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Aside from FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Sony and Sucker Punch Studios also released Ghost of Tsushima. Additionally, given Tsushima’s nature, fans aren’t far-off when comparing Sony’s new release to Dark Souls, and even Sekiro. However, is Tsushima a greater game compared to the latter?
10 Tsushima Prevails: Historical Accuracy Is On Point
Albeit lacking in any historical figures and specific historical events, the game does make up for a story that makes sense in the time period it’s in. Ghost of Tsushima sets itself in the titular Tsushima Island in 1274 in the midst of a Mongolian invasion.
Tsushima features a wide variety of buildings scattered in gorgeous landscapes. Players can traverse mountainscapes, farms, forests and countrysides. However, they can also sneak in farms, villages, and shrines. Moreover, enemies are distinct but also accurate with their appearances, weapons, and fighting styles.
Thanks to the game’s grappling hook-like mechanic, players can reach far-off areas to plan their assaults. Meanwhile, a feature called Guiding Wind lets players traverse areas quickly while still appreciating the sheer beauty of the setting.
9 Sekiro Remains: A Bit Of Fantastical Flair
Players who love fantasy settings without the staple Western visuals will love the fusion of accuracy and dark fantasy in Sekiro. Sekiro sets itself in a dark fantasy version of the Sengoku Period in the late 16th century, in the land of Ashina that finds itself in the brink of war.
As such, instead of a tale worthy of history books, Sekiro realizes tales of warriors encountering ghosts and supernatural beings. Aside from enemy samurai, players also encounter the undead alongside various creatures inspired by Japanese folklore.
Fans of the Souls franchise will appreciate this change of appearance, especially since the game still forces them to explore the world and see it for its sheer beauty. Instead of the constraining environments of the Souls games, Sekiro offers more variety and mobility as players can now explore more areas with their grappling hook.
8 Tsushima Prevails: The Ghost
Following its trend of alternate history, Ghost of Tsushima takes place in an alternate 13th Century Japan in the height of the first Mongol invasion. In Tsushima’s story, the fictional Khotun Khan leads the Mongol invasion in Tsushima, defended by Shimura and his forces. Unfortunately, Khotun Khan’s army proved stronger than Shimura’s, forcing the latter to retreat.
And while all hope seems lost, Shimura’s nephew, Jin Sakai, plans on taking the fight to the Mongols by recruiting an army himself. However, not everything can be settled within the boundaries of the samurai’s honor code. As such, Jin needs to become the titular Ghost of Tsushima, capable of also striking within the shadows.
7 Sekiro Remains: The Lone Wolf
Continuing with its dark fantasy theme, Sekiro introduces a plot of both realism and sensible mysticism. Unlike the vague Souls series, Sekiro follows a much clearer plot that quickly establishes characters that players will care for.
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In Sekiro, players take on the role of Wolf, a nameless orphan adopted by a wandering shinobi named Owl. Wolf has to save his ward, a young boy named Kuro, from the clutches of Genichiro. The latter plans on using Kuro’s “Dragon Heritage” to create an immortal army that will fight for the Ashina clan, the dominant clan in the land of Ashina in 16th Century Japan.
With his skills as a shinobi and his special Shinobi Prosthetic, Wolf will stop at nothing to defend Kuro.
6 Tsushima Prevails: Systematic, Careful Fights
Unlike the Souls series, Tsushima features more combat and customization options. Moreover, the game features a simple yet diverse “Techniques” system that players can modify and improve to become more flexible in battle.
For instance, Jin has four Stances, all of which he can switch in battle in order to diversify his approach. Stances force players to know exactly which stance works best with a particular enemy. After all, the wrong stance and wrong move can kill him quickly.
Additionally, Jin can use Ghost Weapons and utilize the shadows to his advantage. This skill tree features using kunai, powder bombs, and concussive blasts to distract, disorient, and confuse enemies.
5 Sekiro Remains: Difficult, Rewarding Combat
Unlike the Souls series, there’s fewer roleplaying elements in Sekiro - there’s no character creation and stats leveling. However, what Sekiro lacks in character customization it does make up with its combat mechanics. Sekiro relies a lot on skill trees, gear upgrades, and ability customizations. As such, players need to ensure Wolf has just the right tools in any combat situation.
After all, unlike Souls that relies on defense, Sekiro rewards players who rush into battle and break through an enemy’s defenses. As such, while it’s always possible to pinch off an enemy’s HP slowly, Sekiro is more action-packed. Players need to be careful which attacks break enemy defenses the fastest in order to land killing blows.
Moreover, thanks to its new stealth element, Sekiro players can choose whether to eliminate some enemies from afar or face them head-on.
4 Tsushima Prevails: Cinematic Battles
One of the first things Tsushima players might notice in the game is its lack of a complicated UI. In adventure games, players usually see a rather cluttered UI with a ton of bars and numbers flying all over the place. However, Tsushima takes a page off samurai cinema and delivered combat without health bars - giving players a more realistic experience.
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However, perhaps more captivating is the game’s use of cinematic angling during combat. As such, each sword swing and maneuver around the battlefield feels like a shot from a samurai film. In turn, each fatality receives more weight, and each move feeling awesome.
3 Sekiro Remains: A Return To The Classics
Aside from the brutally-punishing combat like in Souls, Sekiro reminds players that mastering a game can be a rewarding experience.
And while Souls rewards players for being patient, Sekiro rewards players with displays of strength whenever they display bravery and wits in the heat of battle. Thanks to the game’s reliance on posture-breaking and deathblows, Sekiro players can theoretically make quick work of bosses with the right combos.
However, the game does remind players that a single strategy won’t work for all enemies. Players of Sekiro need to, like in Souls, stay sharp and change tactics on the fly.
2 Tsushima Prevails: An Open Experience
Tsushima offers an open-world experience. As such, Jin will find himself recruiting allies from all walks of life. His travels will lead him to farmers, merchants, and even fellow samurai who may lend their blade depending on how Jin interacts with them.
Unlike other action titles, this kind of choice enables players to tackle Tsushima at their own pace. Moreover, the game provides enough entertaining and compelling side stories. As such, players may find themselves especially caring or attached to certain NPCs and allies.
1 Sekiro Remains: Riddled With Consequences
Whereas action titles focus more on providing players with a fun time, Sekiro makes an effort to show players that they need to be careful throughout the game. Perhaps the game’s resurrection mechanic displays the idea of consequences perfectly.
For instance, Wolf receives the power of the Dragon’s Heritage in the game, giving him the power of immortality. Gameplay-wise, this allows him to resurrect in checkpoints. However, the more times Wolf resurrects, the more chances he may inflict the Dragonrot sickness on others. This sickness slowly kills friendly NPCs near resurrection areas, which can potentially halt NPC storylines and ruin progression.
As such, Sekiro needs players to think whether it’s worth resurrecting in the game or repeating another section entirely.
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