Ghost of Tsushima is a great game with a powerful, emotional narrative. The main character has a backstory that makes you dislike him at first, but that creates the possibility for a much stronger redemption arc.
At its heart, Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful action-adventure game that gives players not only a memorable gaming experience but also valuable insights into Japanese culture and philosophy. If you liked it, you’ll probably like the games listed in this guide as well.
Here are 8 games like Ghost of Tsushima for you to try.
1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro comes from the team at FromSoftware, the same company that created the Dark Souls series. The game came out in 2019 and is an amazing action-adventure game that’s extremely similar to Ghost of Tsushima. It’s an absolute masterpiece.
You will enjoy every detail of this game, from its music and visuals, to its story and combat. However, you will need to master boss fights if you haven’t already. The battles in this game are challenging and Soulslike, and even the lesser enemies can pose challenges.
From time to time, you’ll need to fight half a dozen adversaries at once and you can’t do that in the typical ARPG manner. Sekiro requires you to be quick on your feet. You need to know when to parry, when to attack, and when to fall back, identifying key movement patterns.
In Sekiro, the RPG elements are mostly absent. You cannot find any items and you don’t have any attributes that you can improve. Instead, the game focuses heavily on the action and every battle is dramatic. Fans of games like Ghost of Tsushima will love Sekiro.
2. Elden Ring
Elden Ring is thought to be FromSoftware’s greatest masterpiece. It’s truly immersive and beautiful, yet incredibly difficult and challenging.
Many people didn’t like it because of its initial bugs and ridiculous difficulty, but in its current form, the game is a masterpiece. Of course, to enjoy it, you need to like Soulslike games and be a fan of open worlds. The story is also quite deep, so you cannot just skip the dialogue.
Elden Ring is not for people who want to play something in a hurry. This game is for serious gamers who enjoy challenges and have the patience to read a lot of dialogue. You’ll get to listen to a lot of fascinating characters and hear their stories. The man behind much of the dialogue is the creator of Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin.
That alone should make you want to play the game and experience its rich story. But if you’re only interested in the action, there’s plenty of that as well. After all, how could the developers of the Dark Souls series fail in that department?
Some of the boss fights will require many hours to win, due to the sheer difficulty they pose. A fair few bosses feel a bit overpowered in this game and it’s worth looking up how to level up and gear up quickly if you do decide to play.
3. Skyrim
Skyrim is one of the most legendary RPGs ever made and it still has a horde of dedicated fans to this day. If you want to find more games like Ghost of Tsushima with a rich world and an immersive atmosphere, Skyrim is a must-play.
The action starts with you being in chains in a cart, along with several other prisoners. The story is dark and intriguing, and you get to choose your class and identity in the typical Elder Scrolls manner before you start exploring the world.
There are dragons everywhere and much of the action revolves around these mythical creatures. They’re very powerful, but you happen to be the ultimate boss of the game. And that’s because you’re Dovahkiin or Dragon Born, the one man these ferocious beasts fear.
Skyrim features elements of Nordic culture, so if you’re into that sort of thing, this game will feel incredibly exciting. You get to explore vast areas and do hundreds of quests, featuring a myriad of creative characters.
One of the best things about Skyrim is its modding community. There are tens of thousands of mods that you can download which add extra replay value to the game and greatly enhance your overall experience.
This is one of the best fantasy games on Steam, hands down.
4. Throne of Darkness
Throne of Darkness is a different style of game than Ghost of Tsushima but it’s exclusively based on Japanese culture and that makes it quite engaging. This is a rather dated RPG that came out in the year 2001. It may feel old to a lot of gamers but it’s definitely worth playing.
This game comes from the same people that worked on the creation of the first two Diablo games, and their unique style is visible throughout the game. The visuals, the sound effects, and the music create a beautiful, intriguing atmosphere.
The action itself is also quite addictive, offering lots of great bosses, rare items, and some unique elements such as character swapping. Throne of Darkness features seven character classes and you get to play with four of them at any given time while the others rest and heal.
