Weather in Ghost of Tsushima changes depending on how you play, director confirms

Sucker Punch Productions has expanded upon some of the systems which make the world of Ghost of Tsushima feel so natural, and one such element is a cool little feature that ties into the morality system.

Throughout Jin Sakai’s journey, you can decide to face enemies as an honorable samurai or a disrespectful ghost who strikes from the shadows. While the story expands upon this further, it also has a subtle impact on gameplay, too. 

I experienced this myself, noticing an increase in torrential rain and harrowing thunderstorms as I progressed through the campaign as a deadly ghost, not caring about whether I battled Mongols face-to-face or from the comfort of some tall grass. 

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Creative Director Nate Fox expanded upon this feature in an interview with Gamespot, stating that “the game is definitely scripted to provide more storms as you do things which are extremely Ghost driven.” That explains why my post-game hunt for the platinum trophy was awash with so much terrible weather. 

While it’s unfortunate the moral direction you choose to take has a rather binary impact on the overall narrative, seeing it impact the open-world in some drastic manner is satisfying to see, and adds a whole extra layer to proceedings even after clearing the campaign. 

I scored Ghost of Tsushima a solid 4/5 in my review, praising its gorgeous world, satisfying combat and creative approach to the genre:  “The game’s depiction of the time period is generic and inoffensive, but that doesn’t prevent it from being a stunning visual showcase and a worthwhile swan song for the PS4.” This is the last major console exclusive from Sony before the launch of PS5 later this year, which will introduce a whole new era of epic gaming blockbusters we’re eager to dive into.