There have been a few trends in gaming that are geared towards making a game easier to play, whether it be to coax more replayability or to ease the learning curve for newer players. Among these many trends is the implementation of a seemingly-simple feature: the waypoint.
Waypoints are those little things in your UI that point you towards your next donation. Whether it’s a Skyrim quest pointing you directly to what door or chest you need to open or a World of Warcraft marker highlighting a general area for you to complete a quest in, these waypoints are hard to escape.
Hardcore players – or those that just like a bit of difficulty – aren’t a fan, as they can often feel like the developer is holding your hand and walking you directly to your next objective. New players, or those that are just looking for some casual gameplay, tend to enjoy them because it stops them from having to spend their possibly-sparse playing time reading through a quest log for a hint.
Ghost of Tsushima, an upcoming game developed by Sucker Punch, has announced that they won’t be having these waypoints. This has brought a general round of applause from hardcore gamers that are interested in the title for the Sekiro-esque vibe and difficulty the game seems like it’ll have.
“Sucker Punch is no stranger to creating open worlds, but the fairly minimalist nature of the environments is a bit of a departure for the developer,” read the selection in the official PlayStation Magazine. “Time in the story will pass as you explore, with titles telling you hos much time it’s been.”
Ghost of Tsushima is based in Feudal Japan back in the late 1200’s during a Mongol invasion. This invasion prompts one samurai-in-training, Jin Sakai, to fight against the invaders with every last ounce of strength he has, becoming The Ghost in his efforts to repel the invaders.
The developers have been outspoken about wanting the game to teleport the player to that setting, making it as immersive of an experience as they possibly can. With such a goal, it makes sense why waypoints would be missing, as the little indicators have a habit of snapping one out of a game entirely.
Ghost of Tsushima isn’t too much farther away, with a release date of late June still being planned. Some were hesitant about this and possible delays due to the complications that COVID-19 has caused, but it seems that Sucker Punch is still confident.
