Ghostwire: Tokyo Reveals Japanese Folklore & Urban Legend Influences
A spokesperson from Bethesda Softworks recently went into detail regarding the cultural influences behind Ghostwire: Tokyo's spirits, urban legends, mythos, and monsters. The upcoming magic-centric action-FPS is making waves as the gaming world prepares for its release, with several gamers getting excited about Ghostwire: Tokyo's interactive dog mechanics, spell system, and strange, one-of-a-kind tone.
Ghostwire: Tokyo will be taking players to the titular Japanese metropolis and tasking them with uncovering a grand, supernatural mystery involving the disappearance of the majority of the city's inhabitants. This mass disappearance coincides with the arrival of several antagonistic spirits, which the game is calling Visitors. These Visitors are powerful enemies that will require a great deal of power, skill, and knowledge to defeat, all of which the player will obtain throughout their journey in Ghostwire: Tokyo. The Visitors themselves are one of the most interesting parts of the upcoming title, as they are inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore, and are presented as quite horrifying in Ghostwire: Tokyo's promotional videos.
Anyone intrigued by the mystery-shrouded Visitors of Ghostwire: Tokyo will be glad to hear that Parker Wilhelm of Bethesda Softworks has expanded a bit on the real-world influences behind them. In an article on the PlayStation blog, Wilhelm delves into the backgrounds of enemies such as the Kuchisake, Tengu, and Shine Dancers. The Kuchisake, for instance, is based upon an urban legend about a disfigured woman who lures her victims into a life-or-death question about her beauty. Not all these Visitors are explicitly terrifying, though, with the Tanuki being evidence of that; these raccoon-like creatures are an instantly recognizable part of Japanese folklore and are more concerned with mischief than evil or violence.
Aside from going into the cultural and historical origins of these fictional enemies, this blog provides some information about how to best approach these enemies in-game. Ghostwire: Tokyo players have lots of powers at their disposal, and knowing which ones to use for each situation will certainly be a boon when it comes to facing these menacing monsters. With such a diverse range of enemies, having the proper knowledge could very well determine success in the game.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is shaping up to be one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives in a year jam-packed with highly anticipated PS5 games. While the gameplay looks enticing and impactful, there are likely plenty of gamers who are just as excited, if not more excited, about the game's ethereal and mystical world. For anyone who falls into that camp, learning more about the real-world superstitions behind these Visitors is sure to be a treat.
Ghostwire: Tokyo will be released on PS5 and PC on March 25.
Source: PlayStation