

Ghost of Tsushima is already one legendary experience, but that same experience is elevated further with PlayStation 5 improvements and a new tale exploring Jin Sakai’s past with Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut.
Prominently featured in this expanded version of the game is the Iki Island story arc. The island is located Southeast of Tsushima and is being conquered by another Mongol invader named The Eagle. Throughout the story, you’ll learn that the Eagle’s methods are a little different from Khotun Khan. This particular method sets the story of Iki Island in motion.
The PS5 upgrade
Right from the get go you immediately feel the difference between using the DualSense vs the DualShock controller. Whenever you’re running, whether that’s on foot or on your horse, you’ll feel each step and each gallop on the DualSense controller.
Certain things also respond differently. For instance, if the DualShock controller can only vibrate a certain way, the DualSense provides a gamut of vibrations that immerse you even further in the game. The different vibrations provide a different sense in certain story moments that was just brilliantly executed.
In terms of loading times, I thought the original game on the PS4 was already pretty fast and only really suffered from the different outfits loading. The load time on the Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is certainly faster but the different outfits still took some time to load in some instances.
There are also different controller layouts available so you can play the game the way it would make most sense to you. There’s also now an option to lock-on to a target which wasn’t in the original game.
Iki Island is no vacation
For those who have already completed the main campaign, the Tales of Iki will immediately be available in your journal. For those who are starting the game from scratch, the Tale opens up as you enter Act 2 of the main game which is the Toyotama region.
While this may be the case, our advice is to complete the main campaign first before heading to Iki Island. Why?
- Some story beats might not make sense if you haven’t finished the main campaign
- The enemies on Iki Island will waste you in no time if you don’t have enough skills unlocked. The game warns you about this.
- You won’t be able to freely go back and forth between Iki Island and the main Island of Tsushima until you get to a certain point in Iki Island.
There are a few new enemy types. Mostly brutes with multiple weapons. But the most promiment one is The Shaman which boosts the bloodlust of the Mongols. They will relentlessly attack you and deal more damage while the Shaman is still around.
More skills to unlock, more animals to pet
Your horse joins the fight on Iki Island. Previously just a spectator, you can now have your horse charge at Mongols. It’s easily one of the most satisfying gameplay additions on Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. Running over oppressors is this writer’s kink.
Speaking of animals, Iki island is more biodiverse than the main Tsushima island. Previously, you only really encountered a bird that guides you from quest to quest and foxes that lead you to a shrine to improve the charms that aid you in battle.
Iki island is also home to three important animals you’ll encounter — monkeys, cats, and deers. Each one has a shrine that will give you charms and charm upgrades. You also don’t simply bow to the shrine to gain these upgrades. You have to play the flute for these lovable creatures.
The flute playing mechanic is done by tilting the DualSense controller to follow the pattern on the screen. It’s a mini, and really easy, rhythm game that adds depth to the overall gameplay.
Mythic and other Tales
To preserve the experience, we won’t say much about this part. Just know that yes, there are Mythic Tales available in Iki Island. The first two that you’ll encounter will yield armor that will prove to be very useful in completing the Tales of Iki campaign.
Just like the main game, the many Tales of Iki build upon the main Iki Island campaign. There’s several of them throughout the island and there will be plenty more to explore should you decide to finish the main story first before tackling the other Tales or sidequests.
Iki Island and The Eagle
I don’t think there’s any way to discuss the main campaign story without divulging some spoilery details. So, let this be your warning. Read on if you want to be cued in on some mild spoilers for story details.
As mentioned earlier, The Eagle isn’t exactly the same type of conqueror that Khotun Khan is. Where the main game’s antagonist is more direct with his brute force approach, The Eagle dabbles more in the chemical and psychological.
Through these methods, The Eagle is able to coerce the people of Iki to join the Mongols’ cause. Make no mistake, this leader is still bloody and brutal, just in different ways.
Jin Sakai is immediately exposed to these methods and while the mission is still to free the people of Iki, The Ghost will also deal with other matters about his relationship with his past.
Overall, it’s a solid story that sees our hero grow in ways that are different from the main game’s original narrative. While the Ghost of Tsushima main game has Jin adapt to the situation despite it being against the ways of the Samurai, the Tales of Iki will have him dealing more with grief and guilt. =
Expanding a legend
The Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is a wonderful expansion on an already masterpiece of a game. The additions are worthwhile and enjoyable, and the new story is mostly tightly told that it only adds to the legend of Jin Sakai — the Ghost of Tsushima.
The Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut will be available starting August 20.


WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
It’s been more than a month since the release of Horizon: Forbidden West’s DLC, Burning Shores and the reviews came in hot. There were plenty of raves that the game is a treat as are the visuals. But what really made the most waves on the is that the fiery redhead heroine gets a partner. In more ways than one.
Aloy was first introduced in Horizon Zero Dawn as an outcast, so being on her own was expected. Understandably, when you’re treated like a pariah since childhood, warming up to people isn’t exactly second nature.
The burden of being The One
She picks up new friends, even some potentially interested parties along the way but the game steers us from expecting that they’ll be tagging along for the long run. By the game’s sequel, she is still Ms. Independent, but with blossoming character development in terms of her interpersonal relationships
While there’s a bit of attraction and tension with men and women alike thrown in-game, Aloy never gets into anything no matter how hard you try to flirt. (Yes, we tried). Horizon clearly didn’t focus on finding her mate, given that there is indeed a lot on Aloy’s plate.
She even admits in dialogue that her mission as The One created to save the world, is a full-time occupation that she can’t think of anything else. Fair enough, you go do what you gotta do, girl.
Along came Seyka
With the introduction of Seyka in Burning Shores, it would’ve been easy to dismiss that sure, they have chemistry but nothing’s going to happen. We’ve gone so far with Aloy embracing singlehood by choice, why would it change now?
That’s probably what made this DLC stand out. After becoming partners in crime, the pair share an intimate conversation where they first met to consider pursuing something more. The player option to engage in a romance probably has the audience saying “finally” or asking, “why now?”, and those who appear to take issue in Seyka’s sex are asking “why?”
But the better question is, WHY NOT?
Seyka is no stranger to duty and purpose, being intent in rescuing her sister and tribespeople from Burning Shore’s main villain, Walter Londra. She is headstrong, agile, and fierce — qualities she shares with our main girl. Aloy also learns to rely on someone for help, which is a big deal.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise either that Aloy would take on a lady love: Forbidden West final boss Tilda did express that she loved Elizabet Sobeck — Aloy’s clone source or “mother” — more than we know. Who’s to say that the genetic copy of the apple would fall far from the tree? Ultimately, should the player to decide to let Aloy initiate a romance, it’s not the end of the world if it’s a girl. Actually, they even saved it together.
SEE ALSO: Horizon Forbidden West Review: Back to save us from machines
Burning Shores
The story of Burning Shores picks up directly where Horizon Forbidden West left off. It contains additional content for Horizon Forbidden West, including new characters and experiences in a stunning yet hazardous new area.
To enter the Burning Shores, you must complete the main quest (up to and including Singularity) in the PS5 version of Horizon Forbidden West. Following the main quest, the player will receive a call over Aloy’s Focus, beginning the DLC.

Perhaps easily the best showcase game of the PlayStation (PS5) that anyone can easily jump into is making its way to PC. Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart follows the growing list of PlayStation exclusives making its way to PC. It’s coming on July 26.
PC Features
Nixxes Software worked with Insomniac to make this happen. And they’re not simply porting the game to PC. They are also adding features especially made for PC gamers. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC will have support for multiple types of monitors. Whether you’re using 21:9, 32:9 and up to 48:9 resolutions for triple monitor setups, you can rest assured that you’ll have a grand time with this inter-dimensional adventure. Both gameplay and cutscenes are optimized for ultra-wide screens.
The game also supports now unlocked framerates. You can choose from NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 2, Intel XeSS and Insomniac Games’ Temporal Injection. NVIDIA Reflex and image quality enhancing NVIDIA DLAA are also supported.
Availability
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be available on Steam and in the Epic Games Store. You may head to the aforementioned stores now to Wishlist or pre-purchase the game. If you pre-purchase ahead of launch, you’ll get access to the following in-game items early in your playthrough:
- Pixelizer Weapon
- Carbonox Armor set
SEE ALSO: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Review

Acer has expanded its premium gaming lineup with the launch of the new Predator Triton 16 gaming laptop.
The powerful 19.9mm-thick device runs on the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs, along with up to 32GB of DDR5 memory and up to 2TB of PCIe M.2 storage to withstand games that require even the heaviest of workloads.
Its dual Gen AeroBlade 3D fans, Vortex Flow technology, and liquid metal grease cooling capabilities ensure that the laptop delivers on providing gamers the ultimate experience.
The laptop has a 16-inch (2560 x 1600) WQXGA IPS display with up to 240Hz refresh rate and support for NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and G-Sync.
Connectivity-wise, the PredatorSense key and dedicated PredatorSense app enables seamless customization on the keyboard keys, user interface, management control systems, and more.
The device also comes with Intel Killer DoubleShot Pro and Wi-Fi 6E, as well as two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.1, a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 4, and a microSD card reader.
When purchased, the laptop also comes with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
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