So instead of controlling just one character, you’re controlling seven. The classes are:
- The Leader
- The Archer
- The Brick
- The Ninja
- The Wizard
- The Berserker
- The Swordsman
There are clear visual differences between the characters, but their skillsets are too similar. This is the game’s main weak point. Apart from that, the experience of playing Throne of Darkness is both memorable and addictive.
5. SHOGUN: Total War
SHOGUN: Total War is another great game from the early 2000s.
You can also try its second edition, Total War: Shogun 2, which came out in 2012. But the first one has greater artistic qualities and gives a brilliant depiction of what it was like to live in Japan during the Sengoku period, also known as the Warring States period.
The time period is 1467 – 1615 and every province is fighting for total control of the country. Many powerful leaders are vying for power and you are one of them. Your goal is to become the Shogun or the leader of Japan and to do this you must be brutally smart.
In Shogun: Total War, battles are make or break. And the battles are quite realistic, with thousands of units and all sorts of terrain. If you have a Napoleonic mind that knows how to make perfect use of an army and exploit the weaknesses of the enemy’s formation, this game will be incredibly fun for you.
Prior to getting to fight, you need to raise an army, which requires the development of your provinces and their economies, the construction of certain buildings, and a lot of effective time management.
The action takes place in seasons. Each time you end your turn, a season passes. The music that accompanies the 4 seasons is majestic and creates a sublime atmosphere.
On top of all this, you can try using diplomacy, spying, and even assassination to solve problems. Used well, these techniques can turn the tide of important battles.
6. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey feels a lot like Ghost of Tsushima. It’s an action-packed, rich experience with a historical setting and memorable characters. It came out in 2018 and critics gave it good reviews. However, fans felt it was not faithful to the previous games and lost interest in it.
But for anyone who loves games with historical settings, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a masterpiece. The attention to detail that the creators of this game put in is phenomenal. Playing AC Odyssey makes you feel like you’re living in Ancient Greece.
The battles in this game are quite realistic and will require you to carefully calculate your movements. The system is not as unforgiving as, say, a Soulsborne game, but it’s quite brutal and can easily overwhelm you when you’re fighting multiple enemies at once.
This game is worth playing for a lot of different reasons. The music is great, the visuals are impeccable, and the historic references are on point. The only thing that’s not top-notch is the story. It can be repetitive in places and some of the writing isn’t fantastic.
Overall, this is a game created for a certain niche. If you want something that’s more in line with Assassin’s Creed’s typical style, try playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
7. God of War (2018)
The 2018 edition of God of War revolves around Kratos, a man who is usually in a constant battle with the gods of Olympus. But in this particular game, he’s fighting the Norse gods and monsters.
One of the aspects that makes God of War such a great game is its story. Kratos must fight for his survival and teach his son to do the same. Fans of games like Ghost of Tsushima will appreciate the depth and emotional level of the story that God of War tells.
The hardships Kratos and his son go through together resonates with a lot of gamers because most of us go through struggles as well. In some cases, we’ve had more than our fair share and a game like God of War is almost a therapeutic experience. It’s well worth playing.
8. Onimusha Warlords
Onimusha Warlords is another hack-and-slash, action-adventure set in Japan. This game excels at being both captivating and horrific. If you love Japanese mythology, the game is sure to be a hit for you, even though it can be scary at times.
Onimusha Warlords first came out in 2001 but it was remastered in 2019. The remaster makes it a lot better visually, but it doesn’t radically change its fighting system.
For people who played masterpieces like Sekiro and Elden Ring, Onimusha’s fights may feel a bit primitive. But if you’re willing to lower your expectations a little bit and just enjoy an older game in a remastered form, this title will not disappoint.
The main prerequisite to liking this game is a love for Japanese culture and action-adventure games. If you want to see the dark side of Japanese mythology with all of its demons and strange creatures, Onimusha Warlords will give you an excellent introduction.
Just don’t expect it to be on par with modern RPGs from a gameplay perspective.
