Sony Ghost of Tsushima OT - Mud, Blood, and Steel, update: Rivals mode added to Legends

[Mercury33]

I always thought the English voice actors in FMA were pretty solid. Never took me out of it. 

[Firewithin]

is there a way to quick switch outfits? its going to get real old having to go into the menu every time to switch to like travelers outfit for exploring and then mission/combat outfits 

[JPDunks4]

Finished the initial tutorial section.

 

Initial impression is the camera is rough, making combat way less fluid than it should feel.  The camera has no auto rotation or anything it seems, so if you turn to face an enemy, you also need to manually swing the camera around. 

 

I am very early so I'm sure I'll adjust to it, just feels very off.  Also the camera FOV is very zoomed in, making it even more difficult to see whats going on in some combat.

 

Game is beautiful though so far, as the world just opened up and I get to explore a bit.

[legend]

2 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

I always found the english voices in anime to be jarring and frankly.. terrible. I remember when Dragonballz was finally brought to the states on toonami or whatever it was and me and my siblings HATED it because I had been buying fan subbed VHS copies for YEARS before people even knew what DBZ was. I've been biased against english dubs ever since. The English voice acting in this seems pretty good so far except for Khan's. His Japanese voice performance sounds MUCH better than the English one. I dunno... I switched it to English but may switch it back as I got used to the lip flap after awhile. Surprised that they let this aspect slip in an otherwise VERY polished game. Maybe they can patch it?

 

I only got into anime recently, like last year recently (and now I binge a lot of it  ). I also have mostly focused on more recent animes, so it's entirely plausible it got better. Especially since they're now much more popular in the US than they were.

[skillzdadirecta]

Just now, legend said:

 

I only got into anime recently, like last year recently (and now I binge a lot of it  ). I also have mostly focused on more recent animes, so it's entirely plausible it got better. Especially since they're now much more popular in the US than they were.

Anime has been popular in the US since the 90's at least. Now it's just mainstream... but Akira and Fist of The Northstar in the late 80's pretty much led to the 90's anime boom and once Toonami became a thing that was all she wrote. There's a whole generation of adults now that have been watching anime since they were kids. Shit, when I was a kid we had anime imports like Voltron, Robotech and Starblazers. Not to mention the Shogun Warrior cartoons like Starvengers, Grendizer and Gaiking. Oh! and Battle of the planets! My mom grew up watching Speed Race, Astro Boy and Gigantor... my point is anime has been popular in the states for a LONG time.

 

I will concede that english voice acting has probably gotten better though and there is a LOT more anime available now than there's ever been. As far as the game goes, I will probably stick with English, occasionally switching back to the Japanese for shits and giggles.

[SaysWho?]

I picked a good time to get the Platinum headset. 3D audio option.

 

Game looks wonderful so far. I'm only 60 seconds in  

[legend]

2 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Anime has been popular in the US since the 90's at least. Now it's just mainstream... but Akira and Fist of The Northstar in the late 80's pretty much led to the 90's anime boom and once Toonami became a thing that was all she wrote. There's a whole generation of adults now that have been watching anime since they were kids. Shit, when I was a kid we had anime imports like Voltron, Robotech and Starblazers. Not to mention the Shogun Warrior cartoons like Starvengers, Grendizer and Gaiking. Oh! and Battle of the planets! My mom grew up watching Speed Race, Astro Boy and Gigantor... my point is anime has been popular in the states for a LONG time.

 

I will concede that english voice acting has probably gotten better though and there is a LOT more anime available now than there's ever been. As far as the game goes, I will probably stick with English, occasionally switching back to the Japanese for shits and giggles.

 

Whether it was "popular" is probably debatable based on what we mean by that term. But for whatever level it was at in the 90s, it seems like it's much more so than even that now. Or at least that's my impression. Do you happen to know the figures out of curiosity?

[skillzdadirecta]

19 minutes ago, legend said:

 

Whether it was "popular" is probably debatable based on what we mean by that term. But for whatever level it was at in the 90s, it seems like it's much more so than even that now. Or at least that's my impression. Do you happen to know the figures out of curiosity?

 

Figures? No idea. I know that companies like Mangavision and ADV started really importing and translating Anime big time in the 90's as well as a bunch of other companies. No doubt manga and anime is more popular now... I'm just saying it started become popular (and lucrative) in the 90's.

