It may be a while forAssassin’s Creedto finally tackle one of its most-requested time periods, but there’s another game that’ll be depicting that same time period in the meantime. For many years, ever sinceAssassin’s Creed 2, fans have been asking for an entry in the series based on Japanese history. While the Ubisoft franchise touches on vikings later this year, Sucker Punch’sGhost of Tsushimawill be heading to Feudal Japan in just a couple of months.
After some gameplay was officially shown ofGhost of Tsushima, many fans got some seriousAssassin’s Creedvibes after seeing how the game worked. Many similarities have been drawn between the upcoming samurai adventure and some of the more recentAssassin’s Creedtitle, especially from a gameplay standpoint. At the same time, this game has an aesthetic and care for Japanese culture all its own, so regardless of whetherAssassin’s Creeddoes eventually hit feudal Japan, this game will uniquely scratch that itch much sooner.
Becoming the Ghost
Releasing on July 17, just a few months away,Ghost of Tsushimawill finally scratch that itch for players who want a modern samurai action-adventure game based on authentic Japanese history. There’s been a few games that have come close intheir own unique ways likeSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceandNioh, but each game took a more mythical approach to early Japanese history. From what has been shown thus far ofGhost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch’s take on feudal Japan will take a slightly more grounded approach, albeit there’s still mystical elements like the Inari shrines and the Guiding Wind.
Despite taking a realistic approach,Ghost of Tsushima’s gameplay and aesthetic looks like the ideal game based on feudal Japan. Players will take on the role of Jin the Samurai, destined to exact revenge on the Mongolian invaders who have invaded the island of Tsushima. After the Samurai experience defeat, Jin is the last man standing set to rebel against the Mongols and liberate the island. The bulk of gameplay will involve players liberating outposts and fighting the Mongolian invaders throughout the main story. Gameplay revolves around a dichotomy betweenhonorable and dishonorable; players choose to either fight enemies directly like a Samurai, or utilize stealth to pick off enemies one at a time. Either way, Jin will liberate the island of Tsushima through taking over and destroying enemy outposts.
Japanese History in Assassin’s Creed
Ghost of Tsushimalooks a lot like what fans have wanted from anAssassin’s Creedtitle set in feudal Japan. Japanese history, regardless of time period, has been a consistent request of theAssassin’s Creedfanbase.Assassin’s Creed 2proved that the series was not limited to one specific time period, so from there, time period requests took offfrom Vikings to World War 2. Among all the fan requests and theorized time periods, feudal Japan always ended up high on the lists of most requested historical time periods.
Even the franchise itself has teased a specific portion of feudal Japanese history, though obviously nothing has been confirmed. InAC3, there was a Japanese Torri that followed an Egyptian Eye of Horus and a Greek Omega symbol. In short, it seems like it was teasing a trilogy of the three locations. However,Assassin’s Creed Valhallaseems to put an end to that.
At this point, the series is likely going tostray away from a feudal Japan time period for now, likely gauging the risk of oversaturating a specific sub-genre of games based on this particular slice of world history.
Unfair Comparisons
Regardless of when anAssassin’s Creedgame does inevitably visit a time period in Japanese history,Ghost of Tsushimais likely going to receive a lot of comments about how it’s what a Japanese historyAssassin’s Creedshould be. And for good reason, as the game looks mechanically and aesthetically beautiful.Ghost of Tsushimaeven has an Akira-Kurosawa modethat harkens back to classic Samurai cinema from the 20th century.NoAssassin’s Creedtitle would’ve gone that far, though that’s not a fair comparison to make.
Any comparison made toAssassin’s Creedwould be unfair at this point. Even though some gameplay elements appear to be shared between franchises,Ghost of Tsushimais clearly crafting its own unique story. Even if the story grounded is grounded in reality,Ghost of Tsushimais its own isolated story free from the baggage that comes withAssassin’s Creed’s overarching narrative.Ghost of Tsushimais crafting a story based solely on the history of Japan and doesn’t necessarily have to relate to Templars ortry to factor into the modern storyline inAssassin’s Creed. Still, it does capitalize on fans' desires for more games based on feudal Japanese history.Assassin’s Creedmay have to up its game if the series intends to visit feudal Japan anytime soon.
