I have decided not to buyfantasma de tsushimawhen it was released on PS4 in July 2020 I didn't buy it for the same reasonThe last of us part 2the month before: 2013 PS4 launch and subsequent PS3 game remaster of Swan SongThe last of usJust a year after the game's release, it taught me to be careful.
Surely, I said to myself, Sony has updated versions of the last two PS4 exclusives in the wings to bolster the PS5's launch year.
Then,Sucker Punch announced on day one thatTsushimaThe PS4 version would use the PS5's extra horsepower to run at 60fps. Notably, a similar announcement was not made by Naughty Dog at the time. This got me thinking that if only the studio would release one free performance patch, a native oneTsushimaUpdate was out of the question - and that Naughty Dog wouldn't follow suit with its own game lest it cannibalize sales of a potential remasterThe Last of Us Part II. I was, of course, wrong about all of this. Although it was lateTLOU2got your 60 fps patch, and nowTsushimawill receive a native PS5 update.
The "Director's Cut" tag here is a bit confusing andeven some of Sony's own employees disagree. The best explanations I can think of are that "Director's Cut" sounds more elegant than "Complete Edition" or "Game of the Year", or is it the term Sony believes best suits games that never received a traditional DLC release.
TsushimaThe PS5 version looks sharper - but it's not a remaster and I'm glad it's not being sold as such. It's the ultimate way to experiencefantasma de tsushima? Absolutely. Will it surprise you if you only play on PS4? Probably not. Is Sony's decision to charge $10 more for the PS5 upgrade a bunch of bullshit? Yes and no, but if you want to delve deeper into the PS5's improvements, you'll find that in the second half of this review.
That's itNOAremasterand I amalegreis notsoldAs a.
Speaking of pricing, here's my best effort to explain the confusing methods Sony charges for this extension. If you are newfantasma de tsushima, the Director's Cut will cost you $59.99 or $69.99 depending on which platform you buy it for (and remember that the PS4 version of the game runs fine on the PS5 if you're looking to save some cash ). This will give you the full game and thethis islandExpansion - along with cosmetic items previously reserved for the "Deluxe Edition" of the game. If you already own the game, you can download thatthis islandExtension by purchasing thefantasma de tsushimaDirector's Cut Upgrade" on the Playstation Store for $19.99 on PS4, or $29.99 if you want those PS5 enhancements.
Finally if you are on PS4 and buy thoseDirector's CutUpgrade now for $19.99, you can upgrade to the PS5 version for $9.99 whenever you get your hands on the new console. As of now, there's no way to buy the PS5 upgrade without itthis islandExtension. By the way, get used to the $9.99 upgrade fee, sinceSony has committed to making it available on all of its cross-gen exclusives going forward.. Although it's goodFinallyCommitting Sony to some sort of update for its games is a far cry from the more consumer-friendly approach Microsoft has taken,openly refusing to allow publishers to sell updates to players: Give it to them for free via Smart Delivery or go home.
this island
What was the most refreshingTsushimaWhen he left it was like showing what his studio is likegreat goal,has matured since itsNotoriouseSmart Coopergames. These franchises all featured fun combat and immersive world navigation, but they weren't exactly narrative mainstays.Tsushimastood out in the studio's back catalog by delivering a more compelling story while doing everything right to make an exciting and fun open world adventure.
this island, both the name of the new map and the story of this expansion, show that Sucker Punch is still learning as best it can.Biswill be unlocked once you start the second act of the game (after freeing Lord Shimura), and if it's your first time I recommend playing it as soon as possible. You'll leave the island with a new set of armor and amulets, as well as better combat on horseback.
History is the highlight here. Although it's quite short (I made it in about five hours with a few side quests), it's a very well-written adventure with compelling scenarios and great character moments for Jin that make him want to play the role of the samurai even more in Japanese to ask question. Life. If you need more encouragement, there are also sanctuaries where you can pet monkeys and cats.
