Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut has finally made its big entry onto PC via Steam. With the recent Sony moves being a bit rough, it has successfully sailed into a harbor of mostly good reviews. More than 2,600 reviews have seen the game pop a ‘Very Positive’ rating at the time of writing, showing off its intriguing content and how the developers have grasped the expectations from PC players. This has failed to dampen fan excitement over the release of the samurai epic to the new platform. After all, the game’s requirement for a PSN account had been a source of contention among fans. The said case will only apply to those who would wish to play Legends online multiplayer campaign and not the single-player campaign. The lack of DRM and the possibility of playing the game offline is definitely a plus that caters to the taste of the community on these shores.
Ghost of Tsushima has also avoided the risk of review bombs so far, which had initially been feared in the case of Helldivers 2. A few disparaging reviews popped up in an attempt to foster criticism, but were eclipsed pretty fast by positive comments raining down on Sucker Punch’s brainchild. Ghost of Tsushima was, at the very least, the PS4’s final great exclusive to come in for serious critical acclaim for melding open-world simplicity of old with intricately rendered, exquisite feudal Japan. It was of such great impact that Ubisoft decided to greenlight an Assassin’s Creed title set within Japan. That result comes in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, due this coming November. Considering the commercial success Ghost of Tsushima continues to have, and taking into account that Sony’s moves signal that it might just happen, many people have already begun to speculate about whether a sequel is in the works.
Hotly-contested Ghost of Tsushima
But there are some negative aspects to Ghost of Tsushima’s PC version. The debut has been clouded by Sony’s latest insistence that multiplayer games require a PSN account connection. The decision has restricted the game’s purchase and playing in the 180 countries and areas where PSN services are not accessible, echoing the debate surrounding Helldivers 2. In these locations, pre-orders were revoked prior to debut, impacting even single-player access. This uneven reaction is reflected in the game’s 75% rating on the PC, which includes 454 unfavorable reviews, many of which bemoan the PSN necessity.
It is further compounded by Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the PlayStation 5, which presently is also undergoing its own review bombing on Metacritic. The reason for this ire is Sony charging for the improved port, coming with improvements and a new story extension. It features a host of upgrades, including 3D audio, DualSense capabilities, and faster load times, but the process to upgrade has been panned as cumbersome and expensive. That frustration has boiled over into the Metacritic user score, which features a decent amount of negative ratings.
Despite that, many hardcore gamers have taken to representing their enthusiasm in regards to the title finally landing on Steam. Threads from forums reveal differences in experience for different people. Where some cannot get connected to PSN, others have taken the game to be pretty great on PC and even Steam Deck. Another interesting point of discussion has been the support of the game for Steam family sharing; however, some users complained that they faced issues getting in via shared libraries. Some take to the comments to express their enjoyment of the game despite the review bombs, hoping it won’t take a big system upgrade to run the best.
Ghost of Tsushima has been one of those titles that had to keep a large following while making its way through a minefield of a PC release. If concurrent Steam users are anything to go by, though, the game seems to be doing quite well on the platform and may even surpass Sony’s earlier single-player titles. Sales forecasts also are strong, with estimates of over 100,000 copies sold. On the other hand, this is begging some questions about review bombing and the need to have Bloodborne remade on PC once again-an ongoing fight between Sony’s financial decisions versus the gaming community’s want for more. Anyone’s guess if Sony would give into such demands or kept its status quo approach, which at one point might push away viewers.
The Impact of PSN Requirements and Community Backlash on Ghost of Tsushima
Reactions to Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut coming to PC have ranged from outrage to jubilation. One feature that has immediately rankled folks is the requirement of a PSN account for the Legends online multiplayer mode-a topic that has set the community abuzz in much the same way as the whole fiasco with Helldivers 2. It doesn’t affect the single-player campaign, but the wider ramifications touch on the entire gaming community.
The fact that Sony has required a PSN account connection has meant that, for the uninstructed, the ability to purchase and play the game has been limited in the 180 countries and territories where PSN services are not available. The pre-order cancellations prior to launch in some regions have led to fans being angry and frustrated. This uneven reaction is perhaps encapsulated most by Ghost of Tsushima’s 75% score on the PC version, which contains a sizeable chunk of negative reviews-many of which bemoan that PSN requirement.
That’s not the end of the negative reception to the PC version of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, though. The Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut PS5 version is pulling an average user score of -55 on Metacritic, showing the sour taste from the move made by Sony to sell an upgraded port that included enhancements along with a new story expansion. The PS5 version brings upgrades like DualSense features, 3D audio, and faster loading times, while its upgrade path has also been called convoluted and expensive.
The decisions being made have had the community react. Players whine about problem warnings when attempting to link to PSN on forums and social media. Others talk about how great this game runs on PC and Steam Deck. There has also been talk about Steam’s family sharing capabilities since some users have had problems getting the game through shared libraries. Some even go to the extent of saying that they love the game, despite review bombs, and hope it won’t take massive system upgrades to enjoy it at its finest.
Meanwhile, as we go toward the future, the gaming community still clamors for more consumer-friendly and inclusive policies. It is also expected that companies like Sony would take extra heed of these issues and arrive at a proper balance that upholds the rights and preferences of gamers worldwide. This makes Ghost of Tsushima’s popularity on the PC a credit both to the creators’ work and the quality of their brainchild but also reminds us that in today’s world of gaming, accessibility and justice are-player expectations that continue to push for changes nonstop.
Success and failure of Ghost of Tsushima’s PC arrival-how it all went down. Although many were quick to praise its technical skill and creative merit, the release was very much marred by the PSN requirement, coupled with negative reviews of the game. Obviously, community opinions can no longer be ignored as the face of the gaming world shifts and changes. Hopefully, this release will yield that kind of knowledge for more tasteful debuts in the future, where the main emphasis is going to fall on the immersive experiences which titles like Ghost of Tsushima provide.
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