1. It’s astonishingly beautiful

Can we just sit take a minute to appreciate just how pretty this game is? From the bright yellow leaves in the forest to snowy bamboo groves and soaring pagoda roofs, there’s so much scenery to drool over that we might just end up wandering around the island of Tsushima for hours instead of completing the story.
2. Jin is basically Superman

Let’s just put this into perspective. Main character Jin gets shot in the back with not one metre-long-ish arrow, but two, and unless this is the trailer playing sneaky with the timelines, he’s going to be totally okay and go on to become a formidable fighter who can take down multiple invaders in one go without breaking a sweat. Colour us impressed.
3. Jin Sakai has a serious reputation

People think he’s an actual storm in human form, and he’s got the nickname The Ghost too. Why have one name when you can have two?
4. You get your very own horse

The island of Tsushima is pretty darn big, and with no waypoints to guide you, you’ll have to rely on your orienteering skills to find your way around – but you’ll look rad when you arrive on horseback at your destination at least. And apparently your horse can act as a handy launch pad for aerial kills too. Pretty neat.
5. You can perform deadly stealth kills

As if horseback assassinations weren’t enough, you’ll be able to perform aerial kills from the tops of nearby structures too. We also caught a glimpse of what could be an enemy encampment in the trailer, so you might want to get practicing your stealthy infiltration skills in Assassin’s Creed before the game arrives.
6. You’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve

We already knew about Jin’s family sword, the Sakai Storm, but Jin’s obviously a master of other weapon types too. He uses flashbombs to blind his enemies, fireworks to disorient and damage them, and fire arrows to, er, set them on fire.
7. It’s not for the squeamish

If you’re squeamish, this might not be the game for you. In this game, duels seem to come with flying splats of blood in slow-motion as standard, just like in the very best samurai movies. The number of enemies you face will also apparently change the fighting style you adopt.
8. You’ve got a lot of exploring to do

Getting revenge and protecting an island is hard work, so you might as well let off some steam in between slaughtering the enemy invaders. You could go rock climbing on a sheer cliff overlooking the bay, try to stop those invader hooligans from burning down an ancient shrine, or go for a minor workout in the form of a duel to the death in a flower meadow. Hmm, which to pick…
And if you want the latest news, features, and deals from GAME, sign up to our newsletter today!