Ghost of Tsushima 2 Open-World Map Size: How Big Would Be Too Big?

Highlights

• Ghost of Tsushima 2’s open world should be comparable to its predecessor’s, considering the criticism it would receive if it got too big.
• The approach to integrating activities in the open world should be evolved to prevent it from feeling large and empty, regardless of its actual size.
• Taking cues from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Ghost of Tsushima 2 could refrain from using map icons to keep the sense of discovery and prevent the world from feeling too large.

The world of Sucker Punch’s hugely successful action-adventure game Ghost of Tsushima has gone down in history as one of the most captivating open worlds ever designed, even being cited by some critics as a “work of art.” Now, with the prospect of a Ghost of Tsushima 2 on the horizon, fans have wondered what a sequel’s open world might offer in comparison.

While Ghost of Tsushima 2 has yet to be announced, assuming it is indeed happening, Sucker Punch should heavily consider the size of the sequel’s world. Open-world games are often subject to extreme criticism on account of their approach to the open-world model, and even more so when their maps are significantly large. In light of the criticism Ghost of Tsushima received for its open world, Sucker Punch will need to make a few adjustments to their model to ensure Ghost of Tsushima 2‘s map garners a positive reception.

The Size of Ghost of Tsushima 2’s Open World Should Be Based on Its Predecessor’s

Ghost of Tsushima 2’s Open World Should Only Be Larger With an Evolved Approach

Ghost of Tsushima is filled to the brim with a plethora of activities for players to complete and collectibles to find, and while this is a common characteristic of almost any modern open-world title, it is not the vast number of activities that creates a problem but how those activities are integrated into the open world. Game worlds that fail to integrate their activities in innovative and creative ways inevitably feel large and/or empty as a result, regardless of their actual size.

Apart from Ghost of Tsushima‘s innovative use of wind as a guide, the action-adventure game’s approach to the open-world model is fairly traditional. As players explore the island of Tsushima, various points of interest are revealed on the map as question marks that generally involve anything from finding a collectible to completing a side quest. However, by Act 3, most of these activities can begin to feel mildly repetitive, as very little of anything new is introduced that deep into the story.

Game worlds that fail to integrate their activities in innovative and creative ways inevitably feel large and/or empty as a result, regardless of their actual size.

Although Ghost of Tsushima‘s world remains stunning to behold even after spending dozens of hours traversing it, it is arguably as close to the line as it possibly can be in terms of being too large, as its activities only begin feeling repetitive for some players by the third act, but repetitive nonetheless. Taking all of this into consideration, if Sucker Punch plans to make Ghost of Tsushima 2‘s open world larger than the first game’s, it will need to adjust its approach to how the game’s activities and points of interest are integrated into the map to prevent it from being too large, in a sense.

A Larger Open World in Ghost of Tsushima 2 Could Take a Cue From Tears of the Kingdom

In evolving Ghost of Tsushima‘s open-world model to better suit what may be a larger open world in Ghost of Tsushima 2, Sucker Punch could take a cue from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This groundbreaking Legend of Zelda game thrives on a sense of discovery in its sprawling open world, and this is largely due to an impressive lack of map icons. It leaves revelation almost entirely in the hands of the player by forcing them to explore in order to find things rather than making the thrill of discovery little more than a task to fulfill on a checklist.

Ghost of Tsushima struck just shy of the bullseye when it comes to innovative open worlds, leaving it feeling a little too large in the end. In light of that, if Ghost of Tsushima 2 were to, for instance, refrain from the use of map icons almost entirely just as Tears of the Kingdom does, perhaps it wouldn’t ever feel too large, even if it does end up being much larger than its predecessor’s. Nevertheless, if Sucker Punch does eventually release Ghost of Tsushima 2, its open world is bound to be just as gorgeous as the last.