Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut PS5 Is Great for Newcomers, Not So for Fans

When Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut hit the PS5 a couple of weeks back, we noted that while Sucker Punch’s additions to the game were welcome, the actual value of what’s on offer would take some time to assess. One of the reasons for this, was the lack of pricing information. At the time, Sony hadn’t revealed how much Ghost of Tsushima PS4 owners would be paying to upgrade to the Director’s Cut on PS5 and we hadn’t gotten through most of what the game had to offer either as review codes had showed up later than usual.

Now, owners of the original Ghost of Tsushima can upgrade to the Director’s Cut in two ways:

• Purchase the upgrade on PS4 for Rs. 1,664.
• Upgrade directly (from original Ghost of Tsushima PS4) to Director’s Cut on PS5 for Rs. 2,497.

What this means is, if you bought Ghost of Tsushima at launch on PS4 for Rs. 3,999, you’ll be paying an extra Rs. 2,497 to play it on PS5. Granted this is in line with Sony’s pricing for the game globally, it effectively means you’re paying Rs. 6,496 in total versus just buying the PS5 version for Rs. 4,999. This makes it a whole lot more costlier than it should be if you bothered with Sony’s new IP at launch.

This aside, is it worth the price of admission?

First up is Iki Island. This is a new addition to the game which includes its own main quest, having you square off against a Mongol leader known as The Eagle. It delves into protagonist Jin’s origins and fleshes out his backstory well. From the point of view of the overarching lore of Ghost of Tsushima, it’s worth experiencing for this alone.

However, it is on the shorter side. I was able to blast through this in about four hours or so. Sure, you can spend a lot more time if you were doing side-missions, but if you were expecting a fresh campaign running into a dozen hours, think again.

Then there are some new gameplay features. These include being able to charge your horse into hordes of foes and obtaining charms that let you fire more arrows than you normally can. Plus a new shaman enemy that buffs other foes, making them tougher to take down.

Core gameplay remains unchanged, which is great because Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut doesn’t alter the original’s heady mix of swordplay and stealth. It’s made even better with DualSense. You get different intensities of rumble depending on the kind of surface Jin is walking on and trigger resistance makes combat all the more immersive.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut makes use of the PS5’s added horsepower with lightning fast load times and from a visuals standpoint, you can opt between better frame rate or higher graphics fidelity. I preferred the former because it makes combat feel even more smoother.

Even if you don’t upgrade to the Director’s Cut, there are some new additions too. These include alternate controller layouts, the addition of a new target lock-on option, and the ability to hide your quiver.

But if you do, save files transfer seamlessly. If you have a PS4 save file on your PS5 or stored in the cloud via PS Plus or simply wish to transfer it via USB, it’s easy to do much unlike Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Avengers. Trophies carry over as well.

Do all of these warrant a purchase? Well, if you haven’t played Ghost of Tsushima before, sure — this is the best way to play the game right now. But if you have bought the game at launch on the PS4, you’re better off trading in your copy and putting that money towards the game on PS5 or waiting for a discount. The upgrade price is a joke. And considering that Sony is aware that India needs better pricing for its games, hopefully common sense prevails in time. Right now though, it’s great for newcomers, not so for fans.

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