The Greatest Samurai and Ninja Video Game of All Time
Project Sync: Samurai and Ninja Video Games
Top 10 Greatest Samurai and Ninja Video Games Of All Time
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at our pick for the ultimate Samurai-Ninja Video Game! Recently, we published our list “Top 10 Samurai and Ninja Video Games” over on WatchMojo, and some of you may be perplexed as to why we chose a recent title over our pick for 2019’s Game of the Year. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out our list after the video! For now, we got some ‘splaining to do… When it comes to the best samurai and ninja video game of all time, a few titles clearly standout. In 2019, “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” was our game of the year - making it the obvious choice for number one here … But then in 2020 came “Ghost of Tsushima”! So we asked: which game best allows players to fulfill their fantasies of being a samurai and/or a ninja? Our choice … “Ghost of Tsushima”! Our pick isn’t solely based on “which is the better game”. Instead, it’s about a variety of factors, such as accessibility, player choice, immersion, and how each game stands out from others that also feature samurais and/or ninjas. We are by no means saying “Ninja Gaiden” is BETTER than “Shinobi” or even that “Ghost of Tsushima” is BETTER than “Sekiro”. So, then, why put “Ghost of Tsushima” at number one if it isn’t the better game? Why not just give it to “Sekiro” and call it a day? Well, first off, let’s talk about accessibility, a discussion that “Sekiro” sparked after its launch. Many critics and fans were wondering whether the game was too hard for casual players and if every game should come with difficulty adjustment. First answer is no, not every game is made for every person on the planet - that’s just the unfortunate truth. A game can be hard if the developers wish to make it so. However, given the angle of our list and our criteria, we’d be lying if we said this didn’t have a hand in our final ranking. See, “Ghost of Tsushima” gives multiple options for difficulty. Want to just breeze through combat so you can explore the world and experience the story? You can do that. Looking to test your skills and raise the difficulty by making every blow lethal? Sucker Punch put in a setting just for that too. No matter what kind of ride you’re looking for in terms of difficulty, “Ghost of Tsushima” will provide it. “Sekiro” demands you play it a specific way and will push you harder and harder in typical FromSoftware fashion. “Ghost” is more focused on letting the player have fun with their samurai-ninja experience in their own way. The biggest deciding factor in all of this, however, was the question about which game fulfilled player fantasies. Did we get to live out our samurai-ninja experience? This is how “Ghost of Tsushima” came out on top, as the game allows you to fight Mongols as both a samurai AND a ninja. Samurai players can call out enemies and engage in standoffs before initiating combat. Ninja players can use explosives and pick off enemies one by one, only worrying about being spotted instead of parries and counters. The best part about all of this is that you can employ these playstyles interchangeably! If you’re feeling honorable and want to take on twenty enemies head-on, you can do so. If, the next day, you’re feeling like honor can go jump off a cliff, you can become a ninja and assassinate baddies left right and centre. It’s this flexibility that let “Ghost of Tsushima” beat out other games, as those only give you one experience or the other. We also chose “Ghost of Tsushima” for another reason. This game is, ultimately, a celebration of culture and history. As you explore Tsushima, you’ll find opportunities to compose haikus and gain new headbands, bathe in hot springs to increase your health, and cut bamboo to gain Resolve. This only adds to the samurai-ninja experience as it shows that it isn’t all about killing dudes and being a badass - it’s also about reflecting on your actions and finding time to keep yourself healthy. Of course, we couldn’t forget how the game pays tribute to samurai films with its “Kurosawa Mode” either, named after legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. The last thing we want to point out are the boss fights. “Ghost of Tsushima” makes duels feel intimate and personal in several ways. In addition to characters exchanging story-related dialogue, there’s a tighter focus on reading your opponent’s moves and responding accordingly. There’s more demand for precision with counters and not just letting the player hack away whenever there’s an opening. This forces the player to approach it more like a fighting game than a traditional third-person action-adventure. There’s nothing else in this world but you and your opponent; only one of you is going to emerge victorious, and you’ll be damned if it isn’t you. “Ghost of Tsushima” is an incredible package for those looking to clash swords with rōnin, master the ways of the samurai and ninja, and roam across picturesque fields of pampas grass and flowers. With so much to do and so many different ways to do it, where else are you going to get the same experience? While the games that came before it provide their own unique experiences and bring their own strengths and weaknesses, “Ghost of Tsushima” is simply the ultimate samurai-ninja video game.
