Sucker Punch has confirmed one of the most important features for Ghost Of Tsushima. Our horse companion - which I have already named Mr Peppermint in my head - can't die. This is a huge relief, given the violent and bloody nature of much of the samurai adventure. I mean, if anyone hurt my in-game horse I'd definitely go John Wick on their asses, so this is good news. For them.
"Your horse is not gonna die," creative director Jason Connell told USGamer. "Your horse will get scared and run away. You may not be able to bring them back for a brief, brief moment, but nobody's gonna in combat, in gameplay, kill your horse."
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I've played far too many games in the last few years that featured horse deaths, and they were all fairly upsetting. Yes, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has a way to bring your equine friend back from the dead, but losing them still stings. Then there's the painfully realistic way in which horses can kick the bucket in Red Dead Redemption 2. Brutal, especially if you decide to skin the poor things and make use of their remains.
My point is that I'm glad I'll be able to explore Sucker Punch's beautiful version of Feudal Japan without worrying that my horse is going to stumble over a rock and break its neck or something. I'm also excited that I'll be able to pet foxes, something that a fear of rabies has always prevented me from doing IRL.
Connel also confirmed that in Ghost Of Tsushima, animals are strictly friends - not food. While birds and foxes and other critters can lead you to treasure and other gear, you won't have to hunt them for crafting materials and such. That'd be a pretty poor way to repay them, to be fair.
"It kind of goes in theme with a lot of the other stuff we're doing with nature," Connell said. "Our actor has a nice, sweet sensibility to him. He cares about animals and people, and it comes through in his performance."
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If you're after more Ghost Of Tsushima goodness, we recently spoke to the game's director, Nate Fox. Head here to read all about the game's gorgeous open world, how our character fits into it, and why Sucker Punch landed on Feudal Japan as the setting for its new game.
In yet more Ghost Of Tsushima news, a lot of fans are already very excited by the fact that our character will be able to flick the blood of his enemies off his blade at the tap of a button. A guy that loves animals but has no problem cutting through people? I think this might actually be a John Wick prequel.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: Sucker Punch, Ghost of Tsushima, PlayStation, PS4