Exploration in 'Ghost of Tsushima': Letting the Island Guide You

In this GDC 2021 session, Sucker Punch's Parker Hamilton shares the tools that were used in Ghost of Tsushima to keep players looking at the world and eager to explore. This talk explores how these methods not only help players discover content, but support the fantasy of a lone samurai roaming a perilous landscape.
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[@altcon971]

0:00 Introduction
4:44 INVITING EXPLORATION
5:00 Environment design
13:12 Stumble content
15:33 Rewarding exploration
19:51 NATURAL EXPLORATION
20:09 Wayfinding
37:28 Discovering content
45:54 Seeding new opportunities
50:21 Conclusion

[@michael_bullard]

The red flower fields near Umugi Cove are just lovely

[@ethandaley69]

2 years and thousands of hours later, I still just trot my horse across the map a couple times a week. It's always a beautiful and wildly immersive experience. All this time later.

[@TheWorldsOfGaming]

This game is almost photo-real at times. 👀
I've never had more fun in a photo mode than when i was recording the beautiful landscapes and plant life of GoT - especially love the environments that keep on animating when everything else is frozen... THANKS A LOT FOR THIS STUNNING GAME, Sucker Punch! 💛

[@Tomofdahook17]

What’s so crazy is that it’s not trying to be photo-real. It’s actually heavily stylized and looks more like something in between real life and cell shaded comic but somehow manages to literally look real due to the lighting and amount of foliage on screen.

[@gamerjz]

Highly hope GDC invite The UI artist of Ghost of Tsushima . Relly like THE UI DESIGN of Ghost !!!!

[@ethandaley69]

One of the best all time! I'd also love to see them dive into it!!

[@09rr77]

The uses of wind inpirse me a lot

[@John-996]

I felt like Exploration In this game was a bit hand Holdy It never seemed to let me miss anything. So It felt like It was giving the illusion of exploration rather then natural exploration.

[@zerg6001]

In a world of greedy action rpgs that make you pay for everything, these devs are out here doing the lord’s work for the genre. I can’t say enough about how much respect I have for the way they made this game.

[@GemGames3]

I loved Ghost of Tsushima and next time I fully play it I'm going Kurosawa and Japanese Language mode.

[@AAbiolAA]

One of the best open world games I’ve ever played! Can’t wait for the next instalment….

[@kevinmshields]

Very cool and informative, but you can tell when the adhd kicks in and he struggles to read along to his own presentation

[@gaurd3]

Horizon forbidden west devs should have watched this.

[@machinefannatic99]

when are we gonna see how ratchet and clank io system works cause thats what everybody is waiting to see.

[@maliciouscompliance6489]

This lad's really yawning while giving his own presentation

[@sayantanmanna001]

Who the hell you are 😂?

[@jgpostal]

Pc?

[@spectrak]

PC?

[@trevorcardozo9354]

PC when…

[@animalchroniclestale]

Get ps

[@treebush]

Pretty sure pc port is already out or leaked already

[@gabrieljcs11]

@@treebush You're pretty wrong