Ghost of Tsushima's creative director explains the game's reaction in the real world

Ghost of Tsushima's creative director explains the game's reaction in the real world.

Image Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima's creative director explains the game's reaction in the real world. The creative director of Ghost of Tsushima said that one of the "greatest thrills" for him was drawing greater attention to the real-life basis for the film. 

When Ghost Of Tsushima was released last year, it was a smash hit for the PlayStation 4, but for Sucker Punch's Nate Fox, the game's impacts on the real world are what he's most proud of. The film Ghost Of Tsushima is set in 1274 on Japan's Tsushima Island and follows samurai warrior Jin Sakai as he travels the country in quest of friends to help him regain his homeland from an invading Mongolian army.

Ghost Of Tsushima has received near-universal acclaim since its release last July, due to its enormous open-world setting, sword-based gameplay that took six years to design, and the tale of family, retribution, and honor. The game has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide, has received multiple Game Of The Year Awards, and may have opened the way for more samurai-themed games to be released in the West thanks to Yakuza's feudal Japan-based spin-offs. Chad Stahelski, the director of John Wick, is even developing a live-action film version for Sony's movie division.

Sucker Punch creative director Nate Fox remarked in a recent interview with GamesRadar that he is affected by Ghost Of Tsushima's influence on the real world, particularly when it comes to bringing attention to the game's real-life namesake. He and co-director Jason Connell were designated permanent tourism ambassadors after Ghost Of Tsushima's success helped promote tourism to Tsushima Island, and he was even given a hand-painted scroll to remember the occasion. Whenever questioned what part of Ghost Of Tsushima he was most proud of, Fox replied, "That is undoubtedly the most precious thing to me." "We went to Tsushima to perform research because the people there were so nice to us, and I couldn't be happier that the game is motivating people to visit this lovely island." It's a circle that I had no idea would happen. It's also one of the most enjoyable aspects of developing this game. Not only that, but thanks to the popularity of Ghost Of Tsushima and the ensuing interest in the real Tsushima Island, a priest at the island's renowned Watatsumi Shrine was able to crowdfund enough yen to restore a Torii gate that was destroyed in a storm last September.

Fans are still commemorating Ghost Of Tsushima a year after its debut with special in-game events featuring the game's Legends multiplayer mode. Sucker Punch also commemorated Ghost Of Tsushima's first anniversary by revealing statistics on how many duels players participated in, as well as bringing back a few popular DLC skins based on other notable PlayStation properties like God Of War and Horizon Zero Dawn. Finally, in Ghost Of Tsushima's forthcoming Iki Island update, players will be able to pick up Jin's sword once more. It will move the samurai hero to a new location to face a wild Mongol cult as part of Ghost Of Tsushima: Director's Cut, as well as many important upgrades for the PS5.

The fact that the work of the Sucker Punch team was able to have a beneficial influence on the real island on which the game is situated is a poignant side note to the game's amazing success. When Ghost Of Tsushima: Director's Cut is available on August 17, players will be able to experience even more of Sucker Punch's open-world samurai epic.

H/S: Gamesradar