Is Ghost of Tsushima based on a true story? Learn more about the story PS4's latest game

Sony Interactive Entertainment recently released Ghost of Tsushima, an action-adventure video game for the PlayStation 4 system. Ghost of Tsushima was released on July 17, 2020, and became an instant success, with both fans and critics praising the gameplay and plot. The game follows the story of Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai left on Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274. While the game is set during a real-life historical event, most of its plot is historical fiction and reimagining. 

Is Ghost of Tsushima based on a true story?

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During the events of Ghost of Tsushima, the Mongols invade the Japanese island of Tsushima. After a brutal battle, most of the samurai on the island are killed by Mongol forces. However, one samurai, named Jin Sakai, survives the initial battle. He then decides to fight against the Mongol forces and free his island from the foreign invaders. 

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Most major events in the game are based on real-life battles between Japanese and Mongol force. The first battle in the game, where a small group of samurai are massacred by thousands of invading Mongols, is accurate and based on a real event. The Mongol invasion of Japan was a real event that occurred in 1274, and Tsushima Island was the Mongol's first target.

However, Ghost of Tsushima's story quickly deviates from real-life events by adding fictional characters and taking a few liberties with how the battle was fought. Back in 2018, developers from Sucker Punch Productions revealed how they wanted to keep some aspects of the game historically accurate. In fact, the developers even invited two modern-day samurai's to learn more about the history of the first Mongol invasion of Japan. 

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However, in an interview with an entertainment portal, Sucker Punch co-founder Chris Zimmerman stated that they were going to deviate from historical truth to make the game more fun. Zimmerman added that the challenge for them was to make an original story that was set in real historical time. Ghost of Tsushima's main characters never existed in real historical texts. Jin Sakai and his uncle, Lord Shimura, are completely fictional characters. 

Moreover, the first Mongol invasion of Japan was not defeated by a single person like it was in the game. The real Mongolian army was actually devastated in Kyushu, Japan by a deadly hurricane in 1274. Another historical liberty was the use of the iconic samurai swords, katanas. While most people believe that samurai's only use swords, in reality, most samurai's in the 13th century actually used a bow as their primary weapon. The katana only became prominent during the Edo period. 

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[Promo from suckerpunchprod Instagram]