Those worried about facing a challenge of Bloodborne proportions with Ghost of Tsushima can rest easy, as the title isn't going to be quite at that level of tough. The game, from Infamous developer Sucker Punch, puts players into the role of the samurai Jin, who is faced with the invasion of the Mongols, and has an emphasis on a mixture of exploration and sword fighting.

The title proved to be one of the standout games of E3 2018. Ghost of Tsushima was on the receiving end of one of the best trailers of Sony's press conference, providing something of a visual spectacle that also gave players a much better idea about how the game would operate. However, with such a big emphasis on fearsome sword fights, some wondered whether it would also provide a challenge to match that of Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

Thankfully for those that prefer their action a little more relaxed and a little less on the brutal side, Ghost of Tsushima is going to be a bit more flexible. Sucker Punch creative director Nate Fox revealed as part of a closed doors presentation of Ghost of Tsushima that the title is "a game that's meant for the mainstream gaming audience," rather than purely for hardcore players.


The creative director explained further. "It's not going to be challenging to the point that only someone who's a platinum Bloodborne player can appreciate it," which is a particular brand of difficulty that not everyone appreciates. Instead, Fox was able to give an example of the kind of challenge that Ghost of Tsushima will provide. "A great touchstone would be Horizon [Zero Dawn]. It scales, you can get a challenge, but you can also be a lazy guy."

The move to make the game slightly more accessible than the likes of Bloodborne isn't much of a surprise. Although From Software has generated plenty of support for its franchises, not everyone who has tried the same strategy has found success. Instead, following the model of Horizon: Zero Dawn gives players a little more leeway, and it's fair to say that there was still a fair amount of challenge to be found within the Guerrilla Games release.

It's extremely unlikely, in that case, that the Ghost of Tsushima is going to be a breeze, and that wouldn't necessarily blend with the game's ideal of turning the character into a samurai commando. However, there's nothing wrong with allowing the player a little more give, as not every game needs to buy into that 'git gud' ideology.