Ghost of Tsushima didn’t need to be historically accurate because it didn’t “impose any ideology” and placed “top priority on entertainment value”
Ahead of sequel Ghost of Yotei, an analyst has looked back at Ghost of Tsushima and details why the action-adventure gem didn’t need to be entirely historically accurate for Japanese fans to properly enjoy it.
Writing in an ITMedia Business article translated by Automaton, Nomura Securities analyst Kensaku Namera discusses what ensures a game set in Japan’s success in Japan – and it’s not a strict adherence to historical accuracy. According to Namera, Ghost of Tsushima is a stellar example of a historical game set in Japan done well despite how it often strays away from being an entirely fact-based representation of its setting.
Ghost of Tsushima dramatizes historical events for entertainment’s sake and mismatches elements from different periods so that they coexist together, like Jin’s samurai armor and haiku poetry. Despite such inaccuracies in-game, Japanese fans don’t mind – and Namera thinks this has to do with how the inaccuracies look. They don’t imply an ill-informed developer, but rather one who prioritizes entertainment.
“If a game contains depictions that show a Western-centric view of history, depictions that imply that ‘Japanese culture and history were informed and guided by the West,’ Namera explains, “or descriptions that seem to be fabricating Japan’s role in historical events, it will naturally provoke a strong backlash from the market.”
That’s not what Ghost of Tsushima is doing, however, and that seems to be why its formula works.
“The biggest reason why Ghost of Tsushima was accepted in the Japanese market without any sense of incongruity was that there was very little such ‘imposition of culture or ideology,'” as Namera states. Developer Sucker Punch Studios made an effort to consult with historians and other experts, too, providing a solid foundation for the well-received game with some room for more minor inaccuracies in the name of entertainment.
Namera concludes “what’s important for history-themed games and media is not simply consistency with historical facts” – it’s actually “important to have a deep understanding of the culture and history, to not impose any ideology, and above all, to place top priority on entertainment value.” That makes sense – especially when considering sequel Ghost of Yotei and its own clever historical inaccuracy scholars deem “intentional.”