Ghost of Tsushima has been voted Famitsu's Game of the Year by Japanese developers and celebrities, making it the publication's first-ever American game (and first foreign game overall) to win the high honor. Sucker Punch Productions' Feudal Japan-set action title hit stores several months ago, immediately garnering acclaim from Western critics and players alike. It made quite the splash in Japan, too, where it continues to be welcomed with open arms.
As a PlayStation exclusive with a unique art style and setting, the open-world adventure sold like hot cakes in the West, breaking PlayStation 4 sales records. Surprisingly, Ghost of Tsushima similarly didn't fail to move the needle in Japan. Within weeks of launch, Famitsu sales data revealed Sucker Punch's latest had become the PS4's bestselling first-party exclusive in Japan. This impressive feat made the game even more popular at launch than Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018, the previous record-holder. Japanese fans weren't just purchasing Ghost of Tsushima in droves, either, as they evidently enjoyed it, too.
Each year, Famitsu magazine conducts a games survey amongst Japanese game developers and celebrities (with the latter group including voice actors). This year's results from Famitsu are came in (courtesy of Twinfinite) to reveal that Ghost of Tsushima won the top honor by being voted Game of the Year. In total, 132 votes were cast; as of writing, though, the breakdown of votes isn't known. This marks the first-ever non-Japanese game to win in this coveted category, and Sucker Punch Productions expressed its humble gratitude in a celebratory tweet.
More details should surface once Famitsu publishes its next issue later in the week on December 24. Regardless, Sucker Punch faced stiff competition and came out on top. In order of the most votes following Ghost of Tsushima, the runners-up are: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Interestingly, the last few years have seen PS4 exclusives come out on top, with Death Stranding taking the prize in 2019.
That Ghost of Tsushima continues to receive accolades is nice to see. On top of essentially giving Assassin's Creed fans the Feudal Japan-based experience they've been patiently awaiting, it counts among AAA games to explore the time period in great detail. It's clear to see the project served as a labor of love from Sucker Punch, too. From the black and white Kurosawa Mode and inventive Photo Mode options to the free post-launch multiplayer content and its absence of microtransactions, Ghost of Tsushima seems a breath of fresh air.
It's no wonder the game has been a massive hit for Sony, selling five million copies to become PS4's fastest-selling original IP from a first-party studio. And that level of support has extended beyond ensuring that Sucker Punch's latest continues to rise on the sales charts. Fans are also affecting real-world change, having recently donated a significant amount of money to the restoration of a destroyed Torii gate on the island of Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima is available on PS4.
Source: Famitsu, Twinfinite