Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Games has been around for over two decades now and has had some big successes in the gaming industry. Its Sly Cooper and Infamous franchises were among its most popular video game series until the release of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020, which not only became Sucker Punch's most successful game, but also one of PlayStation's most successful original titles. This is all due to its fresh approach to the open-world formula, its gorgeous setting, and every new feature it brought to the table.
Ghost of Tsushima might have been a breath of fresh air in 2020 in terms of feeling original and unlike anything gamers had experienced before, but it introduced something unexpected - at least from a Sucker Punch standpoint - that some fans might not be aware of. Specifically, it broke a Sucker Punch tradition that had spanned over twenty years, which is the protagonist being unable to swim.
A New Milestone: Swimming in Sucker Punch Games
Exploring Sucker Punch's Gaming Legacy
Although Sucker Punch Games has been a prominent player in the industry since 1999, its games, including the renowned Infamous series, did not incorporate swimming until the launch of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020. The six-year gap between releases marked a significant period for the developer.
- Rocket: Robot on Wheels (1999)
- Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002)
- Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004)
- Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (2005)
- Infamous (2009)
- Infamous 2 (2011)
- Infamous: Festival of Blood (2011)
- Infamous Second Son (2014)
- Infamous First Light (2014)
- Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
- Ghost of Tsushima Legends (2020)
Breaking the Mold: No Swimming in Previous Titles
Despite its longstanding presence, none of Sucker Punch's earlier games incorporated a fundamental yet essential mechanic - swimming. While the absence of this feature was explained in some titles, others left fans speculating. For example, in Rocket: Robot on Wheels, the protagonist, Rocket, did not swim, likely due to being a robot on wheels.
In the Sly Cooper series, neither Sly nor his companions, Murray and Bentley, could swim. The game's manual revealed that the characters never learned to swim during their time at the Happy Camper Orphanage. Similarly, the protagonists in the Infamous series, such as Cole MacGrath and Delsin Rowe, were also unable to swim due to various reasons related to their superhuman abilities.
It's intriguing that Sucker Punch introduced swimming mechanics only in 2020. Whether due to technical constraints or deliberate design choices, the inclusion of swimming in Ghost of Tsushima has undoubtedly set a new precedent in the developer's history.