Is it worth playing Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode?

Playing Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode can certainly add a vintage touch to your gameplay experience. Sucker Punch Productions took a lot of inspiration from renowned Japanese movie director, Akira Kurosawa, who made the iconic film Seven Samurai. Hence, they decided to add a filter named after him that changes the game's visuals to resemble those from a typical samurai movie directed by Mr. Kurosawa.

But you might wonder as to how your gameplay experience will be affected if you decide to play Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode over the vanilla visuals. For this reason, we bring you this guide that will break down how the Kurosawa mode works so that you can make an informed decision while playing the upcoming PC port of the game.

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Is playing Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode worth it?

The Kurosawa mode in Ghost of Tsushima comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages (Image via Sucker Punch)

Playing Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode comes with its own sets of pros and cons. Although it only changes the game visually, it may create a few problems that hamper your experience. We will go ahead and list the advantages and disadvantages of playing Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode and provide you with some insight into what you should do.

First, let's dive into the pros of the Kurosawa mode. The only change that this mode offers is changing the color palette to a grayscale filter with film-like grain to give you the feel of a classic Kurosawa movie such as Seven Samurai. This adds a touch of beauty to the overall aesthetic of Ghost of Tsushima, and you can spend hours taking screenshots.

However, due to the lack of color, certain gameplay segments will also be affected. First off, certain collectibles or mission objectives will become harder to spot because everything has a grayscale filter over it. Ghost of Tsushima's combat will also become challenging because you won't be able to see the color of enemy attacks, making it a bit hard to understand whether to dodge or parry incoming attacks.

Exploration will also become a bit harder because you will be unable to follow the direction of winds at times, which guides you to objectives.

Albeit who can resist playing the game in a filter that gives you the feeling you get after watching Seven Samurai (Image via Sucker Punch)

So what should you do? Well, we recommend playing the game normally on your first playthrough and getting an understanding of the missions, enemy attack patterns, and a general sense of where the collectibles are. It will be wise to save the Kurosawa mode for a second playthrough.

If you do want to play Ghost of Tsushima in Kurosawa mode, we recommend that if possible turn it off during boss battles and missions for an easier experience. You can turn the Kurosawa mode at any point while exploring the world to add a touch of the classic samurai movie aesthetic.

SuckerPunch's open-world game has a lot going on visually, and if you are interested in learning if your PC can run the game, you can check out our article on the Ghost of Tsushima system requirements.