Of all PlayStation-exclusive releases coming in 2021, none may be as highly anticipated as Ghost of Tsushima's upcoming major expansion, Iki Island. Considering it's an expansion and not a full game, that may come as a surprise. But it just goes to show how well-received Ghost of Tsushima was in 2020 and how excited players are to revisit the game and see where the story goes next. Sucker Punch is capitalizing on that today with a brand new Iki Island story trailer.
The trailer starts by setting up the core idea behind the Iki Island expansion for Ghost of Tsushima. The island of Iki has been taken control of by another tribe of Mongols. This tribe is lead by a woman known as the Eagle, a shaman named Ankhsar Khatun. As Jin sails to Iki, a storm strands him, setting up a face-to-face encounter with the Eagle and an introduction to exactly what she's capable of.
The second half of the trailer focuses on a brief introduction to the island of Iki and what awaits players in the new expansion. There are glimpses of new environments to explore, hints at some of Iki Island's story quests like a scene featuring fireworks, and characters both new and returning. There's even a brief glimpse of some of the new armor that players will be able to acquire on Iki, which can be assumed to draw from the Japanese island's culture.
According to a new description of the Ghost of Tsushima expansion, Iki stands in "stark contrast" to Tsushima. It's said to be a land of raiders and criminals still scarred from past battles and war. Samurai have also been absent from the land for some time, forcing the people of Iki island to become self-reliant in an untamed, wild fashion. Suffice to say, saving Iki from the Mongols will take on a much different style of approach than on Tsushima.
Sucker Punch goes on to state that ultimately, the Iki Island expansion will deliver the same kind of experience that players had with Ghost of Tsushima. It's an action-adventure game that adds new legends, locations, techniques, and quests for players to play through. However, Sucker Punch does say that Iki Island is thematically unique. It's described as a "story of healing," addressing wounds from the past.
The Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island expansion is planned to launch on August 20. It'll be available as part of the Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, which can be purchased as an upgrade for PS4 for $19.99 or as a full PS5 release for $69.99.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4.