Embark on a journey with Jin Sakai, a young heir of a declining samurai clan in this captivating game set during the beginning of the waning days of the Samurai. The code that samurai abide by is starting to fail the people of Japan, as they attempt to fight off the rising Mongol empire, a new, terrifying enemy that is unrestricted in traditional and head-on warfare. Jin is forced to become more than just a samurai, unbound from honor, employing guerilla and mercenary tactics that the shinobi adopt about 100 years later in history. The game boasts staggering visuals and a richly detailed open world that feels alive and expansive. Combat is fluid and versatile, striking a perfect balance between complexity and intuitive controls. The storyline is compelling and dark, painting a bleak picture of the island of Tsushima, Japan, as it faces an uncertain future combatting the Mongol onslaught.

⭐️[GRAPHICS]
Slip away from reality for a while

⭐️[OST]
Masterfully designed, matching moments happening in game, fairly authentic

⭐️ [COMBAT]
Fairly repetitive, but fluid and not too complex to become irritating. Enough variety to play the game with a few different builds without overdoing it

⭐️ [STORY]
Compelling, dark, bleak. Just reels you in. As the game progresses, character development kicks in nicely and you find yourself experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and guessing what happens next

⭐️ [DIFFICULTY]
You have the option to play on a few different difficulties. Easy is as it suggests, anyone can pick it up. Hard scales the game to a level that I would consider slightly easier than a Souls game, but still offers a decent challenge to everyone except the most seasoned FromSoftware veterans

⭐️ [REPLAYABILITY]
With all the different options to experience the game in, from English to Japanese sub to Kurosawa mode, the story certainly will keep you preoccupied for a long time. A single play through, if you’re like me, will take you roughly 100 hours and beyond if you’re after 100% complete. Iki Island DLC and Legends multiplayer mode are basically entire games in themselves and well worth completing and checking out

⭐️ [HISTORICAL ACCURACY]
This game exaggerates and romanticizes a lot, but it does ride a bit on collectibles that teach you a bit about the Mongol and Japanese culture during the Feudal era. The storytelling aspect of the game often nods to Japanese folklore and mythos, but Jin Sakai shrugs it off as just that in the campaign, which is a nice touch. To be honest, a completely historical accurate story would probably hurt this game more than it would do good. This is a nice mix between reality and story. The multiplayer is based entirely on the samurai being akin to Oni, possessing supernatural abilities, and the narration of the quests switches to 3rd person

⭐️ [SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS]
Fairly high to run this, especially if you want to play it with optimal graphics enabled. Check out the required section on the store page above

⭐️ [INTENDED AUDIENCE]
Teenager or older. There is moderate gore to this game. Violence, profanity, decapitations. It’s a game about war, and hardly any details are spared

⭐️[OVERALL SCORE]
Honestly a 10/10 for me. It’s been longer than I care to admit since I’ve played a game of this quality. Enjoy it, it’s simply a masterpiece. I recommend playing on a controller if that’s an available option for you. I use a DualSense Edge PS5 controller, but a Nintendo Pro controller or Xbox One controller works too.