How Historically Accurate is Ghost of Tsushima? 

Thanks so much for checking out the video! I adore Ghost of Tsushima and I really wanted to do it justice-what better way than an episode of The Real History? What are your thoughts on the game? Any historical elements that you think I missed? Let me know! If you'd like to support the channel, please feel free to share the video, or take a look at the benefits available on Patreon. If not, don't worry-your view is more support than I could ever ask for. Thanks again!

One thing I am surprised that you didn't mention is that the Game director and co director did such a good job that the local government of Tsushima made them honorary touring ambassadors to the island. I just think that is just something truly special.

Very quickly becoming one of my favorite games of all time...

Historical inaccuracies aside, I actually really appreciate the way that bushido is used in the story. It’s clear that the concept of a samurai, and the code itself were developed only with a domestic application in mind. However we are shown that very little can/will stand in the way of the night of the Mongol army, and that traditional methods are not enough to counteract something completely unprecedented like the Mongol invasion.

Regarding the inaccuracy of Bushido for the time period, I think the developers knew exactly what they were doing. Notice that throughout the game, most characters talk to Jin of going against/violating "your uncle's code". I think that because Shimura was a very respected and well known warrior, his own personal code of honor was admired by other samurais who chose to honor it instead of being the norm among samurai, especially given Shimura's advanced age, meaning that he survived countless battles and duels, showcasing his combat prowess. But I could be wrong, who knows

Absolutely love these videos, you don’t shout and put everything in our faces, you have a really good way of narrating these videos, along with the music and editing. You literally make perfect videos which are very enjoyable to watch.

Oh my god, I have been rewatching your other vids waiting for the next one. Literally, such an underrated channel, keep up the amazing work!

It's amazing what tech the Chinese/Mongolians were using at that age. Europe was still using sword and just learned to put some kind of protection on shoulders instead of using just chainmail. While at Asia they were shooting at each other with early gattling guns!

One of my favourite bits of the game is the storm at the end of the game stranding the Mongols on land and the reinforcements out at sea that couldn’t get to them because that actually happened. The storm itself being called Kamikaze by the Japanese and literally saving them from more massacres

I believe that the sequal will continue onto Iki and Finally mainland japan with Jin finishing off the mongols.

One thing I found out myself about the haiku inaccuracy that you pointed out, is that if you play the game with Japanese audio, the 'haiku' are in fact 'tanka' (at least that's what I heard when the poems are recited) since it seems to be arranged in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern in the Japanese audio Which I think is a bit funny, because obviously tanka has been around in Japan for centuries by then. Makes me wonder why don't the whole haiku thing be turned into waka/tanka instead?

One thing I especially love with ghost of tsushima is the soundtrack, they use a perfect mix of violins (They sound like violins to me, correct me if I'm wrong) and various Japanese and other instruments, the theme of The Ghost is especially well crafted.

God I love this game. Totally an Assassins Creed killer.

Ghost of Tsushima = a MASTERPIECE

Wow!! This so underappreciated. The research, the visuals, I just love it. The subtitles should not go unnoticed. The quality is topnotch. Keep going this❤️

I think you, and of course ultimately Sucker Punch hit the nail on the head about this game. Be as accurate as you can, while not letting it get in the way of telling a great story, and creating a great game. While also being respectful about the place and time, looking at other historically accurate Japanese things and bring them into your game. It's a great beautiful balance they did. This has been one of my favorite games of the last several years.

Another great video, thanks! Great content like this is why I've become a patron.

Loved this game, everything AC valhalla wasn't, it's journey into Ninja territory was a bit on the nose and cheesy. I see this as more of an homage to samurai movies from the 60s and 70s as well as the fabulous Lone wolf and cub comic series than a historical piece.

An excellent video as usual. The techniques behind the longbow were touched on in this, but what about the katana? Were the techniques used in the game accurate to real life techniques?

