Ghost of Tsushima and RDR2 - Two Open Worlds Compared

Red Dead Redemption 2 and Ghost of Tsushima don't necessarily sound like games that would have a lot in common. One's a cowboy fantasy that's been put through the wringer of Rockstar's cynicism and attention to detail, while the other is a samurai epic that's equal parts Kurosawa's aesthetic sensibilities and Sucker Punch's world-building. When you look at the two popular open-world games in action, though, there are some very valid points of comparison.

Before looking at the two games specifically, it's a good idea to remember that the genres from which they pull share a lot of relationships. Some of the best western films lift a lot of their storytelling from Japanese films and even those that don't deal with some very similar archetypes. In many ways, looking at these two games is a little like looking at The Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven - the same stories told through different cultural lenses.


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The Hero

theheroes Arthur Morgan (RDR2) and Jin Sakai (Ghost of Tsushima)

Both Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2 focus on singular heroes. Ghost of Tsushima stars Jin Sakai, a lone surviving samurai trying to hold his place in the midst of an invasion. Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, stars Arthur Morgan, a man who's deeply involved in the criminal lifestyle and struggling to survive in a world that's rapidly leaving him behind.

At their core, though, Jin and Arthur aren't all that different. They're both men who follow codes, though Arthur's never seems quite as noble as Jin's. With that said, both Arthur and Jin absolutely live their lives in ways that are less than conducive to living in their own realities. Arthur's an outlaw in a world that's rapidly becoming civilized and Jin's a man of honor in the middle of a warzone - both places where they find themselves out of their depths.


The World

RDR2-World The American Frontier of Red Dead Redemption 2

13th Century Japan and the 19th Century United States don't exactly draw a lot of parallels in terms of history or landscape, but the ways that they are portrayed in both Red Dead Redemption 2 and Ghost of Tsushima are remarkably similar. They're wide open sandboxes that are meant not just to be explored, but to be savored.

It's really hard to find an open world that lives up to Red Dead Redemption 2 in terms of scope or vibrancy, but Ghost of Tsushima comes close. It doesn't seem to live and breathe in quite the same way, but both its island the west of RDR2 feel like they are real worlds. While you might not run into the same kind of random events in both games, there's always a feeling that you're stepping into a story that's been going on for some time.

ghostoftsushima-world The Ancient Japanese World in Ghost of Tsushima

Both of these game worlds are full of things for you to find and do, of course. Both games are full of side quests and both save some of their richest content for those who are willing to check out every point of interest. At the same time, though, there are plenty of little diversions, be they haiku spots or games of chance. These aren't just worlds that are meant to exist as set pieces, but as real parts of the story.


The Story

The story is where Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2 tend to diverge, but they do both still pull from some fairly common tropes. Both of the stories are basically about men who have to make tough decisions to secure their own future, but Jin's story isn't tinged with the same kind of melancholy as Arthur's.

While comparing the two stories is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, it should probably be noted that Arthur's story has more elements of choice. While you can certainly get railroaded in certain story directions in Red Dead Redemption 2, your actions are ultimately going to decide how the story ends. That's not quite the same in Ghost of Tsushima - while there are certainly moral dilemmas, players experience a much more straightforward narrative.

One thing that the two games do have in common, though, is a tendency to express big ideas through side characters. Both Arthur and Jin have their character traits writ large upon the world by their supporting casts. Players get to see a lot of their internal drama played externally by other characters, which helps to hammer home the stories of both games.


The Gameplay

RDR2-gameplay Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay

The two games also diverge greatly in terms of how they are played. Red Dead Redemption might be a cowboy fantasy, but it's played towards the realistic end of the scale. Your character will need to eat, groom himself, and change clothes based on the elements. Every activity is weighty and a bit slow, with consequences for those who don't pay attention to all of the underlying systems. Red Dead Redemption 2 can feel punishing at times, but it becomes all the more rewarding when you embrace the game for what it is.

ghostoftsushima-gameplay Ghost of Tsushima Gameplay

Ghost of Tsushima, though, is a samurai movie. Horses seem to have infinite stamina, your enemies drop plenty of materials, and dramatic winds guide you to your next destination. You're less playing around inside the real-world in this game as you are playing around inside a massive movie, so all of the systems seem to work together to help you play out a very specific role.

Some players are definitely going to gravitate towards Ghost's more cinematic style, while others will prefer the plodding realism of RD2. Both games use their various gameplay elements to evoke a particular kind of atmosphere, though, and both manage to do so incredibly successfully.


Two Amazing Tales

While there are definitely some points of comparison between Red Dead Redemption 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, the two games are still quite different. Yes, they're open-world adventure games but one definitely leans more towards fantasy than the other. Which game you'll enjoy more comes down to your own preferences, but both are worth playing. Both games are amazing works that go a long way towards redefining what players should expect from this genre.