Ghost of Tsushima is only a month away, and the samurai epic is already looking like a solid Game of the Year contender. As the release date draws near, the developers continue to tease us with more gameplay features to be amazed at.
With a release date that’s just a month away, gamers are now more excited for Ghost of Tsushima than ever. If this is one of Sony’s last games for the PlayStation 4, then the company is certainly ending the generation on a high note. Just recently, we got to see more of the game and its mechanics.
The way of the katana
In a blog post, Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman dives deep into the way of the katana and how it is explored in the game.
To make the combat feel more authentic, the developers had to consider a few defining factors when it comes to using the katana. These are speed, sharpness, and precision.
Creating the perfect fighting game
In terms of speed, the developers had to carefully consider human reaction time. According to Zimmerman, they had to stay around certain limitations of the human stimulus. At first, Jin’s attacks were faster than the enemies, but this proved to be an imbalance.
What the developers did was to slow down the first attacks of enemies and make their succeeding attacks in a combo much faster. This gives the players more time to react in the Ghost of Tsushima.
For sharpness, the developer had to ensure that death is always a consequence for Jin and his enemies due to the lethality of the weapons they carry. Jin will be able to defend himself using a myriad of sword techniques, but players should understand that slipping up is a matter of life and death.
In terms of precision, the developers wanted the players to feel the discipline and mastery that Jin has with the katana. As such, timing is always rewarded. For instance, Jin can parry instead of block if players press L1 at the right time.
Moreover, Jin can cancel his heavy attacks should the players feel the need to do so. This means changing strategies and attack approaches is possible in the game.
Ghost of Tsushima launches on July 17 for the PlayStation 4. The game will feature a large open-world and the ability to fight like a samurai or a ghost. There may still be more features we’ve yet to see, and we’ll likely hear more from the developers in the coming weeks.
Image used courtesy of PlayStation/YouTube