Petting animals, reciting haikus, and gathering gear is all well and good, but the foundation of the expansion is rock-solid thanks to a focus on aspects of Jin's story. And R2 to Pet? Yes, please! My favorite new addition are the animal sanctuaries scattered throughout, featuring pettable animals and the best flute-based mini-game since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Your horse, whatever you named it, will get a fun new ability early on (I won't spoil it here but it's a fun one, for sure) as well as some more cosmetic options. I was also happy to see that Sucker Punch has not only been very kind to your horse, they've also let you pet various animals across the island countryside. So while the story remains strong and connected to the core conceit, how does the expansion's gameplay ramp things up? Well, for starters, the island enemies are pretty tough thanks to their shaman links (familiar to Legends players) and foes who change up their stances mid-battle (the new target-lock camera option may or may not help gamers here). The decision also answers the call for a dose of the supernatural in the main gameplay itself Ghost of Tsushima is far from turning into Sekiro, but now that Legends has dipped a yokai toe into the cursed waters, the main game can loosen up the reins on reality a bit. Jin's own internal struggle here mirrors that of the main game's external conflict between his more and less honorable companions. This is a brilliant way to freshen up the gameplay while keeping the same base game mechanics intact. I was genuinely surprised to see that Ghost of Tsushima's expansion did something that I had hoped Marvel's Avengers' Black Panther expansion would have done: The Iki Island adventure borrows a bit from the surreal, supernatural vision journey of the Legends DLC by dosing Jin with a poison that makes him hallucinate and relive his darkest memories. But while the raiders and their tenuous alliance with this wayward samurai might just break upon finding out his true identity, Jin's own mind might break first thanks to the Eagle's hallucinogenic poison.

Jin's father once led a band of samurai to the island, known to the locals as the Sakai Invasion, so he's not too keen on revealing his family ties in a hostile nation where both sides of the conflict want to kill him. The female leader of this band of Mongols does not yet know about the legend of the Ghost, but the people of Iki Island know about the Sakai clan all too well. That memory literally haunts Jin and the player in the expansion, thanks in a big way to the island's new Mongol leader, the Eagle. In Jin's original journey, we learn that his father was killed by a raider on Iki Island when Jin was young, though not so young that he couldn't possibly have helped defend his fallen patriarch. However, whatever you choose, Jin's story is not over. That conflict ultimately boils over in a final fight and fateful decision that's up to you, dear gamer. Eventually, Jin will become the Ghost of Tsushima in earnest, the word of your own brutal nature spreading through the Mongol horde but also reaching all the way back to Japan's Emperor himself. Your inner conflict, throughout the game, bristles between honoring your fallen father and other noble samurai allies, and learning the relatively less honorable ways of spies, rogues, and assassins. In the base game, you play as Jin Sakai, a noble samurai who is caught between the ironclad honor of his family and fellow samurai, and the ruthless invasion of Mongol forces. Spoilers Ahead RELATED: 'Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut' Content Revealed: DLC Length, New Abilities, and More My review follows below, with the appropriate spoiler warning here. What I most appreciate about the expansion as a returning player, however, is how masterfully it blends elements of the original game, the more supernatural DLC Legends, and new island adventures that keep things fresh. It's a great excuse to come back to Ghost of Tsushima after some time away or a wonderfully expanded side-adventure that'll pump up your skill set, build out your armor and weapons stash, and scratch that explorer's itch just as much as the base game itself.

If you've played through at least the first act of the main game, you can access the new expansion either mid-run or after you've completed Jin's original mission.

Ghost of tsushima expansion