Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author

Make no mistake: The Last of Us 2 is a phenomenal game, and worthy of every accolade heaped upon it. The game is not only exceptionally well-executed, it’s exactly what we needed. The Last of Us 2 is a forced dose of empathy delivered to a world that wants to talk without listening. What better way to convey that message than by putting us in the shoes, for more than half the game, of the person who murdered one of our favorite characters? By the end of that game, not only was I begrudgingly rooting for Abby, I was crushing on her. Beyond that, Naughty Dog delivered the most true-to-life representation of downtown Seattle I’ve ever seen. I used to hang out at the Fourth Street Library. Seeing it completely overrun by nature was so harrowing that I had to sit and stare for a moment. But I couldn’t take a picture.

Last of Us 2 also sent my depression into the Grand Canyon. Almost everyone pleaded for their lives and then turned on me when given the opportunity. The game has you murder a pregnant woman. I finished that game just to put it behind me. I literally cried throughout the confrontation because I couldn’t root for either character. I just wanted it over.

But Ghost of Tsushima was just fun, plain and simple. It featured a phenomenal story that was both bleak and hopeful. It was a visual and audio masterpiece. Sucker Punch managed to strike this wonderful balance: you could get lost in peacefully exploring Tsushima Island, just to snap out of it in time to spot the Mongol horde just before they spotted you. Then, you had another choice, and this is where the game shone: did you approach as a ghost, picking them off in a delightful, explosive display of blood and chaos, or did you approach as a samurai, looking them in the eye?

The progression system was a lot of fun. You began the game as Yamcha and finished as Son Goku. My favorite aspect was learning new moves in true martial arts cinematic fashion: Jin paid attention. He sought out everything he could find to learn the Heavenly Strike and in the end, when facing the person from whom he was supposed to obtain it, it wasn’t taught to him. He watched his opponent. Then, it hit him when the prompt came onscreen: execute the Heavenly Strike.

Even the side quests were intriguing. I’d expect them to get repetitive after so many hours but I was just as enthralled at the end, as I was at the beginning. This was due to Sucker Punch’s excellent storytelling: each quest enabled you to see just how the island fell.

The Last of Us 2 may have been a forced dose of empathy, but Ghost of Tsushima is why we play video games.

Thanks for reading

Avery K. Tingle is a scifi/fantasy author currently residing in the Las Vegas area. Owned by two cats, he is passionate about social justice, Star Wars, and mental health. Connect to his award-winning writing and social media here.