GHOST OF TSUSHIMA: HONOR AND DUTYIn order to build a “time machine” that will transport

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA: HONOR AND DUTY

In order to build a “time machine” that will transport players to feudal Japan, it was first necessary to ensure the right feelings from the katana. We understood: if the katana fight does not look, sound and feel properly, the “Ghost of Tsushima” will not reach its goal. We could turn for inspiration to beautiful classic and modern samples of samurai films (my personal standard is a remake of “Thirteen Killers” of 2010), but what works in films does not always work in the game, so we had a lot of work to do.

Let’s start with speed. We wanted the punch to be quick. The katana is not heavy, it weighs from 900 to 1400 grams, so most katana fighting styles are based on fast chopping attacks. All attacks in our game are created using motion capture technology, their speed corresponds to the real speed of blows. Realism gave rise to a curious problem: the attacks were too fast for the players to react to them.