And then there is AC Shadows

Great video! I am playing this game right now, will probably finish it soon. It's a great game, definitely one of my favorites on PS4 with RDR2, The Witcher 3, and Horizon Zero Dawn. I think those who did not appreciate Ghost of Tsushima were expecting more action, events in the open world, etc. They did not appreciate the history and characters, as well as the music, locations, and how this is such a different, fascinating culture. I think that's what I love the most about the game, it takes me elsewhere, but it's still realistic. I love it. It's one of those rare games I don't really want to finish, I have been playing for a long time and there aren't many like that. Ghost of Tsushima is truly special.

Ironically the most inaccurate thing about Ghost of Tsushima is the Ghost himself. All Jin Sakai does is accelerate the Khan's death by storm, which was fated to happen anyways. The "Ghost" techniques he learns along his journey are rejected by the samurai, but learned by the Mongols. And in reality they were Mongol techniques to begin with. It's kinda poetic in that sense. If the ghost hypothetically existed, he would have been lost to time, and we would have roughly had the same "true story" we have today. In the truest sense he would be a Ghost.

Hi I love your videos and all of them are amazing. However one thing I’d like to point out regarding the samurai code. In the Ghost Of Tsushima behind the scene, a Japanese historian actually stated that after the Mongol war, some samurais started to question whether their orders should be superior than civilian and they can’t protect anyone if they blindly follow orders. This actually caused a civil war between those samurais who only believe order above all else and those who believe protecting people is what samurai stand for. Sadly, the samurai who believe order superiority won the civil war and thus caused the distrust from the people and some riots started.

Great job on the video. Would have been interesting to also have a comment or side note about the parallels of Shinobi Battle tactics during this era given that they are part and parcel of the players methodology in liberating the island.

@2:40 "Where they were pushed out by a large storm". Interestingly, that large storms were typhoons that became called the "Kamikaze", or the "god/divine winds". And that's where the word came from originally, before its usage in World War II.

Thank you for all of your work on this video!

Amazing video essay!! Love the content, and as a fan of the games I could agree on that last part

Very impressive, please keep these coming!!!!!

In the same way that the "knight in shining armour" was mythologised in Europe, I see no real issue with the Bushido legend being... a legend. I mean, it is pretty explicit in Ghost of Tsushima that the events are supposed to be a mythologised retelling.

I like your videos and hope the channel keeps growing :D

About to start my first play through of this game on the ps5 version time to see what’s up

Best content on you tube. Wish u had more videos.

I wish I had a PS5, the game is just so great looking

To me accurate representation is nice but true love and respect for the culture is the most noticeable

I love these type of videos ❤❤

Man I love this channel so much, I get to learn stuff and hear about some of my favourite games this channel deserves to blow the f up!!!

the swords in the games are worn incorrectly. During the Kamakura period, the swords were worn with the blade side down, not up as in the game. Blade side up is not worn until several hundred years later, especially during the Edo period.

Great video!

Its my favorite Single player story based game I have every played because of the the love and attention they put into the environment and combat as well as story and it really help that I love historical accuracy

Even tho i cant play the game cause i got an xbox i still gotta watch it for your watchtime

Amazing video thank you.

Wish games like this stilled exist. Work of Art.

The Samurai didn't only use the Yumi, which is the bow, they also used the Yari, a spear.

How Historically Accurate is Vice City? You gotta do that next

Not only the attention to historic and cultural detail, and then also the art (artistic landscapes) but I really appreciate the effort to polish this game to a much higher standard than most dross AAA titles who rely upon patches. A lot of thinking went into making this game and going beyond the 80/20 was worthwhile. It’s rare I play anything twice.

This makes me love the game even more. It is definitely one of the best open world games out right now.

how does everybody know im replaying GoT

the game look so good @ 60fps. GREATVIDEO!

Have put over 100 Hours in GoT recently and it still stuns me how beautiful this game is.

How don't you have more subs? def deserve them

I love this, this scratches the itch of the gripes i have with Ghost of Tsushima and their obsessive western view of samurai honor that Inazo peddled. I love the game to death but this honor bullshit really ticks me off sometimes.

amazing video ghost of tsushima is a game i was very excited for & pre ordered as soon as it opened on amazon i ended up switching my pre order to psn for the avatar but yeah & man it's such a good game definitely one of the best games that released since 2019 & if anyone happened to not played it yet go play it it's so so good i have not met anyone tell me that they did not enjoy it

I love love love this game I find myself immersed in it and playing for hours. I can’t wait for the sequel

Man I’m so dedicated to this game since I bought it on PS5. The music, the story, the stealth, the action, the views, the way the characters speak, the history behind it…this game is a 11/10 it personally breaks the scale for me. Thank you for explaining what I had been wondering for some time after I beat the game and now I’m on my second playthrough on Game+. Just a wonderfully executed game.

