May 14 (UPI) -- Sony detailed the systems behind its PlayStation 4 exclusive title Ghost of Tsushima during a State of Play live stream on Thursday.
Developer Sucker Punch showed off how players can traverse the world, take part in varied combat, and create and share photos of their gameplay experience.
Ghost of Tsushima is a samurai action title in which players will take on the role of Jin Sakai who vows to protect his home from Mongol invaders.
Jin will embark on an epic journey where he must turn his back on the traditional ways of the samurai in order to become a different kind of warrior and exact his revenge.
Rather than providing players with a small map or location indicators displayed on the screen while playing, Ghosts of Tsushima uses a mechanic dubbed "Guiding Wind" to traverse the world.
Players can select a location on the world map and will then be guided by gusts of wind in the environment to their destination, while other visual indicators such as smokestacks and oddly shaped trees can mark areas of interest.
In combat, Jin can challenge individual enemies to samurai-style lethal battles while also utilizing a range of weapons including bows and arrows as well as techniques including parties and varying combat styles to fight large groups.
Combat encounters can also be completed using a stealthier approach including distracting enemies in order to drive them away from crowds and executing silent assassinations.
Both styles of play will alter Jin's reputation, with stealth combat increasing his reputation as "The Ghost" which will cause enemies to fear him. Players can also customize Jin with various sets of armor that will complement each playstyle.
The game also features an elaborate photo mode allowing players to set up custom shots by posing Jin, altering lighting and color as well as wind directions and particles such as leaves and fireflies. This mode allows players to select tracks from the soundtrack to play in the background to create their own videos.
Before beginning the game players will be able to choose to play with a Japanese voice track with English subtitles as well as a black-and-white filtered mode designed to replicate the look of classic samurai films.
Sony focused solely on Ghost of Tsushima during the live stream and did not offer any updates on their upcoming next-generation console, the PlayStation 5.
Ghost of Tsushima is set to be released for the PlayStation 4 on July 17.