(Note: Minor spoilers forthis islandFollow below.)
In the quest that unlocks the expansion, you will learn that Jin's father, Kasumasa Sakai, met a horrific death on Iki Island right before the eyes of a young Jin. The story focuses entirely on this fateful event, both what led to it and how it has stayed with Jin since.
As seen in the expansion's trailer, Jin is quickly captured by The Eagle, a menacing warlord who forces his captives to drink powerful hallucinogens in order to recruit them as shamans. This poison remains in Jin's body throughout the expansion, allowing him to experience visions as you explore Iki. These visions are unpredictable in their arrival: sometimes they appear when I'm on the brink of death in battle, others take over when I'm crossing a bridge. As random as the timing may be, their content is anything but random, which keeps them from feeling like an annoying gimmick. I was really impressed with how contextual they were, and I'm pretty sure I didn't find anywhere near all of the vision triggers in my playthrough.
The visions are key to Jin's journey of self-reflection, but so is Iki herself. Far from being samurai-friendly, the people of the island have no problem with the tactics Jin devised as a phantom. At the point in the main game's story that Iki opens up, Jin is struggling more than ever with the moral of being the phantom, so he adds a little adventure where he can freely use the phantom's tactics without moral judgement, adds another layer of interest to his character when you return to the main game.
However, what I loved most was the politics ofthis islandwhich are woven into both the main story and the side quests dealing with Iki's past. Although in the original story Jin had already relied on the role of samurai in the most desperate moments,this islandsuggests that they can actually do more harm than good, making the main story ending all the more satisfying if you complete them in order. Without spoiling the key details, the entire narrative is about the long-term consequences of samurai rule and what it really means to carry out long, tedious pursuits with people who don't want you to "hire and protect". Not only Jin is marked by his time in Iki as a boy, but almost everyone he comes into contact with after his return. All the pain and scars of a conflict that was doomed from the start, leaving no one victorious. so you knowabsolutely no real allegories to be found.
As for the game mechanics,Bisbrings some that keep the expansion fresh. You can now connect and destroy specific structures on the map to unlock new routes through platforming puzzles (which is great on PS5 thanks to excellent use of DualSense adaptive triggers). Combat is also improved, with three new enemy types, including elite soldiers who can switch between spear, sword, and shield combat on the fly, and brutes who wield double-edged blades.
However, what really keeps the fight challenging are the shamans. They make every enemy around them stronger and more relentless, meaning they can regenerate stamina faster, take more hits to break their cover, and attack farther without leaving large windows to land their own punches. With a shaman surrounded by a few fighters, it becomes difficult to deal with, and running at full speed into a camp with several shamans is an almost impossible task. You must quickly deal with the shamans or use every trick in your arsenal to eliminate the half-dozen fighters around you who are being defeated by your chants. I played through the expansion on my new game + saved and still found the combat overwhelming at times, even in my fully upgraded Sakai clan armor.
Iki’s Page The missionYou are turned onin linewith whatTsushimadelivered to youOriginalrelease.
Iki’sSide missions are consistent with whatTsushimadelivered in the original version. There are a few standouts, most of them fun, and more importantly, it rarely feels like the busy work that open-world gamers have come to expect from newer games.Assassin's CreedStarter. Although there are only six Mongol camps to clear, they are much larger than typical outposts on Tsushima Island, making them a challenge.
The two "Mythic Tales" in Iki are by far the best written and most played Mythic Tales in the game and left me wanting more by the time I finished them. One is a dark mystery while the other is a smaller, more personal story for Jin that offers great platforming. The loot you are rewarded with upon completion is also amazing. My favorite is armor that forces you to fight a lot more cautiously and not only rewards you for performing perfect dodges and dodges, but also eliminates normal dodges entirely.
There are enough new mechanics here to indicate that a mountain of new ideas are on the way.Geistthe sequence. But more than just a preview of what's to comeGeistgames,BisIt's also great evidence to look forward to what else Sucker Punch has in store. Coupled with a crisp story and great set pieces that I don't want to spoil here,Bis IslandIt's a more than rewarding experience.
