Ghost of Tsushima

[Mustang]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSAvzeopPC8

It's an open-world samurai adventure.
The game is grounded and realistic.
The E3 2018 trailer is not part of the main story, it's a side quest!
The game is a original work of fiction they are not rebuilding history stone by stone.
Main storyline will be Jin vs. the Mongols.
Leader of the Mongols is an "uncomfortably reasonable killer" trying to intimidate our hero.
The main character is called Jin Sakai.
He's had to go beyond his samurai training in order to fight back against the Mongols.
There a lot of stories in the game that you may not find them all.
There are many side characters in the game, most which have side-quests.
The theme of the combat is "mud, blood, and steel". Expect to get dirty and muddy.
Possibility of other weapons but they're only showing the katana right now.
Sucker Punch teases that Jin's combat style abandons some samurai techniques, swapping them for the "violent grace of a silent assassin".
Jin has learned to use a grapple hook but this is not part of his samurai training. He's had to learn new tricks to silently kill the Mongols.
Strong focus on minimalism for the graphics, you see the things that are more pronounce.
"Movement" is the environment theme, expect everything to move - blowing trees, windy fields, falling leaves.
Landscapes range from the swaying bamboo forests of the countryside, to the urban centers of ornate castles.
Everything you can see in the background you can go to such as a Pagoda and Mongol ships, you have the freedom to go where you want at your on pace.
They want to give players a lot of navigational options.
There will be a minimal game HUD but they're not showing it just yet.
Looks like there's a photo mode.
You can play the game with a Japanese voice track.
Jin's nickname is "The Ghost of Tsushima".
Jin has become a "legend" in Japan called "The Ghost".
Jin will change what is wearing. In a rain-drenched part of the world Jin has traded his traditional armor for a straw raincoat called a mino.
You can ride a horse, is integral to the game. Horse's name is Nobu.
Expect that level of detail (E3 2018 trailer) in the whole game.

Leaked info:

Samurai were the most respectable people in Japan, people bow to Jin as he passes by on foot or horseback, but samurai were also feared; some women and children will attempt to hide or flee at the sight of Jin, while others will attempt to attack in order to prove themselves, or take some of the valuable gear a samurai would typically carry. This all helps to make the world feel alive and immersive. Not sure how often these civilian interactions occur.

Each outpost has a story behind it and a quest line, not just "take out these soldiers and you retake the village". Villages can be retaken by Mongols if you do not complete the quest line.

The game has two central towns (think Witcher 3), and many smaller outposts / villages.

There are NPCS who can help train you in the ways of the Ghost, as for a Samurai, it would be a completely different form, and dishonorable way, of combat. Don't expect Jin to be able to right out of the gate know how to throw shuriken, use kunai, use alchemy (poisons, create potions, and explosives), use grappling hooks to get on top of rooftops, quickly, etc.

2 major skill trees with many branches; which are Way of the Samurai, and Way of the Ghost. Samurai focusing more on sword play, archery, and defense, while Ghost focuses more on stealth, alchemy, and agility.

Samurai skill tree is fully unlocked from the start, while Ghost requires you to complete tasks in order to unlock a specific branch, such as working with an alchemist in order to learn poison abilities, or to create potions with strong effects.

You will be free to switch between Samurai and Ghost kits. Jin in full samurai armor won't be able to climb buildings (you can still jump, don't worry) or swim/dive, and would be fit more for a defensive, all out attack build. This can be balanced out however by mixing kits. You switch by going into any outpost / town, there you will also be able to sleep in order to pass the time, so if you prefer to tackle a mission at night as a ghost, or at day as a samurai, it's up to you. So for a more grounded approach, samurai is recommended.

Think of climbing buildings as a faster paced Assassin's Creed. Tenchu style grappling hook makes it even faster.

You don't necessarily want to be seen in your Ghost kit, as people may take you for an assassin and will sometime be hostile toward you. The game recommends you to be the ghost at night, but samurai at day. Some quests will only be handed out in your samurai gear, or only in your ghost gear, such as assassination requests. Double agent type of system and story to back it up.

Probably the one game that got me more excited than Devil May Cry 5.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I read a comment somewhere online that with this game, Sekiro, and Nioh 2 being announced that there would be too many Samurai action games coming out and that the market for the sub-genre would be oversaturated.

I've never heard a more ridiculous comment in my life. How could more bad-ass Feudal Japan-era Samurai games ever be a bad thing? That's basically like complaining that too many awesome games are coming out at once.

[Nel_Annette]

Assassin's Creed keeps avoiding the call and stupidly went for Greece instead of the Japan or China game people keep asking for. Good on everyone else for jumping on it. Game looks gorgeous.

[Mustang]

I know right? Everything is right there for them if they were to do Japan or China. I don't understand why Ubisoft refuse to do those 2 countries.

I read a comment somewhere online that with this game, Sekiro, and Nioh 2 being announced that there would be too many Samurai action games coming out and that the market for the sub-genre would be oversaturated.

I've never heard a more ridiculous comment in my life. How could more bad-ass Feudal Japan-era Samurai games ever be a bad thing? That's basically like complaining that too many awesome games are coming out at once.

If you ask me we don't get enough. Outside of Nioh and maybe Samurai Warrior's 1-4 I wouldn't be able to name any other games taking place in Feudal Japan (at least anything recent). If said person were saying something along the lines of too many games coming out at once I'd be able to understand a tad bit but even that's reaching considering all things zombie the market is flooded with. But that comment/er can kick rocks.

[Foggle]

Assassin's Creed keeps avoiding the call and stupidly went for Greece instead of the Japan or China game people keep asking for. Good on everyone else for jumping on it. Game looks gorgeous.

I'm glad they're doing Greece. It's high time we get a Greek mythology game that isn't God of War. It's actually a setting that's even more overlooked in gaming than ancient Japan. I wouldn't be opposed to them doing a Japanese or Chinese-set AssCreed but honestly I would rather leave that to people who are actually from those countries. Tsushima doesn't look bad to me but I'm way more interested in Sekiro and Nioh 2.

[Nel_Annette]

Odyssey still looks great, but quite a bit of Origins' map was dedicated to the Greek and Roman presence in Egypt, so it sort of feels like I've seen it already. And it's set 400 years before the Assassins are even founded.  Might turn out to be a Templar story, I hope.

Nioh 2, Sekiro, Tsushima, they all look fantastic to me. Let the year of the samurai begin!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Funny thing is that this game kind of reminded me of AC (as well as Tenchu, of course) with the sneaking and stealth kills, whereas the FromSoftware game (the people behind Tenchu) are making a game that seems more along the lines of Onimusha with a healthy dose of Souls mixed in.

At any rate I'm excited for both games as well as Nioh 2, and I certainly don't think that I'd be tiring of this sub-genre anytime soon.

[Mustang]

Did anyone else catch the state of play?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxHTk_aQo7o

People are comparing it to Breath of the Wild. For me, I can see that, in terms of how huge everything looks, but that's about it, and that's all I need. I'm 100% sold on this game, however, I will say that combat does look a little worrying to me. Perhaps on the simple side of things, but considering the time period Sucker Punch is gunning for I don't mind. I wouldn't be surprised if there's no flashiness at all in this game because samurai's are precise and to the point.

A huge selling point for me right now is that all your enemies are human. I know that makes me sound twisted and demented in some way, but I deserve a game where there are no giants or dead people as enemies for once.