Sucker Punch, proud developers of Ghost of Tsushima, pay tribute to the events that inspired the game’s creation: the turbulent period of the Tsushima Island invasion, which occurred 746 years ago today.
As all gamers know, open-world adventures aren’t exactly a rarity today. Heck, one talented player actually made an entire functional open-world RPG using only Fortnite’s Creative Mode. Often, these titles present fictionalized takes on real-world history, as is the case with the likes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (now with its own snazzy line of Reebok footwear) or Red Dead Redemption 2.
Ghost of Tsushima takes this route too, and while there’s no shortage of titles that allow players to brandish wicked katanas and play at being samurai, there’s a heart-breaking and very real conflict at the core of this game, dating back to the late 13th Century.
In 1274, Kublai Khan’s Mongol forces were engaged in an invasion of Japan. Their first target was none other than Hakata Bay near the Tsushima Strait, from which they hoped to take the country. Not only was this first Mongol invasion notable for featuring some of the world’s first recorded uses of gunpowder/bombs in warfare (though the Chinese had already done so), it was instrumental in the creation of the nation of Japan as we know it today.
Ghost of Tsushima presents its own version of the events that began at Tsushima Island, with samurai Jin Takai forced to resort to underhand methods to repel Khotun Khan and his army and dubbed the “Ghost” for it. It’s a fascinating tale and a joy to play through, but it’s important not to forget the harrowing conflict that inspired it.
With that in mind, Sucker Punch Productions’ official Twitter account issued the following tweet, dedicating the game to those who lost their lives in the battle, on the 746th anniversary of the Mongol army’s first landing: A fitting tribute and a sign of just how impactful games can be when it comes to telling stories. Especially real life ones.