The Playstation 5 saw great success in its early days with revitalised older games.
2009’s Dark Souls was totally revamped for the next generation console as was a stunner of a game at lunch.
Marvel’s Spider-Man got an overhaul too and wowed fans afresh alongside the release of Miles Morales, which was ultimately a big expansion on the original PS4 2018 core game engine.
So it’s no surprise to see Sony’s in-house Sucker Punch developer getting in on the act with a Director’s Cut release of last summer’s PS4 hit Ghost of Tsushima.
The main difference on offer is a whole new story chapter in protagonist Jin’s journey, called Iki Island. You must progress through the game to Act 2 – the Toyotama Region – before you can access it.
It focuses around a new big baddie in The Eagle, a woman conquerer and shaman, which gives the game a slightly wilder, more supernatural bent than the main game.
You also get more Jin backstory and detail as you progress around the trauma of his upbringing, helping to flesh out the character in new ways.
And they throw in a few pirates for good measure too.
And of course the 3D surround sound and haptic controller feedback that comes with the PS5 adds an extra layer of immersion.
As a result, we get an already excellent base game firing on all cylinders at a definitive level.
Whether you’re totally new to Ghost or a returning fan, there’s enough here to give you hours of fun.
The swordplay is better because those haptic triggers really kick back at you when in the midst of fights now.
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It makes every tactic, every timed slash that much more satisfying when you land a killer blow.
And your controller comes alive with the sound of gently guiding winds as you traverse to your next mission, a wonderful little touch. Rains now feel like they’re falling in front of you thanks to that 3D headphones sound.
Visually the PS5 version offered up 4K graphics at a silky smooth 6 frames per second.
It means super fluid gameplay and breathtaking vistas showing off the developer’s version of ancient Samurai Japan in amazing detail.
The huge landscapes as you battle back against Mongol invaders led by big baddie Khoutan Khan are a marvel.
There are also some minor gameplay tweaks after fan feedback. So now you can choose to hide your quiver and lock-on to an enemy when in combat. Your horse has a new skill too and can charge.
And there’s Japanese lip-sync for the cut-scenes.
Relatively small details but welcome ones.
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There are also new additions to the Legends section of the multiplayer mode but we weren’t able to try these pre-review.
Overall, this is the best version of Ghost of Tsushima out there.
While it is a year-old base game, there’s enough here for both newcomers an veterans alike to warrant another look.
Yes, you could save a fair bit of cash going out and buying a 2nd hand PS4 copy.
But if you want the most from your shiny new PS5 and are keen to delve into a sublime open-world sword game you really won’t find much better.
VERDICT 5/5
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