To update
The actual process of updating your game is a bit of a chore, but it's not a complete nightmare. First of all, your game will not be "updated" in any way. After purchasing the $30 upgrade and downloading it, the PS4 version ofTsushimaIt'll be right where you left it, taking up almost 45GB of storage space on an already limited console. As someone who reviews and compares the two versions of the game, it comes in handy - but I suspect most PS5 owners would prefer to replace the PS4 version entirely to save storage space. Oh, and if you actually open the PS5 version, you'll have to manually import your save files before you can start playing.to say the least, Xbox Smart Delivery is not.
If you do the math, PS5 owners who bought Tsushima at full price last year are getting the worst deal, as a full upgrade will set them at nearly $100 when you factor in taxes. If you bought the game on sale, the $30 upgrade fee may hurt less. $20 for an entirely new map and story isn't uncommon in AAA games - and many expansions were worth more than the cost (The Witcher 3: Blood and Winecomes to mind). But is the higher resolution targets and DualSense support really worth the extra $10 when Tsushima already worked great on PS5 with this free 60fps patch?
PS5 vs PS4 Backwards Compatibility Performance - In my time with the new version of the game I found the mostSucker Punch promised it in his original blog postit delivered noticeably, if not always as dramatically as some PS5 owners had hoped.
First off, the load times are what you would expect from native PS5 games. They are amazing. Once you hit start, you're generally in the game in about a second - and that goes for fast travel too: the longest fast travel time I've found was around five seconds. Sucker Punch has worked hard to make load times acceptable on PS4, and while they've improved significantly when running on PS5 through backwards compatibility, it's an undisputed victory for the native PS5 app.
The increased resolution also makes a difference. Even if the game is not running in native 4K (uses a type of reconstruction according to Digital Foundry), game details appear sharper and a bit more refined. However, don't take this as a complete remaster of the original game. Think of it as a fully optimized PS4 game that makes better use of the PS5's extra power. While I have some disagreements about how Sucker Punch makes use of the extra headroom, I can't deny that it delivered a much more polished product.
Here are two images that best illustrate the kind of visual improvements PS5 players can expect. On the left is an arum lily found near the village of Akashima and captured in the PS5 version of the game, and on the right is the same flower captured on the PS4. They were captured in the game's photo mode, so any blemishes on the features are fully visible. While you can see a bit more detail on the pollen stalk and the edges of the petals are a bit smoother, it's quite difficult to tell any difference otherwise. Any brightness differences you see are the result of my own efforts to replicate the photo mode settings while jumping back and forth between two different games.
And it's the same story throughout the game. If you were disappointed with the lack of detail on the cliffs in the PS4 game, you won't find any improvements here other than some smoother edges. But the parts of the game that have always looked great on PS4 look even better on PS5. In particular, the character model's clothing and other details are sharper across the board, making the scenes feel a bit more modern. The PS5 version seems to be tooCompatible with HGiG, which means HDR looks more realistic on newer TVs. A proper remaster offantasma de tsushima, which featured ray tracing and reasonable improvements to models and assets, would take much longer to deliver - time Sucker Punch should have spent on the sequel. If you want real, state-of-the-art graphics from Sucker Punch, you'll have to wait for the next game. That's perfectly fine with me.
Check
If you've had a PS5 for a while, you already know that DualSense support would make or break this update. I'm happy to report that Sucker Punch nailed the implementation here perfectly. Using haptic feedback to navigate the open world is probably my favorite way the team implemented the new controller features. Instead of the hard-hitting hum of the DualShock, the DualSense offers much smoother and more meaningful feedback for almost every aspect of the movement. For example, when you ride a horse, you get the expected feeling of your horse galloping, but this feedback adjusts depending on the surface you are riding on. I laughed in amazement at the transition from a dirt road to a wooden bridge and back to land.
