Ghost of Tsushima Faces Criticism Over Japanese Translation

The upcoming PlayStation exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima, has landed in the laps of games journalists and reviews ready for the upcoming launch. Dozens of outlets (ourselves included) took to social media to share the news that reviews will be coming in the next few weeks – but it’s the Japanese copies of the game which have caught the attention of players.

Credit: Sucker Punch Productions

Jon Riesenbach on Twitter noted that Ghost of Tsushima’s menu screen hasn’t been properly translated into Japanese, tweeting that the main menu is “a little…off.”

They wrote: “Oof, almost every translation on the JP main menu for Ghosts is a little… off. Here’s hoping this is an isolated thing and doesn’t reflect on the full game! For the record, more standard JP for menu terms is:

“Continue – 続きから Load – ロード New Game – 初めから or NEW GAME.”

As you can see in the image below, that’s definitely not what Ghost’s main menu says. Oopsie.

This has, naturally, drawn a lot of criticism from players. While a mistake like this may not be a huge error, it’s not ideal for a game which is set in Japan and prides itself on its realism. