PlayStation showcased its upcoming action-adventure stealth video game, Ghost of Tsushima, during a Thursday live stream presented as part of the virtual Summer Games Fest.
In the 18-minute presentation, Jason Connell, art director for Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch, and game director Nate Fox demonstrated gameplay footage highlighting intricate details including how the wind can transport players to story moments and the location of rare collectables.
Heat Vision breakdown
"Exploration has been at the heart of our open world design from the beginning," said Connell, emphasizing that the island is equipped to guide players in immersive and thematic ways.
Ghost of Tsushima, which is being released by publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment, is an open world game centering around the last samurai on Tsushima Island before the first Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274. The in-game combat is similar to that of a samurai movie, and it even gives users the ability to play in a mode that displays the world in grainy black-and-white. Armor can be customized, giving different mechanical advantages to the user based on their playing style.
Throughout the game, the character of Jin, a trained samurai, is transformed into a ghost in order to defeat the Mongol empire. To achieve that feat, the player chooses how the ghost gameplay evolves and fine tunes the look of the protagonist. Photo modes include color grading abilities and depth of field, while tracks of music from the original score can be selected to accompany gameplay.
The game also includes a Japanese voice track with subtitles, which can be switched on before the game starts.
PlayStation State of Play was held as part of the months-long Games Fest, which was conceived after the official cancelation of E3 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Curated by The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley, it features presentations from several companies that are scheduled to share news, playable demos and interviews.
Ghost of Tsushima releases July 17 on the Playstation 4.
View the State of Play presentation below.
