Ghost of Tsushima PC Review – Most Honorable Port

Ghost of Tsushima PC Review

When I think about Ghost of Tsushima, it brings to mind a small cohort of story-driven, epic action games released approximately around the same time. Games like Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of War, and Elden Ring. They all have sprawling narratives, beautifully rendered worlds and characters, and excellent combat in common. Ghost of Tsushima is the latest of these legendary games to arrive on PC, thanks to Nixxes. It was worth the wait.

Good News Indeed

This is not a review of Ghost of Tsushima as a game. You can check that out here. The basic story is the lengthy journey of samurai Jin Sakai to rescue his uncle and rid the island of Tsushima of the invading Mongols. The original was released on PS4, then received an updated edition for the PS5 which included the excellent Iki Island DCL. Because Ghost of Tsushima appeared near the end of the PS4’s life, it took advantage of lessons learned over the console’s lifespan. Additionally, the game’s superlative art direction and historical detail added to already impressive visuals. The PC port of Ghost of Tsushima is essentially the PS5 version with a few welcome additions.

It’s probably not necessary to list all the reasons why PC players have wanted to get their hands on Ghost of Tsushima. In addition to opening up the game to players without PS5s, it promises much higher resolutions and improved graphics options, mouse and keyboard support, and of course, mod support. But gamers tend to brace themselves for disappointment when a port is announced. Many have gone south. Happily, Nixxes has a winner with this one.

Aside from pre-rendered cut scenes running locked at 30fps, there are a staggering number of ways to dial in the perfect experience. Whether you’re running an AMD or Nvidia GPU, all the expected advanced settings like DLAA or DLSS 3 or AMD’s FSR 3 are there and too many to list. Because the original was a PS4 game, the base quality is easily reproducible on mid-range PCs and GPUs. Those with monster rigs can scale up appropriately.

Some New Stuff

No matter how you run it, expect smooth sailing. Of course, the port supports both Xbox and DualSense controllers, plus a mouse and keyboard. There was some typical internet furor over the game’s PSN integration. There are some advantages to linking the game with your PSN account. These include syncing trophies and the inclusion of some bonus items. However, a connection to the PSN is not required for single players enjoying the campaign.

When it comes to nitpicking, there’s very little to complain about. There’s no skipping cutscenes, which is always a bit of a bummer in repeated plays. The inclusion of Iki Island DLC means that PC players come into Ghost of Tsushima with all the available content.

When it appeared on PS4 in 2020, Ghost of Tsushima was a bit overshadowed by some other heavy hitters like The Last of Us Part 2. Since then, and especially after the update on PS5, the game has only risen in respect and popularity. Ghost of Tsushima remains a fantastic action RPG with stellar performances, art direction, and gameplay. Nixxes’ PC version is a model for success: full-featured, stable, optimized, and a pleasure to play.

***PC code provided by the publisher for review***