Ghost of Tsushima 2's Open-World Should Prioritize One Fix Above All Others

Ghost of Tsushima 2’s Open-World Should Prioritize One Fix Above All Others

• Ghost of Tsushima’s sequel should focus on improving the design of its towns and buildings to make them more engaging and visually distinct, offering a greater variety of structures like Buddhist temples, halls, and palaces.
• The sequel could enhance the game’s towns by creating more bustling, lively cities and settlements with unique NPCs, quests, and in-game events, making them just as interesting as the natural environments.
• A potential sequel could expand the game’s setting to mainland Japan, featuring major cities like Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki with larger, more complex designs and distinct architectural styles.

While Ghost of Tsushima is a fantastic game in many respects, there are certain areas that a sequel could improve upon. Ghost of Tsushima’s setting and open-world structure, for example, can be further polished in a follow-up game, and there is one specific aspect of environment design that Sucker Punch may want to hone in on.

Ghost of Tsushima arrived as a pleasant surprise for PS4 owners in 2020. The all-new IP served as something of a swansong for the console, as it was one of the last PS4-exclusive titles to launch ahead of the PS5. Despite dropping at the end of a console generation, Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t feel held back by its hardware, as the PS4 version of Sucker Punch’s Tsushima is still one of the most picturesque open worlds in gaming. Although a Ghost of Tsushima sequel should retain certain features of the first game’s open-world and exploration, the game’s handling of its more populated locations leaves a bit to be desired, and its sequel should take steps to improve it.

While a Ghost of Tsushima sequel has yet to be officially announced, it seems plausible based on the overwhelming success of the first game.

The Next Ghost of Tsushima Should Feature Better Buildings and Towns

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The vast, scenic landscapes of Ghost of Tsushima are striking and poetic, but the sparse towns and villages of the game feel a bit lackluster. These areas offer very little variety, with structures and layouts that are very similar to one another. Granted, these issues are partially related to the setting of the game, but there are still ways for the sequel to make civilization more engaging and enjoyable.

How Ghost of Tsushima’s Sequel Can Improve Towns

Ghost of Tsushima’s unique gear and subtly diverse natural landscapes are evidence of its developers’ skill for whipping up visually distinct designs; it only makes sense that this skill should be carried into the game’s buildings and towns. While 13th-century rural Japan may not be the most fertile ground for bold architectural designs, the sequel could still implement variety across buildings in a few different ways. The first game mostly only featured basic homes and pagodas, so the sequel could place a greater emphasis on things like Buddhist temples, halls, and palaces.

A more significant change could come in the form of the sequel’s broader approach to towns. Ghost of Tsushima showcases Japanese culture, yet its towns are typically small and bereft of unique or interesting content, with little more than a handful of overly similar merchants or side quest suppliers. By implementing more bustling, lively cities and settlements, with distinct NPCs, quests, and in-game events, these areas can be just as interesting, if not more so, than the game’s natural environments.

The Next Ghost of Tsushima’s Setting

Though no information has been revealed regarding a potential sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, it could end up having a convenient solution to the issue of town and building variety. Ghost of Tsushima has already expanded with its Iki Island DLC, and a full-fledged sequel could go even further by taking players to mainland Japan. If the sequel were to take this route, it could present players with renditions of major cities like Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki, which would be larger, more complex, and feature more distinct architectural styles.

While few would call Ghost of Tsushima’s approach to towns, villages, and buildings strictly bad, it certainly has room to grow. A sequel to the critically acclaimed game could leverage more advanced technology, and potentially a larger budget, to make this element of the game’s open-world a more worthwhile addition.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

$30 $70 Save $40

In Ghost of Tsushima, players will roam the vast countryside and expansive terrain to encounter rich characters, discover ancient landmarks, and uncover the hidden beauty of Tsushima. The director’s cut includes the full game and the Iki Island expansion, which has new story missions, enemies, and mini-games.

Platform(s) PS5, PS4 Released 2021-08-20 Developer(s) Sucker Punch Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment Genre(s) Action-Adventure, Open-World ESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity How Long To Beat 30 Hours Metascore 87 PS Plus Availability Extra & Premium See at Playstation Store $30 at Amazon