Thanks to a recent piece by UnGeek, I’ve discovered that Ghost of Tsushima has one of the highest completion rates of any game on PS4 or PS5. This is tracked through the rate of people who have unlocked the trophy that’s awarded for finishing the story. It’s pretty simple. Every player who unlocks a trophy is counted in all the stats, and out of all those who have at least played the game a little, just over 50% have completed the story. My question is why is this so impressive, and why do so many people finish the story?
I think the answer to this is pretty simple given the game we’re talking about. It’s the quality of the world and story that keeps players coming back. Players want to finish the story because they enjoy it. They also want to see more of the world, and completing the story is simply part of that. Once the story is done though, the game offers plenty for players to do outside of the main campaign. There are collectibles everywhere, sights to see, and moments to be had that are both relaxing and awe-inspiring. I adore this game and think it’s one of the best that’s ever been made. Clearly, 50% of all players think the same thing as me.
It’s hard to get this across without having everyone play the game. The point for me that made me realize how much I love the world of Tsushima and the story of the game was when I was chasing a legendary weapon. The quest leads you to a remote location by tasking you with following blue Hydrangeas. These are a type of plant that gets a blue hue to the flowers from the soil on Tsushima. Once you’ve tracked these flowers a few times, you end up in a crazy demonic fight for the weapon.
The moment that I got the weapon, I knew that I was into something incredible here. The effort that had been put into this side quest was phenomenal, and that’s just a small part of the overall game. By the time you’ve finished the story, you feel like you’ve lived through something, and that’s what makes a great game.
