“Ghost of Tsushima” is the story of Jin Sakai (expertly voiced by Daisuke Tsuji), a samurai warrior who is presumed dead after a Mongol attack led by Khotun Khan (Patrick Gallagher). Over the course of the game, Jin becomes the “Ghost,” a legendary samurai who frees his people and gets his vengeance, while charting the trajectory of a man coming to terms with his own past. It’s one of the best cinematic video games of the PS4 era.
The expansion of the original story for this director’s cut occurs after Act 1, about 8-10 hours in, when the game opens up to an entire new map and reveals the location of a place called Iki Island. (If you played through the game on the PS4, you can transfer your save file and go directly there. If you lost your save file, you’re going to have to devote a few hours to get to the new stuff, which isn’t making everyone happy.) More than mere window dressing, the expansion here is roughly the same size as Act 1, taking rough 7-8 hours to complete, more for those who like to take their time and appreciate the scenery.
It starts when Jin discovers that a Mongol leader named The Eagle is planning an attack on Tsushima, and so he island-hops to her home to stop her. Iki is where Jin’s father died years earlier, leading to a story arc wherein he again has to unpack not only his relationship to his father but the role his father played in the history of this island. Shortly after arrival, Jin is captured by The Eagle, and given a poison that creates the occasional hallucination, amplifying the action and intensity on the island (trying to parry through a hallucination isn’t easy). There is also a new form of enemy called a Shaman, who gives any attacking Mongols added strength and stability—always take out the Shaman first in any enemy encounter. Trust me.
Rather than just provide more gameplay that feels like stuff that hit the cutting room floor the first time (as often happens with DLC), the Iki Island expansion adds depth with interesting characters, beautiful settings, and even new mechanics. There are familiar mini-games on the island like Bamboo Strikes and Haikus, but there are also new ones like animal sanctuaries wherein Jin has to play a flute and archery challenges, which are pretty self-explanatory. You’ll even find shrines, which are puzzles to unlock outfits inspired by other Sony classics. There are also playable flashbacks and two new Mythic Tales that are pretty rich in terms of storytelling. Plenty of games have been upgraded from console to console with new features that feel minor, but Iki Island is expansive and impressive.
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