Ghost of Tsushima’s Sakai Katana
Gaming’s 6 Most Satisfying Weapons of 2020
Ghost of Tsushima was easily one of the best and most stylish games we had the pleasure of playing in 2020. Jin Sakai’s quest to kick the Mongols off the isle of Tsushima was one filled with many trials and tribulations, culminating in an emotional ending that certainly left its mark on us.
Alas, Jin would have been no more than an innocent bystander amidst all the chaos if it wasn’t for the Sakai Katana, his family’s trusty blade that sliced and diced its way through Mongols like a hot knife through butter.
It wasn’t just a case of button mashing your way through the Mongol’s forces though. Jin’s stance had to be changed to match his enemy’s weapon type, adding an additional layer to the combat. But that made it all the more satisfying as you sifted through these on the move, countering enemies with relative ease and exploiting their weaknesses before dispatching them with a stylish, deadly finishing move.
No moment of the gameplay summed up how satisfying wielding the Sakai Katana was more than enabling Ghost Stance for the first time. Acting as a reward for defeating Mongol leaders or going on a kill streak, Ghost Stance sees the color drain from the screen and Jin embark on a killing rampage, slicing through the limbs and torsos of his cowering enemies with convincing slashes of the blade, the action briefly receiving a red overlay with each kill added to Jin’s tally.
It was gruesome yet stylish. Gory, but gratifying. Simple, but effective, and we could bang on about it for many, many more words. Alas, there are more weapons to discuss… and I’ll get told off if I rant about it any more!
