Synopsis:
Set in 1274 on the Tsushima Island, the last samurai, Jin Sakai, must master a new fighting style, the way of the Ghost, to defeat the Mongol forces and fight for the freedom and independence of Japan.

Publisher: Sony Computer Interactive
Reviewed on: PS5
Also available for: PS4

Cast: Daisuke Tsuji, Eric Steinberg, Sumalee Montano, Patrick Gallagher, Francois Chau, James Hiroyuki Liao, Lauren Tom, Earl T. Kim, Eddie Shin, Karen Huie

Developer: Sucker Punch
Directors: Nate Fox, Jason Connell
Writers: Ian Ryan, Liz Albl, Patrick Downs, Jordan Lemos
Lead Artist: Jason Connell

Between Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut and Death Stranding: Directors Cut, we’re about to have a couple of interesting months for PS4 games getting new content and upgrades on PS5. The Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut is most intriguing because its pricing model has caused some confusion, which I understand completely. Still, if you’re playing the Director’s Cut on PS5, this is the best version of the game you can play with many improvements and the brand new Iki Island DLC.

On PS4, the Director’s Cut simply includes the Iki Island DLC and the free-update Legends co-op/multiplayer mode on disc. However, on PS5, you get several improvements that warrant a slightly larger price ticket.

Most important to those seeking the authentic Akira Kurosawa experience is that the Japanese voice-work is finally playable with a new lip-sync exclusive to the PS5 version of the Director’s Cut. Gone is the awkward pairing of the Japanese VO to the Englished animated VO that plagued the game’s original release. Sucker Punch has explained in several interviews that the PS4 cut-scenes must be pre-rendered, which meant they needed to do a second version of those for the Japanese VO, which wasn’t plausible on PS4. Now, on PS5, they simple render cut-scenes in real-time, which solves all the issues.

The PS5 version of the game also uses the DualSense and improved 3D audio capabilities of the console. The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers aren’t overused, but they do enhance your experience. The feeling of different swords clanging together can be felt through the controller now, and you’ll get the sensation of pulling the bow back before firing. The load times on PS4 were already super quick, but they are enhanced on PS5, with the most notable difference being the seconds it takes to load into the game from the PS5’s menu.

In terms of more minor but notable additions, the Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut also adds accessibility options for controller layouts and the ability to lock on to enemies during combat.

The performance of Ghost of Tsushima has a vast improvement on PS5 no matter which hardware mode you choose to run the game. “Resolution” runs in a checkboard 4K resolution targeting 60fps (and it feels like it sticks close to it the majority of the time), and the “Performance” mode runs the game at 1800p while not seeming to break from 60fps at all. Either mode is a big step up from playing the game on PS4. Even the PS4 Pro, where Ghost of Tsushima only ran at 30fps in both modes and couldn’t reach 4K in either.

I’ve also not encountered any weird texture bugs, or otherwise, I noted in my original review of Ghost of Tsushima. Either in my exploration of a new save file or my playthrough of the Iki Island DLC.

Talking about Iki Island, that’s your main reason to buy the Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to and instead offers more of the Ghost of Tsushima content that worked so well in the original release.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut didn’t fix the narrative problems with the base game I wrote about in my original review last year. However, between the Iki Island DLC, vast improvements to the game from the way it looks, sounds and plays and the ironing out of minor issues the original release had, Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut is the best way to experience the journey of Jin Sakai.

(Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut code provided for review)