Ghost of Tsushima Will Have a Hard Time Getting Out Of Its Pigeon-Hole

Summary

A sequel toGhost of Tsushimais all but confirmed. The smash-hit 2020 PlayStation exclusive, in many ways, is primed for a follow-up that capitalizes on its biggest strengths while honing in on its weaker areas—it certainly has a lot of potential. But whilethe basic formula ofGhost of Tsushimamay be fairly easy to replicate, the more specific quirks of the IP may make a proper sequel a tricky endeavor for developer Sucker Punch.

Ghost of Tsushimahas drawn comparisons to a number of other open-world franchises, namelyAssassin’s Creed, as it folds historical drama into its open-world action-adventure framework, which is composed of exploration, melee combat, and stealth. Indeed, these basic building blocks of gameplay are solid, if somewhat uninventive, and they have a lot of room to grow in future entries. That said, several aspects ofGhost of Tsushima, such as its setting and narrative, are not so easily extrapolated for a long-running franchise, at least not in the way thatAssassin’s Creed’s premise is. WithGhost of Tsushimafacing the opportunity to become one of Sony’s flagship series, it will need to overcome this obstacle in the way of franchise-building.

Ghost of Tsushima Tag Page Cover Art

Though there have beensignificant rumblings aboutGhost of Tsushima 2, no official announcement has come by way of Sony or Sucker Punch.

A Ghost of Tsushima Franchise Faces Some Challenges

Ghost of Tsushima Has a Very Specific Premise

As its name suggests,Ghost of Tsushimais set on the real-world island of Tsushima, off the coast of mainland Japan. Also linked to the title is the notion of the “Ghost,” a sort of legendary alter-ego assumed by the game’s protagonist Jin Sakai, who employs covert, cloak-and-dagger methods to gain the upper hand during the Mongol invasion. Of course, this is only a title, and titles can be changed within a broader franchise, but it’s symbolic ofGhost of Tsushima’s core narrative and gameplay conceits.

The reason why a franchise likeAssassin’s Creedhas managed to continue for so long is due, at least in large part, to the fact that its premise centers on a vast, globe-spanning network of heroes and villains. The series is rooted in real history, yes, but the main conflict regarding Assassins and Templars is entirely fictional, allowing Ubisoft to transplant anAssassin’s Creedstory into virtually any historical setting.Ghost of Tsushimadoes not have this luxury, as its story is very much tied to the Mongol invasion of Japan in the 13th century. It is from this real historical event thatGhost of Tsushima’s moving narrative stems, as the invasion is the powder keg for Jin’s transformation into the Ghost.

Ghost of Tsushimacould become ahistorical anthology series likeAssassin’s Creed, as some have theorized, but this risks losing the franchise’s identity. Again, the narrative ofGhost of Tsushimais very specific to Japanese culture during the 13th century, with the central conflict, aside from the actual Mongol invasion itself, revolving around Jin’s transgressing of samurai notions of honor and bravery, as his stealthy actions are seen as eschewing important tradition. This same conflict could not be replicated in, say, aGhost of Francespin-off game, as France doesn’t have this same cultural context.

The historical narrative, as it revolves around Jin, coupled with samurai gameplay and open-world Japan, form the backbone of theGhost of Tsushimaexperience. Crucially, these are elements that cannot easily be translated to multiple distinct sequels. Sucker Punch may have an easyroute forward withGhost of Tsushima2’s story, as there was a second Mongol invasion of Japan seven years after the events of the first game that provides an logical narrative backdrop, but beyond that, major changes will have to be made to makeGhost of Tsushimaa flagship franchise likeGod of WarorUncharted.