PlayStation is going hard with their ports from console to PC via Steam. This time around, the now classic Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut gets the port treatment directly from the PlayStation 5 version of the game, despite originally releasing quite late in the PlayStation 4’s lifecycle. While I won’t go into too much into detail about the game itself, you can check out our thoughts on the story and other gameplay elements in our incredible PS5 review here.
This review will instead focus on the performance and the port on both PCs running an AMD 7900xtx and a PC handheld with the Lenovo Legion Go. During my playthrough, the game fluctuated between 80-90 fps on both PC and handheld without any glitches, crashes or bugs. On PC the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) option was on and delivered some incredibly smooth and beautiful-looking versions of this immersive world.
Ported to Perfection
There is a day-one patch for your drivers, so take note before jumping on board. Some splashes of light burst over the black borders during cinematic cut scenes that are skippable when they get too irritating. A couple of times during these interruptions the game would crash and need to be rebooted, this was more prevalent on the Legion Go version than on PC.
Aside from this, the game looks incredible. The photo-realistic world created by the team at Sucker Punch consistently shines through in this version more than both the console versions could. Trees, grass and dirt all look incredible and the details are in the foreground. The wind and water effects are also massively noticeable in this version.
It’s also worth noting that this is the first PC port from Playstation that requires a PSN login. This hooks it into your PSN account and allows you to collect trophies, and transfer game saves from the console while extending full support to the DualSense controller that connects to your PC via a wired connection. This includes full use of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. You don’t have to choose this, you can still play via a wireless Bluetooth controller or traditional keyboard and mouse.
Becoming a Legend
The one part of the game I didn’t get to explore on console was Legends, the multiplayer mode that came out a while after the game’s initial release. You team up with other players online as you are transported to a different island with magical creatures and bigger and tougher enemies that require a team-up to take down. I had a lot of fun in this mode and I spent a lot of my time in the PC version here. The Iki Island expansion brings a new island with more story chapters to play through, more collectibles, side-quests and secrets to uncover. While it clearly is just more of the same, the game is so good, that more of the same is only a good thing.
This edition includes the Kurosawa mode, which allows the game to be experienced in black-and-white mode with some film grain effects. This is to replicate the effects of movies from this location in the 1950’s. You can also select a Japanese voiceover mode that is made possible by the cinematics being rendered in real-time in the PC version.
Of all the PlayStation ports to PC, this is the first one that wasn’t riddled with bugs or issues on its release. Sucker Punch has spent a lot of time creating the world and bringing their version of Japan to this game. While it still looked great on consoles, it really does show the best version it can be in this PC version. The landscapes are lush and colourful, making this look incredibly photo-realistic.
There were a couple of crashes in the first driver update; however, the patch provided since then has cleared up any of these issues. Sucker Punch has given gamers the complete version with the Iki Island expansion, and the inclusion of online multiplayer mode Legends that came out later on the console versions ensures that PC players can experience everything that this classic PlayStation game has to offer.
Final Thoughts
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut ultimately benefits from being ported to more powerful hardware. While previous releases have delivered some good results, this feels like the first truly great PlayStation game that looks and plays infinitely better on a PC, no matter which way you cut it. If you haven’t played the game before, this is simply the best possible way to play this game.
If, like me, it’s been quite a while since you dived back in with Jin and followed the wind, this version has all of the DLC and online mode to entice you for another journey around Japan. The team at Nixxes and Sucker Punch have perfected the console-to-PC port with this game, delivering something that was already cemented as a masterpiece, to a new audience.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Gorgeous visuals; Thriving online mode extends the game past the campaign; Foxes you can touch!
Lowlights: Intense blood and gore making it not suitable for younger players
Developer: Sucker Punch
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PC via Steam with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