This is also the first game with archery as a core mechanic to support DualSense, and that makes me really excited about what Guerrilla Games will bring.Horizon: Forbidden West. For the first time, the two arcs of the game look remarkably different in the draw. The faster halfbow offers less resistance to the trigger than the longbow, and I rarely found myself overcoming the resistance and breaking the dip that the trigger brings. The feedback on the shots was also good when the arrows were released.
If I had to pick one disappointment in using DualSense haptics, it would probably be sword-based combat - although I have to admit that my own expectations from this test played a big part in that. I've never really felt metal on metal, but I was impressed with how it increased combat immersion and provided satisfying feedback on perfect defense and stronger attacks.
This really only scratches the surface of how DualSense is implementedTsushima- with everything from cinematics to menu navigation with some degree of haptic feedback. All of this adds to the gaming experience, and if anything is going to sell PS5 users the $10 premium they pay, this is it. Sucker Punch's DualSense team should be very proud of themselves, period.
The evil
I have some issues with some of the choices made and some disappointing omissions that I want to point out. On the backwards compatible PS4 game, all cutscenes ran at 60fps, with the exception of a few pre-rendered cutscenes. On PS5, however, Sucker Punch made the confusing decision to run cutscenes at 30fps throughout. This gets even more confusing when you consider that there are no more pre-rendered cutscenes on the PS5. Everything is rendered in real time to allow for lip syncing in both English and Japanese.
The shift from 30fps back to 60fps in gameplay is more jarring on playthroughs. The incredible opening battle with the Mongols feels disorienting at times as you jump from rail combat to cinema and back again. Sucker Punch needs to undo this and return frames to PS5 players.
I was also disappointed with the general lack of high-end features. All you get is a higher resolution target with HGiG tone mapping. There's no lower-resolution 120fps game mode here, for starters - the game's "Favor Performance" mode is basically useless, simply reverting the resolution to 1800p (which was achieved on the PS4 Pro) to ensure the frame rate can stay at 60 fps. However, I've never encountered moments in Resolution mode that resulted in noticeable frame drops. This omission makes sense as most gamers probably won't be using a TV capable of hitting 120fps gaming, but as an LG CX owner I'd love to see that added in a future update.
The biggest disappointment for me is Sucker Punch's "3D audio enhancements".blog entrypromised. The only improvement I could find is better information in the game's menus telling players which sound modes provide a 3D experience, and the "TV Speakers" setting, which works with 3D audio from your TV speakers works if you use the PS5 beta output. Now. Otherwise, to put it bluntly, if 3D audio is in itTsushimaIt should sound better with headphones, I can't say.
If I had to guess, the real improvement Sucker Punch has brought here comes from offloading the audio processing to the PS5's dedicated Tempest Audio engine, making it better on a wider range of headphones. The game featured 3D audio on the PS4, but this only worked with the now-discontinued PlayStation Platinum headset. You can toggle and experience 3D audio on the PS5 via backwards compatibility, but I wouldn't be shocked if the EQ was still matched to the Platinum headset. Since 3D audio works with any set of headphones on the PS5, it would make sense to offload all that work to the console.
Speaking of audio devices, sound profile switching is still not automatic for some reason. If you usually wear headphones while gaming, remember to manually switch to "Headphones" mode in-game every time you put them on.TsushimaIt's the only Sony-native PS5 game I can think of that has this drawback, as basically every other game defaults to a choice in the console's settings.
Thankfully, none of the issues I'm having here are more than headaches, and I think the PS5 upgrade is well worth it. A $10 premium costs no matter how you split it, especially if you bought the game at full price last year, but the amazing DualSense experience and improved load times really make the difference for me. As I was bouncing back and forth between the PS4 and PS5 versions for this review, I was already irritated that these features were missing from the older version, and I definitely don't want to live without them. The fact that it comes with a brand new story and map also softens the blow. Overall, this is a worthwhile upgrade for anyone who owns or plans to get a PS5.