I watched another video that talked the historic events pertaining this. Evidently, the Khan had sent two envoys to try and talk to then imperial lords of Japan only to be turned away. The Mongolians captured two unassuming fisher men, were treated in the hospitality customs of the court of the Khanate, and sent back to Japan that they’d share their accounts. Even the Japanese fishermen were spurned away. Japan wanted nothing to do with Mongolia or the Khanate and their silent protest is what prompted the Khanate to act against them. The fights were, needless to say, very brutal particularly the tactics that the Mongolian armies employed. What is also interesting is the Khanate did not send just Mongolians but a combination of Koreans, Chinese, and other captured people to fight against the Japanese.

this game is easily in my top 5 of all time games

the tachi is a type of katana the katana we know is called a uchikatana

No way, you deserve so many more subscribers

The lack of "flexibility" and "adaptability" is a large part of why the samurai fell.

The banners are the wrong type. I thought you were going to touch on this since you even showed pictures of the different types of banners from the different eras. The old one hangs from the top, and the newer one is attached to a frame (side and top).

Dude you are so fuckin good! Keep it up you're on ur way

The music of ghost of tsushima will always make me sad cause of how impactful it is and sad the ending is of game.

If they’re gonna make a sequel to this game, they should just use the 2nd invasion but make it to where Jin has left the island and went to stay at Iki. But since Jin is gone and Lord Shimura is dead, (if that’s the canon ending), Tsushima falls quickly. Jin hears about this and goes back to Tsushima and attempts to take back the island with his allies from Iki and new island he finds during his Journey to take back Tsushima. Now I know this just sounds like the first game all over again, but at the end of the game the samurai never took back Tsushima. Considering the mongols were still everywhere and still trying to take it over. But idk just what I think.

Are you going to make any vids on RD3 and what you want from it

Another small detail. Japan had unusually large periods of its history with no "proper" monetary system, aka coin. Thats why the in game currency is "supplies" instead of the typical "gold" or "silver" coins/units.

This game has a very underrated soundtrack 😮‍💨

did this happen in during the first shogun rule or the second shogun rule is it close to the imjin war ?

Great game I just got the platinum now onto the DLC

Just finished the main game and got the Platinum. Now on to the expansion.

Just completed my second playthrough with the directors cut. One of the most beautiful games ive ever played.❤

The most accurate historical moments in ghost of tsushima is how I die the first few minutes into the game.

Underrated

Can you make how history Accruate of Mafia game.

The Hwacha was not available until the early 15th century, and was mostly used by Koreans during the Imjin War against the Japanese invasion.

I still love this game so much

While the bushido was not a thing at this period, the Japanese did uphold some standards in their way of fighting that put them at a disadvantage against the Mongols. Here's an account of the battle of Hakata bay: "According to our manner of fighting, we must first call out by name someone from the enemy ranks, and then attack in single combat. But they (the Mongols) took no notice at all of such conventions; they rushed forward all together in a mass, grappling with any individuals they could catch and killing them."

