Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is a stunning upgrade of the award winning open-world action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch (InFamous First Light, InFamous: Second Son). One year after its release, this epic tale set in feudal Japan hits the PlayStation 5 as an exclusive title full of changes. Fully tailored for Sony’s next-gen console, the visual splendor of Jin Sakai’s journey of revenge and self-discovery is back with improved graphics, an expansion and brand new minigames for those who have already experienced the Mongol-occupied Tsushima and those new to this war. So, is it worth giving this adventure a second go? Here’s everything you need to know about Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut.

Story: An epic tale of revenge and honor

Set in 1274, Ghost of Tsushima tells us the story of Jin Sakai, a noble samurai trying to defend the island of Tsushima from the attack of Khotun Khan, a war-mongering Mongol leader. After being bested at Shimura Castle, one of the island’s strategic points, Jin will join forces with Yuna, a former thief looking for her lost brother. Through his quest to protect Tsushima, Jin will be forced to make a decision: To save his homeland fighting honorably, following the samurai code or dishonor his family name and betray everything he believed in by using unconventional yet effective tactics under a new persona, the Ghost.

Gameplay: Becoming The Ghost

Ghost of Tsushima’s gameplay can only be described as a masterful work of art. Tsushima Island is a beautiful open-world full of breathtaking landscapes, rural Japanese towns, shrines and forests. Every location is full of detail and more importantly, feels alive, something open-world games normally don’t manage except in rare cases such as Red Dead Redemption 2. 

Through Jin’s adventures you’ll see leaves fall from the trees, and animals that drink from lakes, hunt, or simply run away from the sound of your horse. Exploring every corner of the map is an adventure full of secrets and side quests waiting to be discovered. To track quests, Sucker Punch have created a guiding wind mechanic that replaces traditional waypoints, a key visual feature of the game that lets us enjoy the world’s views and lead us to our quests without interfering with the atmosphere.

As Jin, we’ll have complete freedom on how to approach the games’ missions. We will be able to choose between engaging honorable fights as a samurai or becoming the Ghost and assassinating our targets with stealthy moves or using explosive weapons such as bombs. Combat is intuitive, precise and full of different mechanics that can be improved thanks to Jin’s skill tree. No matter what build you choose, combat will always feel fresh, fun and challenging.

Graphics and sound

The Director’s Cut of Ghost of Tsushima on PlayStation 5 improves the already stunning graphics of the original game. While the visual overhaul is not dramatic, it does come with increased resolution (4K) and a higher frame rate of 60 fps, with faster loading times as an additional bonus. While it is still noticeable that it was originally a PS4 game due to the character models, the Director’s Cut enhances all the environments with extra lighting effects and animations that can easily trick any gamer into thinking this game was developed exclusively for Sony’s next-gen console.

The sound has also been improved in this Director’s Cut including a 3D audio option. To enjoy it you’ll need a Pulse 3D headset or similar and, while they are indeed an expensive gadget, they will make you feel right inside the game.

What new features does Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut have?

If you’ve already played Ghost of Tsushima on your PS4, you’re probably thinking if upgrading to the PS5 Director’s Cut is worth it. The answer is short and simple: Yes. Here’s all the new features you’ll enjoy in this PlayStation 5 version:

1. Better graphics - Director’s Cut improves the scenery, adds new animations and lets you play in 4K and stable 60 fps.
2. Includes the Iki Island expansion - Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut includes the Iki island DLC. This expansion adds a new epic story, new enemies, areas,  mini-games and new game mechanics.
3. Shorter loading times - The PS5 version virtually has no loading times, letting you immerse yourself in this epic story of revenge and discovery.
4. Downloadable director’s comments - If you liked the original or you simply want to learn more about the game’s development and story, you can download a commentary made by the director.
5. Digital artbook - The game also comes with a digital artbook with all kinds of materials that helped shape this amazing game.
6. Better lip-sync - Sucker Punch realized many players preferred to use the Japanese audio track to experience the story of Ghost of Tsushima. For that reason, the Director’s Cut improves the lip syncing on the Japanese track, making it match perfectly to any in-game dialogue.
7. Haptic feedback - The game takes advantage of the haptic feedback on the Dual Sense controller to improve the immersion in the game.
8. Hero of Tsushima armor set - The game includes an exclusive piece of armor both for Jin and the horse that is inspired by real Samurai warriors.
9. Optimized for PlayStation 5 - While the original Ghost of Tsushima was designed for PS4 players, the Director’s Cut has been created to be played in Sony’s next-gen system. For that reason, the game works flawlessly on any PS5.

What is Ghost of Tsushima Legends?

Legends is a free downloadable online co-op multiplayer mode for Ghost of Tsushima. In it, players will be able to choose between four different classes (samurai, hunter, assassin or ronin) and play with friends through its different game modes. The game includes a quickplay, story and survival option as well as a rivals and challenges mode. While this online multiplayer isn’t as deep and isn’t directly related to Jin’s story, it’s definitely a nice addition that will let you explore Japanese mythology along with an online friend.

How long is Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Completing the main objectives of the Ghost of Tsushima campaign will take you about 25 hours, although you’ll have to spend 62 hours if you want to achieve 100% completion. Remember that the Director’s Cut also includes the Iki Island expansion, which takes an average of 5 hours to complete and 13 hours to discover all its secrets.

The best version of Ghost of Tsushima

Whether you’ve already experienced this epic tale of revenge and honor on PS4 or you’re new to it, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on PS5 is absolutely worth it. With improved visuals, new features, excellent haptic feedback and the inclusion of Iki Island, this is definitely one of the best open-world games on Sony’s next-gen console. Go get it right now.