Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Ghost of Tsushima is the ultimate samurai sim, putting you in control of Jin Sakai as he fights against the invading Mongol army. As an open-world game, you get to explore every nook and cranny of the stunningly beautiful locations. On top of that, the combat is undeniably satisfying and stylish, to the point where you won’t want to stop getting into encounters. The visuals and the story-driven narrative are also fantastic, spinning a compelling yarn of struggle in the face of change. Truthfully, few things compare to Ghost of Tsushima, and we want to caveat that these suggestions are similar, and not equivalent to what many consider a masterpiece.
Similar games to Ghost of Tsushima are:
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Rise of the Ronin
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Nioh 2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Available on: PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Rating: 17+
- Buy/ Download at: Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice throws you into the brutal world of Sengoku-era Japan. While its world isn’t as vast and open as Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll still get the chance to explore beautiful locations. The overall atmosphere, however, is dark and oppressive. Both Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima offer challenging combat that requires skills and patience. However, Sekiro’s combat is more demanding and fast-paced. On top of that, it also leans toward an aggressive combat style, unlike Ghost of Tsushima, which focuses on a mixture of offensive and defensive tactics. But if this doesn’t bother you and you’re eager to try another game set in historical Japan, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a great choice.
Geralt will take on any monster, for the right pay. Image via CD Projekt Red
Geralt is on a quest to find Ciri. Image via CD Projekt Red
Combat is brutal in the Witcher, with plenty of dismemberment. Image via CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
- Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Buy/ Download at: Steam, PSN, eShop, Xbox Store
While the combat in Witcher 3 is nowhere near as good as it is in Ghost of Tsushima, you can’t go wrong with such a deep, story-rich, narrative world like the Witcher. As the monster hunter Geralt, you travel across a war-torn land filled with death, horrific creatures, and interesting characters to find Ciri, someone incredibly important to Geralt. If you’ve read the books and want more Witcher in your life, the games are considered a fun spin-off, following a different canon from the book’s endings. Thanks to the writing, the Witcher 3 offers an incredibly detailed experience, letting you immerse yourself in the hauntingly beautiful and horrific world of the Continents.
Exploration is detailed and enjoyable in Horizon. Image via Guerrilla Games
Aloy must fight terribly large monster to reach her goal. Image via Guerrilla Games
Explore a huge map as Aloy. Image via Guerrilla Games
Horizon Forbidden West
If you want a game that has similar stunning visuals and decent open-world gameplay, then Horizon Forbidden West (and Zero Dawn) are great games to check out. As a sequel, we do recommend playing the first one beforehand, since there is a central overarching plot to these games. As an open-world game, it suffers from a lot of bloat but the combat shines through more than anything. There is a great sense of wonder and exploration as you make your way through new areas and find new machine dinos to scrap.
There are several regions to explore in Shadow of War. Image via WB Games
Fights in Shadow of War are extremely fun, especially with the right nemesis. Image via WB Games
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
- Buy/ Download at: Steam, PSN, and Xbox Store
If you’ve ever heard of the Shadow of War Nemesis System, then this alone is enough to try this game. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is a sequel, but the first game is so inconsequential that it doesn’t need to be played. This game follows Tallion who is known as the Wraith, going around slaughtering orcs and trying to stop Sauron in fast-paced melee combat. Dying in this game is not a failure, and it is a way to progress time and events; when you’re killed by an orc, this orc is promoted and will become stronger. While massively different from Ghost of Tsushima, this game has several large open-region zones and the combat is absolutely fantastic.
Rise of the Ronin
- Available on: PS5
- Buy/ Download at: PlayStation Store
If you like Nioh, this game is basically an open-world version of that. Rise of the Ronin is set in the late Edo period in Japan. We think Rise of the Ronin differs from Ghost of Tsushima massively, but the two are similar enough to draw comparisons. The explorable world in Ronin is smaller, but there are a few large zones that are positively crammed with content. Where Ghost of Tsushima spaced things out, Rise of the Ronin has a seemingly endless supply of things to do. Combat in Rise of the Ronin is stylish, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Tsushima. If you want another epic adventure in Japan, Rise of the Ronin will suffice, but it is no Ghost of Tsushima.
Fight on your feet or while mounted to deal with foes. Image via Ubisoft
Explore a huge map of Egypt in AC Origins. Image via Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Available on: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
- Buy/ Download at: Steam, PSN, Xbox Store
The story, writing, and gameplay in Assassin’s Creed are usually always terrible and so this game will not be a decent substitute for Ghost of Tsushima if that’s what you’re looking for. Ghost of Tsushima is somewhat of a unique experience, but if you want a detailed open-world to explore then you really can’t go wrong with an Assassin’s Creed game. We’ve picked Origins here because our time with that game was pretty fun, especially exploring ancient Egypt, but really, Valhalla is also fine. Assassin’s Creed and Tsushima aren’t remotely in the same league, with Tsushima severely outperforming AC in combat, narrative, writing, presentation, and visuals; but they share similar systems with the open world.
Nioh 2
- Available on: PC, PS4, PS5
- Buy/ Download at: Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation Store
More than anything, Nioh 2 nails the Japanese setting, aesthetic, and style very well. Different to Tsushima, Nioh 2 plays like a typical Souls game, where you have a stamina bar and your enemies can kill you very quickly. Nioh 2 is a fantastic action game and arguably one of the better ones around, but it is not an open-world game. If you want a massive adventure with a world to explore, this is not the one for you. But, if you want to try out some punishing, fun, and stylish combat, then you really can’t go wrong with Nioh 2. Tonally, the games are very different too. Where Tsushima is a straight historical story without magic or monsters, Nioh 2 is full of the latter, and then some.
