Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut Reviews
Iki Island doesn't do much beyond just offering more Ghost of Tsushima, but the new content is extremely worthwhile, thanks to a story that dives deeper into Jin's past, a few new combat wrinkles, and plenty of secrets to discover.
And it's that connectivity that really feels at the core of this DLC. Everything you're doing is building your own connection to Jin, helping to flesh out the human side of the inimitable Ghost of Tsushima through his family, his friends, and new-found (if reluctant) allies. Sucker Punch's ability to weave beautiful narratives that will, ahem, sucker punch you right in the feels is more in the spotlight here than ever, and it's an utter success.
The underlying game is still too reliant on the Ubisoft formula but the new content and Legends mode make Ghost Of Tsushima Director's Cut a notably better experience than the original at launch.
I was happily surprised by the breadth, depth, and challenge of the Iki Island expansion. For new players, it will extend an already lengthy adventure into something more. Meanwhile, returning players should be thrilled at how well this experience dovetails out of an already stellar game. Iki Island is what I want out of single-player game expansions. And it’s further proof (as if we needed any more at this point) that Sucker Punch has a standout new property to continue building on.
The care present in Ghost of Tsushima’s design makes its undercooked take on its own ideas harder to forgive. Take its themes seriously, and it becomes a story about a feudal landlord learning that maybe life isn’t about him, but centering on him anyway. The Jin Sakai that players engage with through play — the Jin Sakai that composes haikus, loves animals enough to play them little tunes on his flute, who never met a row of bamboo he did not want to cut for fun — seems to have the interiority that the Jin Sakai of Ghost’s narrative does not. One is a thoughtful guy you might want to hang around. The other is not. He’s kind of embarrassing.
Sucker Punch Productions later explained that the lack of a target lock, and the awareness that goes along with it, more suited the Mongols' presence as a swarming, constantly deadly threat. Players would have to make affirmative inputs and precise choices rather than spam the buttons. But the absence of a lock-on was off-putting enough that Sucker Punch created one for Director's Cut - as well as in a patch to the original game - highlighting it as a fan request fulfilled.
The new chapter of Ghost of Tsushima adds to Jin's backstory in a way that makes it feel essential, while adding even more of the best stuff from the vanilla game.
While the value proposition is up for debate, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Ghost of Tsushima has evolved beyond anything we had expected. From the post-launch patches that included improvements based on community feedback, to the full-fledged online co-op mode that was released at no extra cost and with free updates, Ghost of Tsushima is a prime example of how video games should be launched and supported after release. It launched in an already superb state and now it is even better and bolder.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is now the definitive version of an already great game; and although the DLC does feel like too much of a companion piece at times, it doesn’t feel tacked-on in the slightest. If you’re keen on experiencing the game from the ground up, this is the way to do it going forward.
I always demanded a lot, they always demanded a lot from me. That made me among other things found this website from scratch, from my room when I was just 18 years old. But as you grow older, if you're lucky, you learn. In this last year I learned many things that make the person who analyzed the base game very different from the one who writes about this Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut today. Learn from mistakes, learn from failures, and learn to apologize. This text is my apology to the game and to myself.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ghost of Tsushima was an impressive game when it was released a year ago, and this PS5 version is still amazing. It looks great (either on fidelity or performance mode), adds dualsense features, and most important, Iki Island deepens on Jin Sakai story, adding new gameplay mechanics, enemies and environments.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I think by now it’s clear that Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut looks somehow even better than the original. If you have been sleeping on it, now is definitely the time to check it out. If you’ve already played through what the core game has to offer, Iki Island is a reasonably priced expansion (as is the PS5 upgrade). I do wish it had just a little bit more to offer, but I will take it over nothing. If you loved what this game already had to offer, how could you turn down more of it? The story is compelling enough to keep you playing and Iki itself, as I’ve already said profusely, is total eye candy. It’s time to hop back on that horse and get to the slashing, samurai.
A refined and improved edition of the base game, not without flaws but still full of interesting news, warmly recommended to all lovers of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut on PS5 is the best way to play Sucker Punch's masterpiece, with a great new expansion and technological improvements that make this an instant classic.
While the Director's Cut improvements are appreciated, the Iki Island expansion is the real star of this rerelease. Iki Island distills all the best parts of Ghost of Tsushima into one focused experience, and it provides an incredibly compelling reason to return to the game.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is the best way to play one of 2020's best games, but the PS5 upgrade can be a bit pricey.
As it stands, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is the comprehensive, definitive Ghost of Tsushima experience. Its new multiplayer mode isn't in the game yet but will be coming soon, and in the meantime, fans still have the current Ghost of Tsushima: Legends experience to check out, the base game's story mode with PS5 features, and the substantial Iki Island expansion. Newcomers and returning fans alike have reason to check out Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, with it hopefully keeping fans satisfied until they can get their hands on Sucker Punch's first game built exclusively with the PlayStation 5 in mind.
Ghost of Tsushima Tales of Iki delivers an absolute masterpiece to Sony's PlayStation 5, alongside a remarkable expansion to an already phenomenal game. Some new mechanics keep things fresh, as does another excellent story from Sucker Punch. While there are a few hiccups to contend with, this is easily a must-have title for the year.
This expansion of last year's hit offers a wider range of missions and side quests to its samurai warfare
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is the best version of an accomplished open world adventure with great characters, excellent combat, and a setting that is constantly inviting to explore. While the base game falters in its storytelling, the Iki Island expansion manages to tell a nuanced story of parental influence and the challenge of moving on from the past in spite of your personal allegiances. It’s the most human Jin Sakai has ever been, yet the brief campaign and emphasis on familiar busywork hold it back from potential greatness. If you didn’t like the game before, this won’t change your mind, but fans will find a lot of added brilliance to dig into here alongside a narrative journey well worth taking.