Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima is one of the last exclusive titles coming to Sony's PlayStation 4 before next-generation consoles hit the market, and based on gameplay revealed during this month's State of Play, it promises to be a great send-off. Today Sony published a Q&A with Sucker Punch Game Director Nate Fox and Creative Director Jason Connell to answer fan questions following the State of Play, and one feature they elaborated on involves main character Jin's flute.
Fox said players will be able to stop and play the flute whenever they'd like in Ghost of Tsushima, which offers them a "perfect way to create a serene moment and take in the view." No doubt this kind of system will be a welcome reprieve in a title that Fox has described as harder than players might expect, one that is heavily action-focused and grounded in samurai combat from 13th century Japan to the point that "a couple blows from the enemy will kill you."
This comment on the purpose of Jin's flute made up a very small portion of the Q&A posted to PlayStation Blog. The developers also dive into what different weapons will be available in Ghost of Tsushima, how the world will be built with day/night and dynamic weather cycles, difficulty levels available for players, and much more.
One of the more interesting new mechanics is Jin's Resolve, allowing him to build up meters during battle that can be expended to heal or pull off special moves. Apparently players will have to "make the tough tactical choices between healing or landing a crucial strike" according to Fox, leaning more into the idea of the game providing a challenge for players.
Another major element to the upcoming game will be exploring its open-world map. In a previous interview Fox described how exploration will "greatly pay off" for players through not only giving them more beautiful locales in which to play their flutes, but also by giving them side quests and other ways to unlock new gear for their journey.
However, fans of Sucker Punch's previous inFamous series may be disappointed to know that Ghost of Tsushima lacks the karma system they are used to for making morally-driven choices. That said, focusing the gameplay on Jin as a consistent character opens opportunities for other interesting mechanics, including becoming a excellent flautist.
Ghost of Tsushima will release on June 17 for PS4.
Source: PlayStation Blog