Summary
Ghost of Tsushimadeveloper Sucker Punch Games has been around for over two decades now and has had some big successes in the gaming industry. ItsSly CooperandInfamousfranchises were among its most popular video game series until the release ofGhost of Tsushimain 2020, which not only becameSucker Punch’s most successful game, but also one of PlayStation’s most successful original titles. This is all due to its fresh approach to the open-world formula, its gorgeous setting, and every new feature it brought to the table.
Ghost of Tsushimamight have been a breath of fresh air in 2020 in terms of feeling original and unlike anything gamers had experienced before, but it introduced something unexpected - at least from a Sucker Punch standpoint - that some fans might not be aware of. Specifically, it broke a Sucker Punch tradition that had spanned over twenty years, which is the protagonist being unable to swim.
Ghost of Tsushima Is the First Sucker Punch Game to Feature Swimming
A History of Sucker Punch Games
Despite only being known for a few franchises, Sucker Punch Games has had games on the market since 1999. Its longest-standing franchise isthe popularInfamousseries, which lasted from 2009 to 2014, although the developer was already known for itsSly Cooperfranchise that came previously. Prior toGhost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch had not released a game in six years, making that the developer’s largest gap between games.
None of Sucker Punch’s Games Featured Swimming Until Ghost of Tsushima
While Sucker Punch has been around for some time, none of its games have featured what some would call a very simple and often necessary mechanic: swimming. Sucker Punch has explained this design choice for some of its games, but others have been abandoned to fan theories. InRocket: Robot on Wheels, for instance, Rocket is occasionally required to platform over water, so he is never seen swimming. However, he would likely be unable to swim anyway, since he is, after all, a robot on wheels.
Sly Cooper oftheSly Cooperfranchisecan’t swim, along with his partners in crime, Murray and Bentley. It was revealed in the instruction manual forSly 2: Band of Thievesthat Sly and the other two members of the Cooper Gang never learned how to swim during their time at the Happy Camper Orphanage when they were kids. As this was the second game in theSly Cooperseries, it’s likely Sucker Punch included this information in the instruction manual in response to questions from fans about Sly’s inability to swim.
While Sucker Punch has been around for some time, none of its games have featured what some would call a very simple and often necessary mechanic: swimming.
Cole MacGrath fromInfamousandInfamous 2also can’t swim, and while it is never stated whether he knows how, it is widely known that his electrical abilities would short-circuit if he was ever submerged in water. As water conducts electricity, Cole’s powers would be uncontrollable if he were submerged in water, sending all the electricity in him surging out and leaving him in a highly weakened, vulnerable state. Finally, unlike Cole,Infamous Second Son’s Delsin Rowe can’t swim, simply because he doesn’t know how. It is also never stated whether Abigail “Fetch” Walker, the star and protagonist ofInfamous: First Light, can swim, but she is unable to.
It’s very peculiar that Sucker Punch would have waited until 2020 to feature a character who can swim, but perhaps, underneath all the fan theories and attempted justifications, the developer simply couldn’t manage to perfect the in-game physics of swimming until just recently. Whatever the case, Jin Sakai’s ability to swim inGhost of Tsushimais a feature that yet again makes the game a historical feat.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
WHERE TO PLAY
In the late 13th century, the Mongol empire has laid waste to entire nations along their campaign to conquer the East. Tsushima Island is all that stands between mainland Japan and a massive Mongol invasion fleet led by the ruthless and cunning general, Khotun Khan.As the island burns in the wake of the first wave of the Mongol assault, courageous samurai warrior Jin Sakai stands resolute. As one of the last surviving members of his clan, Jin is resolved to do whatever it takes, at any cost, to protect his people and reclaim his home. He must set aside the traditions that have shaped him as a warrior to forge a new path, the path of the Ghost, and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.
