Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima forces players to make a very important choice at the beginning of the game – select a horse as well as a name for the four-legged companion. With little information provided as to how to make a proper decision, some players may assume this has little bearing on the overall game, and that assumption is correct.
[WARNING: Spoilers for Ghost of Tsushima below]
After Ghost of Tsushima’s tutorial, which includes following the thief Yuna through a Mongolian camp in order to retrieve Jin Sakai’s sword, players will be led to a stable. Here they’ll have to choose between three different horses, one brown, one white, and one dapple. They’ll also be given a choice between three different Japanese names: Nobu (meaning trust), Sora (meaning sky), and Kage (meaning shadow).
The horses in Ghost of Tsushima are practically invincible. No matter what Jin does – trying to ride them off a cliff or stabbing them with his sword – the horse remains alive and well. It’s only once during the main story campaign in Act III that Jin's original horse eventually dies. Afterwards, players will get a second chance to choose between a mare and a name. The horses this time are black, dapple, and a brown color. There are also three new names to choose from.
Does It Matter What Horse & Name Players Choose?
It may seem as though the choices players make in regard to their horse will have an impact on Ghost of Tsushima's story, particularly since players can make other important choices throughout the game. However, the choice of horse actually has no impact on the rest of the game. Each of the three options presented to players ride the same. They have the same speed and endurance. The only difference is aesthetic, meaning players should choose a horse and its name based on what they prefer.
If players bought the Digital Deluxe Edition of Ghost of Tsushima, this will give them a fourth option – a beautiful brown horse. Some players may think this horse would has some special abilities, since it’s an in-game bonus not everyone has access to. However, once again, this horse is no different from the other options, aside from its physical appearance. There’s no real incentive to choosing this horse unless the individual player prefers its look compared to the other options. It may be surprising that the horses players choose from have no real impact on the overall game in Ghost of Tsushima, but at the very least, it makes the initial decision less intense when players realize the only thing at stake is aesthetic.