These tools are provided to the player through narrative progression and are meant to represent Jin Sakai’s transition from an honorable samurai to a ghost-like vigilante. That said, there is no narrative significance for any of them, and they are suddenly and inexplicably added to the player’s inventory once selected. Ghost of Tsushima is likely receiving a sequel due to its success and movie adaptation, and if that ever comes to fruition, it would be for the best if this assortment of overpowered tools was either abandoned, balanced, or made more meaningful.
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Ghost of Tsushima’s Ghost Weapons Are Unimportant in the Narrative
It does not quite make sense how quickly Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai adapts to dishonorable assassination methods, but he is immediately able to infiltrate Mongol encampments and knows how to cut enemies down silently. This would not have been part of his childhood training, and therefore it does not make sense how Jin would also instantly know how to use the numerous Ghost weapons that he somehow has. It would be fantastic if the narrative showed Jin gradually becoming more attune to stealth tactics, and that pacing would also make the Mongols seem much more like a threat to Tsushima. Instead, Ghost weapons make an otherwise hopeless samurai feel absurdly overpowered without explaining how or where he was able to obtain them.
Ghost of Tsushima’s blowgun is the only ranged or quickfire tool that is narratively significant and a dishonorable weapon. The blowgun is not a Ghost weapon, but Jin’s childhood caretaker of all people teaches him how to use it and craft lethal and malicious darts for it. Having fewer resources would have helped immerse players in the idea that Jin is truly at a disadvantage when it comes to the Mongol occupation, and that he only has elementary tools at his disposal for stealth tactics.
Because there were already this many Ghost weapons in Ghost of Tsushima, it would be surprising if a potential sequel matched that amount or had fewer since players would probably expect there to be more. Either way, this obligation should be resisted if Ghost weapons are not impactful to the narrative or if they are not balanced in gameplay.
Ghost of Tsushima’s Ghost Weapons Dilute Regular Combat
In gameplay, Ghost weapons are an excuse to not engage in melee encounters. This is admittedly helpful when players are backed into a corner, particularly in the Eternal Blue Sky quest, or if they are up against archers or Mongols equipped with mortars that spam-fire on a whim.
Still, this greatly trivializes each sword clash because players can nonchalantly end the fight with a single quickfire throw and don’t need to learn how to parry properly or correct their stance to match a particular enemy type. Ghost of Tsushima’s diverse combat stances are redundant so long as players have a sticky bomb or poison dart on hand, and when there isn’t a narratively impactful consequence to make players question whether to use one, they can spam Ghost weapons freely. If these overpowered tools were abandoned in a sequel, it would make combat much fairer and more satisfying.
Ghost weapons could conceivably be balanced, but the sequel has pigeonholed itself by already including these weapons and canonically deciding that Jin would become the Ghost. It is then likely that more Ghost weapons would be presented to players in a Ghost of Tsushima sequel rather than omitted.
Ghost of Tsushima is available for PS4 and PS5.
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