Ghost of Tsushima

At a glance, Ghost of Tsushima looks like a pastiche of “stuff that’s been done before.” You’d not be wrong for thinking that, but it’s no reason to skip this one. In fact, Ghost of Tsushima is a terrific distillation of some of the best ideas from this generation of console gaming. There’s an open world, but it’s parceled more manageably, and more enticingly, than anything out of Ubisoft. Combat is a standard mix of swinging swords and dodging (or parrying) other swords, but it’s more slick and responsive than similar action games (including some on this list, like The Witcher 3). Sealing the deal is a distinctive setting—an island off the coast of Japan during the 13th century—that’s rendered in astonishing beauty. Bonus: Ghost is also loaded with subtle quality-of-life tweaks (exhibit A: non-player characters will match your speed) that other developers would be wise to copy in the future.

A Good Match For: Fans of feudal Japan, Akira Kurosawa, and compulsive open-world gameplay.

Not A Good Match For: Players who want action as difficult as Bloodborne; Ghost can be tough, but it’s by no means punishing.

Read our review.

Watch it in action.

Study our tips for the game, and read our leveling guide.

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