Ghost of Tsushima quickly became one of the PS4's fastest selling first party games thanks to its stunning visual design and intricate combat system. An open world adventure set in feudal Japan, players take control of a samurai named Jin Sakai as he protects Tsushima island from an invasion. Weaving together a masterful tale of transformation, revenge, and sacrifice, Ghost of Tsushima's tale of a samurai warrior has received critical acclaim.
Over the years, games centered around samurai have become more popular due to the open-ended nature of adventure games as well as fascination with their history and bushido code. With the success of Ghost of Tsushima, it wouldn't be surprising to see more developers create open world games that focus on samurai and feudal Japan. While Ghost of Tsushima has undoubtedly become one of the most popular games in recent memory, there's many other games centered around samurai that fans should try.
Nioh Series
The Nioh series has quickly become one of the biggest successes in the Soulslike genre due to its intricate combat mechanics. Similar to Ghost of Tsushima, the Nioh games takes place in a fictionalized, dark fantasy version of feudal Japan and focuses on the story of a samurai. In Nioh, players control William Adams, a historic Englishman who became one of the first ever non-Japanese samurai throughout his journey. Although Nioh's version of feudal Japan has a lot more emphasis on the occult with yōkai and monsters, its striking environmental design bears many similarities to Ghost of Tsushima.
Katana Zero
While indie action-platformer Katana Zero gives players control of a samurai assassin known as Zero, its unique setting takes place in a dystopic, neo-noir metropolis. Featuring neon visuals inspired by 80s pop culture and a pulsating synthwave soundtrack, players guide Zero through side-scrolling levels fighting enemies and dodging traps. The fast-paced gameplay is similar to Ghost of Tsushima's Lethal difficulty where Zero can kill his enemies in one hit but will die in one blow as well.
Total War: Shogun 2
Strategy fans who are looking for a different kind of samurai game after Ghost of Tsushima should not let Total War: Shogun 2 fly under their radar. A mix between both real-time tactics with turn-based strategy, players will take on the role of a Daimyo, a powerful feudal lord as they use military combat, diplomacy, and economics to unite Japan under one command. Although it doesn't have the intense action sequences of other samurai games, its refined mechanics make it one of the best from the Total War series.
Onimusha: Warlords
With the 2019 remaster of Onimusha: Warlords, fans could finally experience the PS2 classic on modern hardware. Originally intended to be a Resident Evil game set in the Sengoku period, it retained many of the puzzle solving mechanics and fixed camera movement. However, Onimusha: Warlords transformed during its development to a more action-oriented game as players control a samurai named Samanosuke to fight against the famed Nobunaga Oda in a world full of demons and monsters.
Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada
Fans looking for some mindless hacking and slashing will find Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada indulging as they clear gigantic battlefields of enemies. Based on the life of Sanada Yukimura, a famed samurai of the Sengoku period, players are placed into the heat of conflict between rival clans and their feudal lords. While Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada retains much of its charm from its Musou combat, it has a surprising emphasis on the story and characterizations.
Ghost of Tsushima is available for PlayStation 4.