Toshihiro Nagoshi, the charismatic and colorful character behind the Yakuza series, has spoken at length about his appreciation for the recently released PS4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima. Despite being located on the Japanese island of the same name, Ghost of Tsushima was developed by Bellevue-based studio Sucker Punch, and Nagoshi believes Westerners sometimes have a gift for pleasing the Japanese public.
As part of a live SEGA broadcast (translated by Kotaku), Nagoshi said, “The foreigners who tickle the Japanese more than the Japanese are … quite surprising, aren’t they?” In fact, Ghost of Tsushima has been something of a box office hit in Japan, where it almost immediately topped the software charts and sold out in stores.
“There is a notion that Westerners don’t understand things (about Japan), but that hypothesis itself is wrong,” continues Nagoshi. “To be honest, we [Japan] They were beaten, “says the eccentric director with a smile.” Yes, of course, we are losing. Honestly, I think it’s a game that should be done in Japan, “he adds.
Nagoshi praises the amount of research and effort that went into the game, saying that the way Ghost of Tsushima combines organic exploration with storytelling is “cool.” Given how dramatic and story-driven the Yakuza games are, it’s also not surprising to hear Nagoshi think highly of the performances in Ghost: “I don’t know the actors who did the motion capture, but the care given to their expressions is awesome. “
This prompts Nagoshi to comment on the possible restrictions of creating games in Japan. He points out that Ghost’s protagonist Jin is not a typically handsome character, and this is something that he believes would simply not fly in his homeland. “The protagonist [Jin] not a particularly attractive track, don’t you think? In its typical [Japanese] Company, if you showed concept art for a character like him, I don’t think it’s approved, “Nagoshi explains. Then he says it’s” incredible “that Jin exists as the lead, and that he applauds Sucker Punch for pushing so much on a character.
He concludes: “There are many things I bow my head to, such as aiming to establish a game in that time period … I could go on and on. I feel a sincere feeling of a job well done.”
It’s nice to see such a respected figure in the Japanese industry get so excited about Ghost of Tsushima, especially after the title has got off to a breakneck start in terms of sales. Japan’s reaction to the game was always going to be interesting, and it starts to seem like Sucker Punch has ripped it apart.
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