Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion is best left only a certain character this time

In addition to the original game, improved features, and new multiplayer content, the director’s cut of Ghost of Tsushima will also include the Iki Island expansion. I am excited to have a reason to return to the world again. A new island to explore and new stories? Sign me up.

But this is the question. I still haven’t gotten over the saddest moment in the game. For anyone who hasn’t played Ghost of Tsushima yet, you really should, but I get it if you’re looking forward to the next release, this is the time to bookmark this story for later and walk away because I’m jumping into the huge spoilers.

Now, he knew that getting into a game about the first Mongol invasion of Japan was not going to be a laughing party. I was perfectly prepared to see some of my closest friends go down in battle. But did you have to take my horse away from me? That hurts. Like many open world games, Ghost of Tsushima gives you a horse before letting you roam its dazzling surroundings. Despite the somewhat urgent nature of the search, I took my time choosing my equine companion. Sucker Punch claims that all the horses you can choose from are technically the same, that there are no differences in stats or temperament, but you can’t rush these things.

I named my noble steed Nobu, which the game tells me means trust, and since then, Nobu was my most trusted companion. Of course, as the protagonist Jin Sakai, I know people from all over the country who participate in my adventures. I share my troubles with Yuna, the thief who saved me from death after the game’s first cinematic battle. From the hand of Lady Masako and Master Archer Ishikawa, I learn about the world and my evolving place in it.

Various human characters in Ghost of Tsushima flow in and out of my gaming experience, but the only one who accompanied me through it all was Nobu. My horse entered the battle with me and we explored every inch of the map together. To further strengthen that bond, before painfully breaking it, Sucker Punch created multiple poignant scenes depicting our everyday interactions. You see us getting a little sleep before the next adventure; another shows me giving the horse a quick bite.

They knew what they were doing because, while the deaths of other characters were dark moments, the death of my horse was painful. The creature helps me escape from prison and keeps running towards freedom despite being pierced by a pair of arrows. That is until Nobu can no longer run. In a scene that seems to go on forever, I watch my horse slowly succumb to his injuries, becoming more and more miserable with each passing moment. Finally limping through the fire and snow, Nobu collapses.

It was an emotional moment, Sucker Punch; I’ll give it to you, but please leave my horse alone on Iki Island. I want to look forward to touring the new setting and experiencing the new narrative, but I know that the fear of losing my new four-legged friend will loom large.