 

Here's a little context for what I was saying

Quote

Anime culture in the United States began as a niche community that had a grassroots foundation built by groups of fans on the local level. Some of the earliest televised anime to air in the United States were Astro Boy, Speed Racer, and Gigantor, which gained popularity with many American audiences during the late 1960s. Anime shows that aired in the United States up until the 1980s were usually heavily altered and localized, such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman becoming Battle of the Planets in the 1970s, and the mecha show Macross becoming Robotech in the 1980s. Takara's Diaclone and Microman mecha toylines also became the basis for the Transformers franchise in the 1980s.

Small patches of isolated communities started to form around collective interest towards this new medium, which seemed reminiscent of familiar Disney visuals and Warner-Brothers narratives. One of these communities was the first anime fan club called the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization (C/FO), formed in Los Angeles, California during 1977; club actives involved monthly meets in order to watch newly aired anime. The early popularity was driven by fan-subtitled content and remained that way until much later, when inter-connected entrepreneurs from Japan and the United States saw an opportunity for business through this new medium. These business opportunities eventually led to the founding of Streamline Pictures, the United States' first anime import company in 1989, thus starting anime's widespread commercialization. Over the next dozen years, anime fans became more connected through fan-held conventions and the internet. These groups began to develop new social identities, centered around what they saw as an overall interconnected community.

 

A subculture began to grow around the United States revolving around people who identified with the social identity “Anime fan.”  The strong imagined community built by the fandom since the earliest days was both the backbone and reason for the subculture’s growth. Today, early 2000s anime shows like Pokemon have become almost universally recognized media in the United States. 

 

 

 

[johnny]

Played a couple more hours. I really suck at parrying. Been putting technique points into evasion first. There’s soooo many different skills. 

[gamer.tv]

I was going to buy this for my wife but listening to the Giant Bomb impressions I’m massively put off.

[SaysWho?]

1 hour ago, gamer.tv said:

I was going to buy this for my wife but listening to the Giant Bomb impressions I’m massively put off.

 

What were their critiques?

[Keyser_Soze]

3 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

I was going to buy this for my wife but listening to the Giant Bomb impressions I’m massively put off.

 

2 hours ago, SaysWho? said:

 

What were their critiques?

 

Just watch that quick look.

In any case I think most of them enjoyed it overall, I think the biggest gripes were with the stances if I remember right and that the game is basically like Assassin's Creed before Odyssey (personally it looks like HZD with a Japan skin to me right down to the photo mode where you can change the time of day )

[johnny]

It doesn’t feel like the old AC games. At least not the combat. Old AC combat was boring as hell and you just had to parry and could take down 50 people who attack one at a time. 

[skillzdadirecta]

14 minutes ago, johnny said:

It doesn’t feel like the old AC games. At least not the combat. Old AC combat was boring as hell and you just had to parry and could take down 50 people who attack one at a time. 

Yeah the combat here is REALLY good.

[Keyser_Soze]

39 minutes ago, johnny said:

It doesn’t feel like the old AC games. At least not the combat. Old AC combat was boring as hell and you just had to parry and could take down 50 people who attack one at a time. 

 

AC in terms of a map filled of icons of stuff to do, obviously they are fine with the combat.

[Greatoneshere]

1 hour ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

AC in terms of a map filled of icons of stuff to do, obviously they are fine with the combat.

 

Yeah, except these icons are worth going to.  

[Keyser_Soze]

3 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

Yeah, except these icons are worth going to.  

 

Some of them.

[gamer.tv]

7 hours ago, SaysWho? said:

 

What were their critiques?

The tone of the story wasn’t that great, the gameplay whilst challenging didn’t have an interesting hook (they mentioned there were limited types of side quest, which made me think of Prototype which I really enjoyed for about 10 hours then became bored) and overall Jan and Jeff both mentioned they just didn’t think it was great 

 

That’s just two opinions though and I’d be interested to hear from D1P members

 

[Keyser_Soze]

23 minutes ago, gamer.tv said:

The tone of the story wasn’t that great, the gameplay whilst challenging didn’t have an interesting hook (they mentioned there were limited types of side quest, which made me think of Prototype which I really enjoyed for about 10 hours then became bored) and overall Jan and Jeff both mentioned they just didn’t think it was great

 

You probably shouldn't go by Jeff's opinion. He really dislikes a lot of these open world games. However if he DID like it, then the game must be something special.

