Sucker Punch Productions' most recent project is the warmly received Ghost of Tsushima, an open-world samurai game set in thirteenth-century Japan. It released in a more polished state than most triple-A titles, with few people reporting game crashes or obtrusive glitches.
However, it is not all smooth sailing. Plenty of issues pop up that affect the quality of life and convenience during Jin Sakai's adventure. Sucker Punch has already released several patches fixing many of the pressing issues on fans' minds, such as the difficulty, but hopefully, they get around to remedying the ten problems below.
10 Japanese Lip-Synch
Some see the Japanese voice track as the most appropriate way to play. If this is the case, then why is there no Japanese lip-synch to accompany the voice acting? Seeing the mismatch between the screen and audio takes one out of the experience.
Hopefully, they make the lip-synch match the voice track for a more immersive trot through Japan when playing with the Japanese voices.
9 Saving Ghost Meter
The Ghost Meter is introduced in the latter half of act two and is a quick way to dispatch three enemies quickly, regardless of their strength and health. To build it up Jin must gain a certain amount of kills without taking damage.
Unfortunately, even if he fully builds up the meter, it disappears if he takes a hit afterward before using it. The game should allow players to save it for the right moment if they have successfully filled it out.
8 Improved Black And White Mode
Kurosawa mode puts the game in black and white, changes the audio, and turns on the Japanese voice track. It is well-intentioned but in execution some issues become apparent.
The black and white filter, for example, does not exactly replicate the feeling of an old samurai movie, which takes into account contrast in order to accurately depict the time of day. In the game, it is often difficult to discern day from night.
7 Smarter AI In Stealth
The stealth is not necessarily bad, per se, but this PS4 exclusive suffers from coming out right after The Last of Us Part II, whose stealth mechanics are nearly unparalleled. The enemies in Ghost of Tsushima are predictable and easy to fool.
Lethal mode makes Jin less invisible, but it is the base intelligence and behavior in need of an overhaul. If not included in an update, this should be a focus for the sequel.
6 Traveler's Attire As A Passive Ability
The Traveler's Attire is one of the first armors that players obtain, and it helps find secrets within the world. Unfortunately, in combat, it does not offer a lot of advantages, causing most to abandon it quickly once something more powerful comes along.
To help knock two birds out with one stone, most of the Traveler's Attire abilities should be made passive so they can be used regardless of armor.
5 Number Counter Of Side Quests
All the other bonus activities are numbered, such as the bamboo, hot springs, and fox dens, but there is no indication of how many side quests, or Tales, exist within Tsushima. To better know one's progress through these optional stories, the game should let the player know how many side quests exist within the land.
A percentage of side quests completed counter would also be appreciated.
4 More Challenging Platforming
For the most part, Ghost of Tsushima's platforming feels automatic and offers little in the way of challenge. On a rare occasion, one must deduce where to jump, but other than that traversal is not difficult.
Changing this would mean a complete overhaul of a major mechanic, but perhaps a future game could remedy this. Breath of the Wild is an open-world game where platforming and traversal offers a challenge.
3 More Comprehensive Subtitles
Many games offer two types of subtitle options; one which just covers main dialogue and one which covers minor NPC dialogue and some other audio details. As of now, Ghost of Tsushima just has the former.
Adding this is necessary for accessibility and for the comfort of some gamers who sometimes need to play with the volume low. It is difficult to know how big or small of a task this is, however.
2 More Duels
Duels are one of the best parts of Ghost of Tsushima. The one on one bouts truly let the combat shine as players must closely observe their opponent and quickly react to their moves.
For those who want more practice with them, the game should let players do duels whenever they feel like it. Perhaps a boss rush mode could scratch this itch, going through all the game's duels with one life.
1 Customizable Difficulty
Because no trophies are linked to difficulty modes, the game can and should adjust some of their parameters for challenges. They already added a lethal mode which went a long way towards making the game harder. Ultimately, they should make the difficulty fully customizable like in The Last of Us Part II.
This is already somewhat available in the accessibility options, but making it an option for everyone and more in-depth would help players feel the most comfortable in Tsushima, whether they want the ultimate challenge or a relaxing romp.