B. D. (Cowgirl)

I am a big fan of the Assassin's Creed series, but have to say I was kinda disappointed with this one. The controls were awful, it played like a 12 year old game. I kept getting stuck at small obstacles, and Basim wouldn't jump right. The fighting was clunky and wasn't all that great at all. Though I'm very glad they got rid of the over powered fight moves that just screamed unrealistic. Also this is 2023, why do the game graphics suck so bad? Not the view, I'm talking about people walking through things and other people, birds flying through objects and the fact you can ride a horse through an ostrich, WHAT? I wanted a more realistic feel, I mean it's like they didn't update any of these things from older games, it felt lazy. The horse still moves stiffly and not fluid or realistic at all, Red Dead Redemtion 2 puts this game to shame on so many levels. I also thought they would have more realistic interactions and possibly some side quest from people just walking in the street that you pass. Like you hear something and investigate. Sort if like red dead stranger quests which I absolutely love. You know make it feel more realistic and interactive. This felt like a very old game with updated graphics. At least they did better with the faces and talking segments, but they still need a lot of work. The story was OK, and I am still glad I bought and played the game, but it's not really a great replay option in my opinion, too linear. I'm still an Assassin's Creed fan, but it just not on the same level as games like Red Dead 2 and the Witcher 3 which are my all time favorites because of their realism, dialog choices, great animating, awesome side quests that pop out of no where and great story telling. It's like they just pushed this out without really trying to make it great to make money on people's nostalgia for the older games. I was so excited to actually be an Assasin in this game! I was hoping for that old Assassins Creed game feel with current graphics, controls, and realism and to me Mirage fell flat on those. I'm finished with the main quest line and have no interest going back to play. So yes a bit disappointed and going back to my Cyberpunk replay. Please take your time and do better with the next Assassin's creed.

I really enjoyed this game and hoping for a second game. Graphics were beautiful, and it had a really good story. I loved the attention to detail That they gave to the entire look of Japan, and the authenticity of the samurai, and all other Japanese outfits. The only complaints I have are about immersion. When I drop unexpectedly down by a person and they don't react at all, or kill someone right by a horse and it just stands there unmoving like a stone it takes away from the whole experience alittle. Also when you hit a horse with one arrow anywhere it dies, wouldn't it of been much cooler if it limped away instead, or kicked at you? I would also like more focus on human interactions and dialog choices, and would like to see a relationship build with Jin and Yuna. The story is good, but there is so much they could do with this story that would make it great! When walking by people, having them acknowledge you and even better being able to talk to everyone adds so much to a game. I guess I got spoiled with games like the witcher 3, and Red Dead Redemtion 2. The detail they gave to human/animal expressions, interactions, conversations and moments made it feel so real you realize how much that adds to the entire experience. Red Dead Redemption 2 especially. In that game you can talk to every single NPC, and have different ways to get on and off the horse based on the landscape your on! In Ghost of Tsushima, is the same exact animation every time. They did give great detail to faces and body language in cut scenes, and the fighting was also excellently done. But when you hear the exact same, not so realistic sound for thunder every 30 seconds, or screaming coming from no where constantly it takes away from the game instead of adding to it. Plus, please add a lope/canter for the horse. Having a slow trot, or a full on gallop as your only options for the horse was annoying, and made riding clumsy at times. I still give this game a 4 star because I don't expect all games to be the same, or live up to great immersion games like the witcher 3 or Red Dead Redemption 2. Plus some of the extras I found kinda boring, and with little reward. I liked the challenge of getting to the shrines and the bamboo strikes were also fun. All in all, Ghost of Tsushima was a very good game, with a detailed well put together storyline. The characters are also for the most part, well thought out and developed. I really think it's worth the money, but I'll admit I was really hoping for more realistic feel to the game like in Red Dead Redemption 2. I love and own all of the assassins creed games as well, and I agree this game felt like playing one of this games, so if you like them, you'll like this game. Although I really enjoyed the first playthrough, It just isn't a game I will play over and over like my favorites because unlike them you'll not find something new in every playthrough, or have different ending options. I am hoping very much that they do improve these things for the second game because if they do it has the potential to be a really great game, well deserving of a game of the year. I just don't feel it's there quite yet, plus we have some more potential greats on the way like Assasins Creed Valhalla.

Graphically the game was beautiful and visually very real feeling. To me it was the storyline that destroyed the game. I have no problems with the LGBTQ aspects, I judge characters as I would real people; with who they are as a person. I only put that in here because I want you to know this was not part of the reason I really didn't like the game. I also didn't like that Joel died, especially in such an easy way. I mean here was this extremly hard to kill, cautious badass who just walks into a group of people who want him dead and he's like, "Hi ya'll what's your name?" Ya, not likely, but that's exactly what happened in the game. At that time when Ellie goes after the people that killed Joel your all for it! But then as the game progresses you learn why they did it, and that it was deserved. Even as you learn they had good reasons, you have no way to choose not to kill every single one of them with none of the mercy they showed you. You have to kill hundreds of people because of the revenge Ellies seeks. Over the time playing this game, I started liking Abby much more then Ellie. Abby let's Ellie live twice, even after Ellie killed everyone she loves! Abby was able to understand why Ellie did it, she was able to walk away. And she risks her life for a family of an enemy group! Abby moves on, taking Lev ( the boy she saved) with her. After being spared, again by Abby, Ellie went home and it was beautiful, safe and sickeningly perfect and she's unhappy, she's unsatisfied? What? This doesn't make sense to me, she should understand by then that what happened to Joel was sad, but justified, and that her overkill of revenge was unjustified. She was spared, Abbys group only killed Joel, and no one else! Ellie killed hundreds with no mercy, people that had nothing to do with Joel's death! She even killed the very people that had fought to spare her! The storyline made her a monster, it made you hate her and her irrational, unjustified, rage filled decisions. She got her"revenge" many times over, but no she just couldn't let it go. In her world she's supposed to be a survivor, survivors overcome it, get over it and move on! She let her rage and desire for revenge override common sense, and we were along for the ride. So many times during playing this game I was disappointed or just thought, "why did she do that?" So she leaves her happy, safe home in Wyoming and goes after Abby yet again. She finds Abby and Lev as prisoners then helps them escape. And at this point, I thought here is Ellies redemtion, she'll move on now. Maybe she'll tell Abby that if she could she'd go back and allow them to kill her for the cure. Make her human, and relatable. But no, she's like, "ok saved ya now I have to kill you!" What the hell? So they fight again, Ellie wins and almost drowns Abby, but finally in this long drawn out horrible storyline let's Abby go. Finally, she's able to let it go. To bad now she's 100% worse then anyone she killed!! They could of done so much better with this story. Why did Joel have to die and Ellie have to be a cruel, bitchy, unforgiving monster? I mean she wasn't even nice to Joel 95% of the time.

They did a great service to the books and the game. A prefect blend of both with the story staying with the book and the look and feel staying close to the game. The fighting scenes were absolutely awesome. Well choreographed and they looked very real. Didn't look cheesy and the acting was fantastic. I was worried with Henry Cavell as Geralt but he was awesome. I liked him better as Geralt then superman by far. I've read all the books and the witcher 3 is my favorite game. I loved this and my only complaint is the having wait for season 2! Please keep making this series!