, this Definitive Edition is a must-play for those who witnessed Jin Sakai’s epic journey the first time around.
Even if you’ve visited Tsushima before, the Iki Island expansion and new graphical enhancements make it worth a second visit. Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on PC It’s a highly entertaining samurai saga polished to the brim and an easy recommendation for fans of open-world adventures and meticulous world-building. While honor may be dying on Tsushima, this game’s reputation as an all-time epic is only growing stronger.
Our rating: 4/5