 

Brad, Jason, Alex all enjoyed it. I think Jan enjoys it too.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Ghost of Tsushima tech review: Sony first-party magic delivers a beautiful open world (Digital Foundry)

Quote

Ghost of Tsushima seems to have divided opinion but on balance, I genuinely enjoyed my time with the game and it feels like we're reaching the end of an era - as this is likely the last title we'll see in Sony's first-party triple-A line-up for PlayStation 4. It's a game I admire and respect and had fun playing, but I'm not sure it's a title I love. Partly that's down to the fact that Ghost of Tsushima treads the same path as many open world games of this generation, and it's not a genre I'm particularly fond of. In this game and many others of its ilk, I'm often left with the feeling of friction and busy-work put in front of me, staggering the pacing of the story to its detriment. Technologically, Ghost of Tsushima is excellent, it's Sucker Punch's best release yet and it's clearly a cut above most of the open world fare we've seen this generation, but compared to the standards set by Sony's remarkable run of first-party hits, it doesn't quite feel like the finished article.

 

 

[SimpleG]

8 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

That’s just two opinions though and I’d be interested to hear from D1P members

I am enjoying the game but I agree with GB. Its open world game built very much like an older gen open world.The combat makes you feel like Lone Wolf but the camera is down right shit sometimes. It feels like euro jank with top tier visuals. And I say with all seriousness fuck the person who thought it was OK to release a game set in Japan, about Samurai , with Japanese characters, Japanese actors and they couldnt sync mouth movements with Japanese VA. Christ sakes dont let the Dev near something like the GT series or Forza games, all the cars would sound like Vespas .

[eggydoo]

I got it and am liking it as well so far.  I'm not too far into it.  Only beat 2 tales so far and did a bit of exploration.

 

I agree the camera is sometimes horrendous but I haven't checked if any settings for it yet.

 

The combat is actually a little tougher and better than I anticipated.  I haven't unlocked many skills yet so mostly just doing the basic moves so far.  It's not button mashy, more like a dark souls lite?

 

English voice acting seems really good so I'm keeping it English.

[Mercury33]

10 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

The tone of the story wasn’t that great, the gameplay whilst challenging didn’t have an interesting hook (they mentioned there were limited types of side quest, which made me think of Prototype which I really enjoyed for about 10 hours then became bored) and overall Jan and Jeff both mentioned they just didn’t think it was great 

 

That’s just two opinions though and I’d be interested to hear from D1P members

 

huh I listened to their impressions on Bombcast and while they did all have critiques at the end they all said they really liked it a lot and all they were thinking about was getting back to playing it. 

[gamer.tv]

14 minutes ago, Mercury33 said:

huh I listened to their impressions on Bombcast and while they did all have critiques at the end they all said they really liked it a lot and all they were thinking about was getting back to playing it. 

The Beastcast tells a different story, but they are just opinions at the end of the day.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

I was pretty wiped out last night, so I didn’t play much, but the opening was pretty cool. I think I’m gonna like this. 

[Slug]

Just picked it up because I have poor impulse control and thus my collection of still in the cellophane unopened games continues to grow.

[eventide11]

21 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

I was going to buy this for my wife but listening to the Giant Bomb impressions I’m massively put off

It's slowly but surely pulling me in. I've been a little worried I can even get into games lately but this is definitely reminding me if a game is done right.. Well you get my point. EASILY Sucker Punchs best game. 

[ShreddieMercury]

I bought this and played a few hours, and so far it's really enjoyable.  I think the criticisms about it being bland gameplay-wise aren't off-base - it's definitely a typical open-world game - but the setting and combat really elevate it and keep it engaging.  It feels to me like a super-polished last gen game, if that makes sense.  It has prestige visuals attached to AA everything else.  Honestly the gamey-ness is a breath of fresh air compared to lots of Sony's other first party stuff.  One thing is for sure though, it's far better than Horizon through the same number of hours in my experience.

[johnny]

The camera can be bad but I quickly learned it’s part of the gameplay with no lock on. If you ignore it you’ll put yourself in bad positions. You have to be conscious of your surroundings. Camera could be better but if you are patient you can get it so it doesn’t fuck you up much. If you go in sword blazing you’ll probably have camera issues. 

