Before the May 14, 2020 State of Play presentation, we already knew a Japanese Ghost of Tsushima voice track would be available for the whole game, alongside the English track. During the presentation, an additional experiential feature called Samurai Cinema mode was shown off, which does a lot more than just slap a black and white filter over everything. On top of all that and everything else shown off during the presentation, developer Sucker Punch Productions took a moment to confirm both of these options will be available at the very outset of Ghost of Tsushima.
In the video, we’re told that the Japanese audio track will be available to choose before the first scene starts, implying that perhaps the option will present itself as part of starting a new game. The same goes for Samurai Cinema mode. It seems like, because these are such major ways to change how playing Ghost of Tsushima is experienced, Sucker Punch wants to really emphasize these aren’t just extra options to tinker with sometimes in the menu.
Samurai Cinema mode is quite ambitious. It isn’t just a black and white filter; it’s a change to the game’s whole environment. In order to mimic the filmic style of classic samurai movies (such as The Seven Samurai), this mode activates a constant, in-game wind effect. There’s also some drastic whitening up of elements like plants and grass, and a super intense film damage/grain effect.
Ghost of Tsushima will launch for the PlayStation 4 on July 17, 2020.
