Ah, Ghost of Tsushima: has there ever been a more beautiful sandbox ever realized in video games? There’s just something so magical about its stylized aesthetic for the way it makes the reds, yellows, and greens of Japan’s flora and fauna look part realistic, part drop-dead gorgeous fantasy.
It’s almost too pretty, actually. I find myself struggling to get anything in the game done because I’m stopping every five minutes to just sit back and take it all in. Watching all that colorful foliage sway in the breeze to the backdrop of birds chirping and the sun setting in the background is an almost meditative experience.
And what better tribute to Jin’s surroundings than whipping out the ol’ flute and playing a soothing tune?
I absolutely love that this mechanic serves no real function in the game other than to compliment the beauty of the aesthetic. It changes the weather, of course, but again, that’s apparently just so you can adjust the landscape’s color palette and appreciate the serenity from a new angle.
First and foremost, the flute feels as though it’s designed for both Jin and the player to unwind in between slaughtering camps of Mongols, and I’m all for it. So, to that end, here are five pretty places to flute and chill in Ghost of Tsushima.