Ghost Of Tsushima Creative Director Nate Fox is proud of the impact that he and Sucker Punch have left on the real-life island of Tsushima.
Ghost Of Tsushima may have been a blockbuster hit for the PlayStation 4 when it launched last year, but for Sucker Punch’s Nate Fox, it’s the game’s effects on the real world that fill him with the most pride. Set on Japan’s Tsushima Island in the year 1274, Ghost Of Tsushima tells the story of samurai warrior Jin Sakai as he roams the land in search of allies to help him reclaim his home from an invading Mongolian army.
Since it first hit shelves last July, Ghost Of Tsushima has been met with near-universal acclaim thanks to its vast open-world landscape, sword-based combat which took six years to develop, and its story of family, revenge, and honor. The game has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide, won several Game Of The Year Awards, and has possibly paved the way for more samurai-themed games to come to the West courtesy of Yakuza’s feudal Japan-based spin-offs. Sony’s movie division is even planning a live-action film adaptation from John Wick director Chad Stahelski.
In a recent sit-down with GamesRadar, Sucker Punch creative director Nate Fox stated that he is moved by Ghost Of Tsushima’s impact on the real world, particularly when it comes to drawing attention to the game’s real-life namesake. Due to Ghost Of Tsushima’s popularity helping to boost tourism to Tsushima Island, he and co-director Jason Connell were appointed permanent tourism ambassadors - and he was even gifted a hand-painted scroll to commemorate this. “To me, that is absolutely the most dear thing,” Fox explained while discussing what he was most proud of in developing Ghost Of Tsushima. "Because the people of Tsushima were so kind to us, we went there to do research, and I couldn't be happier that the game is inspiring people to want to visit this beautiful island. It's a circle that I didn't know was going to happen. And it's one of the biggest joys of making this game.” Not only that, but thanks to Ghost Of Tsushima’s breakout success and the resulting interest in the actual Tsushima Island, a priest at the island’s legendary Watatsumi Shrine was able to crowdfund enough yen to repair a Torii gate that was damaged in a typhoon last September.
Even a full year after its release, fans are still celebrating Ghost Of Tsushima with special in-game events involving the game’s Legends multiplayer mode. Additionally, Sucker Punch celebrated Ghost Of Tsushima’s first anniversary by releasing stats detailing how many duels players engaged in, as well as bringing back a few popular DLC skins based on other hit PlayStation properties like God Of War and Horizon Zero Dawn. Finally, players will get a chance to take up Jin’s sword once more in Ghost Of Tsushima’s upcoming Iki Island expansion, which will bring the samurai hero to a new location to battle a rogue Mongol cult amid several major updates for the PS5 as part of Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut.
The fact that the work of the team at Sucker Punch was able to bring a positive impact to the real island the game is set in is a touching side note to the remarkable success of the game itself. Players will be able to enjoy more of Sucker Punch's open-world samurai epic when Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut releases on August 17.
Source: GamesRadar
