Ghost of Tsushima hasn’t even reached its first anniversary, but that hasn’t stopped Sony from making one of the best PS5 games even better thanks to the recently announced Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, which will be released on August 20, 2021.
But there is something quite dishonorable about this upcoming release of Sucker Punch’s critically acclaimed PS4 exclusive. Particularly with the performance of the upgrade paid to the PS5 version, and it is something worth regretting.
If you missed the announcement, Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut includes all of the content developer bonus pieces Sucker Punch has sold to date, and a separate new adventure in the form of Iki Island. Iki is a neighbor to the island of Tsushima, where the original game takes place, and players will be able to experience an entirely new story, meet new characters, and explore an entirely new area as the game’s samurai protagonist, Jin.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut will also include PS5-exclusive features such as PS5 3D audio, support for DualSense controller haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers, as well as 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Oh, and the Japanese lip sync has also been added, which is a really nice touch for those who played with Japanese VO, like me.
It all sounds great then, and as someone who adored Ghost of Tsushima and had the pleasure of playing it at silky 60fps on PS5, I’m more than ready to wield my katana once again as Jin Sakai.
At least, I thought I was …
A cutting blow
(Image credit: Sony)
So what is the situation with Director’s Cut? Is it a free update? Unfortunately not. If you haven’t played Ghost of Tsushima before, you can get the Director’s Cut for $ 59.99 on PS4 and $ 69.99 on PS5, which is normal for the course. You are buying a new game after all.
But what about those who already own Ghost of Tsushima? Well, this is where things get a little… cheeky. Those who own the game will need to pay $ 19.99 to upgrade to Director’s Cut on PlayStation 4 and $ 29.99 to upgrade to PS5. If you purchase the PS4 version of Director’s Cut and purchase a PS5 at a later date, you can upgrade for $ 9.99.
So from the price that Sony has provided, we can deduce that the Iki Island and the add-on content that was released during the Ghost of Tsushima sale year is worth $ 19.99 to the company’s coffers. However, on PS5, the Director’s Cut update costs $ 29.99, which means that players will be charged an additional $ 9.99 for the specific PlayStation 5 features mentioned above. Also, the Iki Island DLC is not available to purchase as a standalone option, it is only available as part of the Director’s Cut.
This doesn’t suit me. Was it really unreasonable to think that Sony and Sucker Punch could offer PS5-specific updates to existing owners for free? As we’ll see below, maybe, but only because Sony’s approach doesn’t compare favorably to the way Microsoft has handled Xbox Series X updates to its original Xbox One games.
Grind my gears
(Image credit: The Coalition)
Let’s compare Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut to Gears 5, a title that launched in September 2019. Gears 5 received a substantial graphical overhaul for Xbox Series X that included improved shadows, more detail, a 120 fps multiplayer mode, and no it went like this’ It doesn’t cost a penny to existing owners. If you own Gears 5 on Xbox One, you will have access to the Xbox Series X / S version for free.
On December 15, 2020, approximately two months after the launch of Xbox Series X, developer The Coalition added a separate single-player expansion for the game called Hivebusters, which costs $ 19.99 and is free for those who subscribe to Xbox Game. Pass Ultimate.
The difference here should be obvious. Unlike Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut on PS5, The Coalition didn’t lock down the juicy next-gen Gears 5 update within the Hivebusters DLC – it was free for everyone, and Hivebusters is rightfully an optional extra.
That’s one example then, but let’s take a look at Sea of Thieves as another. While it’s a bit looser comparison due to the fact that Rare’s marine adventure game follows a ‘live service’ approach, it still received a free next-gen update that made 60fps as standard on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and it also added 120 fps. mode on Microsoft’s flagship console.
The game may be over three years old, but it recently received its biggest expansion yet in the form of Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, an ambitious Pirates of the Caribbean crossover. Perhaps surprisingly, it is completely free for existing players, and even if it were paid content, the next-gen version of the game would still be available to everyone.
Green of envy
(Image credit: Sucker Punch)
But those are just two examples. A quick look at Microsoft’s own production (excluding Bethesda titles) shows that Forza Horizon 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Ori and the Will of Wisps and Grounded have received free next-generation updates.
Sony, meanwhile, has chosen to release free 60fps updates for God of War, Ratchet and Clank, Days Gone, The Last of Us 2, and of course Ghost of Tsushima. But as welcome as these updates were, they only increased the frame rate and didn’t touch any other aspect of the game.
That means there are nine games on Xbox Series X in total that have been improved for the next generation, without costing existing owners a single penny, while Sony hasn’t given existing owners any next-gen updates on. its original games, other than the aforementioned frame rate boosts (something Microsoft has delivered to 97 other games thanks to its FPS Boost program, it should be said).
It would have been wonderful, even a pleasant surprise, if Sony or Sucker Punch at least offered a free PS5 update to all Ghost of Tsushima owners who own the PS4 version and a PlayStation 5. But, instead, existing owners will have to pay an additional $ 29.99 on top of what they already paid for Ghost of Tsushima to experience the original game with some PS5-specific flourishes.
Ghost of generosity
(Image credit: Sucker Punch)
It all seems like a clear tactic to incentivize existing PS5 owners to buy Director’s Cut, rather than relying on the Iki Island DLC to appeal to players on its own merits. After all, if that’s not the case, why isn’t the Iki Island DLC available as a separate purchase like Gears 5 Hivebusters?
While it was great to see Ghost of Tsushima get a 60fps patch on PS5 and free multiplayer (which now seems almost miraculous all things considered), it’s irritating that system-level features like 3D audio, adaptive triggers, and Haptic feedback is now available. locked behind a paywall in the shape of a Director’s Cut. It’s just as bad as how Nintendo has blocked fast travel in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD behind a plastic paywall, also known as an amiibo.
I’m more than happy to pay for additional content, don’t get me wrong, but as this generation has proven in probably one of the most consumer-friendly moves we’ve ever seen, next-gen updates are now commonplace and almost always completely free. You just need to look at the exemplary Metro Exodus update that fell as a recent example of this trend in action. If these publishers and studios can do it for free, why would Sony, the owner of the platform, demand one?
Ghost of Tsushima has the honor of being only the second game I’ve played that managed to make me cry like a baby, a title that had been the exclusive property of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile for several decades. Now, however, it is Sony’s pricing policies that continue to bring me to tears.
Today’s best Ghost of Tsushima deals
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