Sucker Punch's amazing Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is fantastic. It not only adds a bunch of PS5 features to the 2020-released game, but further fleshes out protagonist Jin Sakai's backstory in the form of the Iki Island DLC. While the DLC's main story is relatively short, there's a whole island to explore that seems to be about half the size of the original game's first Act. If you're rushing to get to the DLC from a fresh start, I recommend taking your time to grow your character's skills first. The DLC can be tough otherwise.
Quick notes
- Available on PS4 and PS5, with PS5-only features
- Japanese lip sync fixed only on PS5
- Comes with a new chapter taking place on Iki Island
- Iki Island can be accessed after Act I
The Director's Cut has a lot to unpack, so here's what's cool. The upgrade takes advantage of the PS5 capabilities, notably the DualSense controller. These include tiny haptic touches, such as minute buzzes synced to your horse's galloping. The adaptive triggers also let you feel the pull of the bow draw. Furthermore, the Iki Island expansion also adds new things you can do with the Grappling Hook that showcase the triggers, which I won't spoil. Other hardware features include 3D audio on the Pulse3D headset, and zippy fast load times.
Credit: Sony
The gameplay for the original game hasn't changed at all. However, Iki Island adds new, tougher enemies that will test you, as well as new friends to accompany your journey. There are new challenges to find, and new animals to pet. New skills are also available to learn that you can bring back to Tsushima Island. Note that you can finish the DLC's main storyline pretty quickly. However, you should stay and explore because there's plenty of Jin's backstory to find out. You'll also gain additional skill points.
Credit: Sony
Other additions in the Director's Cut include a new mode for the multiplayer Legends game, alternate controller layouts for left-handed players, a feature to lock onto your enemy, and the ability to hide the bow and quiver from view. Optimized for 60fps 4K, the game runs as smooth as butter during my playthrough. If you prefer to play with Japanese audio, you'll be glad to know that the lip-sync in the PS5 version is fixed. The characters will no longer look weird while speaking in Japanese. That said, background conversations are still not subtitled.
If you haven't played the 2020 original, then by all means grab Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut. The game still feels fresh and amazing, and will suck you in with its engrossing storyline inspired by old-school samurai movies. On its own, the full game will cost S$80 on the PS4 and around S$98 for the PS5 version at Shopee or Lazada. You can also upgrade the PS4 version for S$27 (basically buying the expansion). The PS4 to PS5 version will cost you S$41. You can also upgrade from the PS4 Director's Cut to PS5 for S$18. These digital options are available from the PlayStation Store.
Note: Review copy provided by Sony.
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