PlayStation once more tweeted about Ghost of Yotei and it was accompanied by a detailed technical report focusing on the next-gen visual effects like “vast sightlines” and “flowing grass”. The title “See far, move freely” summarizes the message perfectly. Developers of the game are claiming that they are extracting the maximum power from hardware of PS5 by revealing gigantic outdoor scenes with extremely long draw distances and moving grass that appears very natural and convincing. The graphics, as seen from the screens shared by the company, are very nice, but not everyone is on the same page and that is why the replies are very rude.
From the very start, the comment section is an arena of fights. And the debate is not even about the graphics or technology. A lot of the comments are directed towards one of the voice actors, Erika Ishii, who has mentioned her alignment with the anti-fascist movement and people are really furious about this. The gaming community is very unforgiving on this matter. Numerous comments circulating around the community say something like “Don’t want your antifa game” or labeling the game “woke trash”. One reader even questions that it would be okay if the actor said she/he was part of Hamas which is a, very extreme analogy. The sentiment is so strong that people almost seem to tell PlayStation to “take the L” and stop marketing a “flop”.
No doubt, there is the other side that is represented by the people who have no appreciation for the tech at all. Many people in the comments section are just saying “so what?”. One account, Glitterkrieger, declared, “breath of the wild could already do this… on the switch..” which is quite a good point, to be honest. Another account, NintendanGX, was even harsher: “Congrats, you achieved something Zelda’s been doing for over 25 years.” Ouch. This is the split of the audience with some being upset about the political aspect and the others not considering at all the technical accomplishments of the game but rather referring to the overwhelming gamers among them.
Additionally, performance issues have been brought up. There are some comments hinting at that concern with one user, GRIMREEFZ, saying, “13 FPS is insane” and another user, vilujidiot, wondering, “Why is it so laggy though?” We cannot say for certain that the game is at 13 frames per second—this is probably an exaggeration—but it does indicate that there is some hesitation about how beneficial all this high-end rendering will be during play. When you guarantee people living, extensive landscapes they become even more alert about the frame rate going down.
In a way, this is a very strange situation for a title that is supposed to be showcasing the prowess of the PS5. The debate is entirely overtaken. Instead of talking about the aesthetics or the universe, everyone is engaged in putting up the cultural war issues or tech issues. A user named JediJamanjax expressed the sentiments of some veteran PlayStation fans, saying they are not interested in the “useless stuff” like this and “cinematic experiences,” wishing Sony would make a whole range of original games just as before during the PS2 days. It surely is a nostalgic factor but it also connects with the gamers.
It is also quite revealing how many users are openly asking for sales figures. For instance, Vic_TSO just casually asks, “How are those sales going, by the way?” while pixelasylumart is more assertive, “What is the release date for the sales figures?” This is not a question one typically encounters in a technical showcase tweet. There appears to be a consensus among these commenters that the controversy has a detrimental impact on the game’s sales and they are mocking Sony about it. The reality may be different but the perception is certainly there and it is shaping the whole debate.
Oh and what was I saying? Oh yes, the quantity of negative comments is really remarkable. One user, GreatDeadGod, even went so far as to challenge Sony to justify the level of their marketing with the words, “This like the 15th post in less than a day?… How desperate are you?” That’s a kind of fatigue that is not often seen. It just creates a scenario where the official PlayStation‘s communication is consumed by the discontented voices. It is nothing short of a nightmare for the marketing department, for sure.
What does this imply for Ghost of Yotei then? On the one hand, it is a technical showcase for the PS5 that hopes to deliver a dreamy, immersive open world. On the other side, there is a vociferous group of gamers who are frustrated and that to a considerable extent is based on issues that are completely unrelated to the gameplay or graphics. They made their decision, and it’s a clear no. This complicated situation is a telling sign of the times when facing game