[Moa]

This game looks like a Microsoft exclusive.

[skillzdadirecta]

Every side mission I've done so far has felt substantial and didn't feel like filler at all. I also like how organically you discover missions and locations as you travel through the world. REALLY digging the game and gameplay so far.

[JPDunks4]

I've put a good amount of time in now.

 

Camera is really the only thing that has stood out to me as an issue, but as I've gotten used to it, the issue doesn't stick out to me anymore.  Still think it could be better though.

 

Combat once you unlock more abilities and get used to it, can be quite fun.  At times I feel like a bad ass smoothly wrecking everyone without getting touched.  Other times I can't get anything right and sloppily get through fights.  Stances are a cool touch as well, and using them properly make fights way easier.

 

So much in this game feels very very OP.  Stealth is so easy, you move very quickly, and guards are absolutely oblivious to their surroundings.  Coming from TLoU2, this game, even on Hard, is a cake walk if you want to play stealth.  I just initiate a Stand Off in every encounter, as the combat is much more fun.

 

The Kunai and Bombs are crazy OP, and it feels like you constantly get them dropped from enemies.

 

I've kind of been all over the place in tackling stuff, I've done a few of the larger Main Story stuff, 3 Mythical Quests, and a bunch of the smaller stuff.  It's all be pretty enjoyable.  Feels a lot like a Far Cry game to me, in terms of clearing out or liberating the outposts.  I haven't played the newer AC's so don't know how it compares to that.

 

I'm digging it though, and its a huge game.  I've played quite a bit the past 2 days, and prob not even half way done the bottom 1/3 of the Island.

 

I've been streaming my run through of it, no Cam or effects or anything, just the play through, if anyone's ever curious and has questions.

 

JPDunks4 on Twitch

 

[SimpleG]

42 minutes ago, johnny said:

The camera can be bad but I quickly learned it’s part of the gameplay with no lock on. If you ignore it you’ll put yourself in bad positions. You have to be conscious of your surroundings. Camera could be better but if you are patient you can get it so it doesn’t fuck you up much. If you go in sword blazing you’ll probably have camera issues. 

I grown use to it but there have been some "arenas" where you cant get better positioning and your stuck with it. 

 

22 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Every side mission I've done so far has felt substantial and didn't feel like filler at all. I also like how organically you discover missions and locations as you travel through the world. REALLY digging the game and gameplay so far.

Agreed , they arent TW3 level but they arent bad.

 

11 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

Combat once you unlock more abilities and get used to it, can be quite fun.  At times I feel like a bad ass smoothly wrecking everyone without getting touched.  Other times I can't get anything right and sloppily get through fights.  Stances are a cool touch as well, and using them properly make fights way easier.

Same issue, I have dipped thru 6-10 guys at once and never got touched and then I have 3 guys just wreck my shit. It feels like sometimes the timing go off the track and button inputs get missed.Likely just user error

 

14 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

So much in this game feels very very OP.  Stealth is so easy, you move very quickly, and guards are absolutely oblivious to their surroundings.  Coming from TLoU2, this game, even on Hard, is a cake walk if you want to play stealth.  I just initiate a Stand Off in every encounter, as the combat is much more fun.

Yea fuck the stealth in this game, its brain dead easy and I came to fuck shit up Samurai style. Stand off every time is the way to go

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, SimpleG said:

I grown use to it but there have been some "arenas" where you cant get better positioning and your stuck with it. 

 

Agreed , they arent TW3 level but they arent bad.

 

Same issue, I have dipped thru 6-10 guys at once and never got touched and then I have 3 guys just wreck my shit. It feels like sometimes the timing go off the track and button inputs get missed.Likely just user error

 

Yea fuck the stealth in this game, its brain dead easy and I came to fuck shit up Samurai style. Stand off every time is the way to go

Combat is so rhythm based that if you get knocked out of your flow, you can get wrecked... like in a real sword fight lol. I agree about the stealth. There’s plenty if games where you can play that way and they play better. How many games can I live out my Miyamoto Musashi fantasies? The side quests are approaching Witcher 3 quality and there seems to be more good ones here.

[Firewithin]

im actually not even trying to stealth all the much and that is usually my default in games like this.  i love just walking up to a enemy outpost or whatever and challenging them then just go to town wrecking them