Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut

 May your hard work benefit all beings Sucker Punch

Iki Island maintains the base games focus on hyper-stylized
jaw dropping natural environments. 

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the strongest releases from Sony's first party studios since 2018's God of War from Santa Monica. Some other contenders would be The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog and both Marvel's Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales from Insomniac Games. Whilst an argument can be made that any of those titles could be stronger, more universally appealing or structurally polished, all were linked to pre-existing IP that had an established fan base. 

Sucker Punch, the studio renowned for the Sly Cooper and, close to my heart, inFAMOUS game series, had only their clout and penchant for unique and exhilarating gameplay when it came to creating a brand new IP (an infrequent occurrence for PlayStation Studios). When Ghost of Tsushima was unveiled at Paris Games Week in 2017, it made an immediate impression. Suggestions of Onimusha or Bushido Blade were rejected, and left a mixed yet intrigued feeling towards the end of the trailer... until.... 

Kinda Funny Sucker Punch Reveal Reaction

It was such a dramatic departure from anything we were expecting out of the studio, and that excited me. Fast forward to it's 2020 release, and it exceeded expectations. It contained the DNA of the studios previous titles, yet became what I believe to be a modern classic. A living testament to excellence in world design, art direction and authenticity to subject matter. Two of the games head developers became actual real world ambassadors for the REAL Tsushima Island off the back of this game. They did that good of a job. 

Months later, out of nowhere, they announced and released a multiplayer mode called Legends. This was again, well polished, artistically inspired and felt different to the base game. And they rolled it out for free. And now, a year or so after the games initial release, comes the Directors Cut. An upgrade to PS5 that brings alongside it the Iki Island expansion. 

Jin Sakai's journey to (and within) Iki Island is pivotal
to his narrative development.

There are those that use the term "DLC" in a derogatory manner. I find that distasteful, and more often that not, discrediting the hard work that developers put in to adding additional stuff for us to have fun with. Technically, Iki Island is DLC. It is neither a new full game, nor a standalone experience ala Uncharted: The Lost Legacy or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. But it occupies a space seldom seen in the gaming space, at least in my opinion. From the moment the Iki Island story line begins, it's evident this isn't a side jaunt with little to no ramifications. This is fundamentally essential to the players understanding of Jin and his journey, and seemingly will be required playing going forward into an inevitable full blown sequel in the coming years. 

Jin had visited Iki Island in his childhood with his father Kazumasa (who was personified in the base game as the guiding wind you use to explore Tsushima). They had established Fort Sakai there. Kazumasa had been slain there. Therefore off the bat Iki Island carries a lot of memories and trauma for Jin, and as the story unfolds we discover that that trauma may have been experienced on both sides of the fight. Kazumasa wasn't a out and out hero. War is dirty business, and no matter what you do there is always blood on your hands, no matter the reason or excuse. What a scenario for explosive emotional character growth for a typically stoic Jin Sakai. 

Couple this with a new antagonist in The Eagle of Iki Island, a shamanistic woman who utilizes hallucinogens (handy when you want someone to relive traumatic events, eh?). She poses less of a physical threat, though the final boss fight is very challenging, and acts for the majority of the story line as a physical embodiment of the guilt, fear and sorrow Jin has bundled up for most of his adult life. The closing moments of the expansion focus on Jin forgiving not his father for his sins, but himself for allowing Kazumasa to die. Its the satisfying arc similarly seen in 2018's God of War, where Kratos forgives himself for his past cruelties for the greater good of his own future and of those around him, and with the intention of becoming something better.

The final moments of the expansion are poignant, understated and devastatingly beautiful.

With minor appearances from some supporting cast of the base game; both through hallucinatory sequences and an entertaining side quest with the ever incompetent and too big for his boots Kenji, Iki Island is one of the most well rounded and  impressive additions to a game post launch that I have seen in the past decade. It doesn't overstay its welcome, and introduces enough new activities, combat encounters and visual spectacle to feel like a unique refresher as opposed to simply more of the same (no matter how great that same stuff would be). That isn't even taking into account the haptics and triggers added for the PS5 version, let alone Iki Island itself being a hefty addition; a gorgeously realised landscape with varied and fresh environments and locales to explore. Easter eggs to not only other Sony first party games, but also previous Sucker Punch titles I referred to earlier gave me a warm feeling inside. Similar to Jin returning to a place from his past, its the small details (no matter how small or inconsequential) that make me nostalgic and reminisce on the gaming journey I have taken with characters old and new. 

Iki Island and the Directors Cut as a whole is a worthy and stand out piece of additional content. If you already own Ghost of Tsushima, the incremental fee is well worth it to re-immerse yourself in such an intoxicating world. If you haven't played it at all, now is the perfect time to jump in. Congratulations Sucker Punch, I can't wait to play more. Iki Island has benefited all beings. 

SH