how this game is not compared to red dead i will never know

Mongolia, which had conquered China for a time, failed as a result for invasion and rule to Japan. Many reasons for this failure have been pointed out, One is that it was not easy and expensive, took risk for large armies to cross the rough Pacific Ocean waters from the continent with the navigational technology of the time. Second, Japan is a volcanic island formed by undersea volcanoes and has very few plains. In particular, Kyushu and the west side of Honshu, which are close to the Chinese mainland and the Korean Peninsula, have few plains, and the mountains are right in front of the coastline. The horses, the most mobile weapon of the horsemen who conquered the Mongolian plains, could not display their mobility and fighting ability in the mountainous terrain of the Japanese islands, where there are few plains, because the natural environment is so different from that of the continent. So the Mongolia withdrew from this island invasion, they had been judging that there would be little return on their huge investment in conquering the island. Because of this withdrawal, Japan was historically spared from invasion by other powers on the continent. The natural environment of Japan, created by undersea volcanic activity in the Pacific Ocean, is quite different from that of Eurasia. About 80% of the country is made up of volcanoes, and there is almost no flat land throughout the country. Its temperate climate and location on the Pacific Ocean makes it warm, humid, and rainy. In other words, it is a water-rich environment. Naturally, green vegetation flourishes throughout the country, and mountains are covered with trees. And there are almost no arid deserts. People live on narrow plains or in the mountains between many mountains in a small country. The environment is 180 degrees different from the arid great plains of the Mongolian plains. The Mongolian soldiers who landed on the land must have been astonished by the natural environment, which is so different from that of the continent. It must have been a foreign land that could not help but look like a ghost. The Japanese warriors would have taken advantage of their surprise and used it to pursue them. The Japanese have been living in an alien land for about 14,000 years, which seems unusual from the perspective of life on the continent. This natural environment is still the same today. The Japanese culture is completely different from the continental cultures of Asia because their culture was born from their adaptive behavior to survive in this foreign world. The Mongolian soldiers were probably defeated because they underestimated that the environment would not change much.

I love this guy

im upset that i didn't finish this game

I love Ghost of Tsushima, it's a one of the best games of the last 25 years imo. Sucker Punch nailed it especially the NG+, it was on parr with Witcher 3 imo. I loved it so much I spent 60 Hours running around killing the ever spawning Mongols and collecting everything I could before I even did first mission lol. If my math was right my first play through was around 320 hours but I can't say exactly bc for some reason the game stopped keeping track of my play time after the time hit 249 hours

I just finished the game on PS5, great game. Some of the side missions were a little repetitive, but over all this game is a 8.5-9 outta 10. Can’t wait for part 2

I’m playing the game RIGHT NOW!

What about the Grappling hook, historically accurate?

I've just been playing the game and i got the gist that you get the bombs/smoke bombs from the mongols, so it's not being used by the wrong side?

Interesting video.

This is the first game I have done complete 100% playthrough beyond main story. It is simply a marvel in art direction.

I think that Shimura is actually not a historical inaccuracy in terms of "honor." Shimura is a prideful man who won't budge from his ideals, even if it means disgracing his nephew and scorning him. Hell, Shimura was more than happy to throw bodies at his own castle only to take the glory for all of Jin's work. Shimura isn't some bushido-loving noble warrior. He's an old dog who loves glory hunting and shattered as soon as an enemy who didn't care about his "code of honor" fought him. It's even noted in the game that Kazumasa Sakai, Jin's father, would regularly be at odds with Shimura because Kazumasa knew what had to be done to win battles (against the Yarikawa rebels), but Shimura was too idealistic to yield.

Bought the game twice it was so good!

But they did go to Iki in the game as well 2:36

Sort of a footnote but the initial duel in game might be an allusion to the idea that the samurai of the time when fighting in close quarters would declare their identity and their lineage to their opponent, but it’s said at the mongol invasion that the mongols would just say fuck this and swamp them in groups. Now take this with a grain of salt because the book I read this in was also written by an anthropologist who’s goal was to try and dispel some of the misconceptions about how bad the mongols were while telling their history and in doing so kind of overlooked some war crimes

I will definitely play the game even more

What did you use to cross reference your historical points?

My favorite game of all time

Did you see how the women in the game dress? Yuna followed the tradition of coloring her teeth black. I heard it was a fashion trend~

I wonder what game you have in mind for doing next?

Actuelly the way they shoot with the bow looks like modern "traditionnal" bow shooting, we dont know how they shot back then

I'm still wondering about the story of the Egyptian artifact carried by the mongols ended up in Tsushima and how accurate this is 😂

Judging by how the japanese military behaved during the ww2 i think it's safe to say any kind of bushido code wasn't really a concers for them. albeit the soldiers werent samurais but still.

im an Mongolian and i found it so weird that this isnt in our history books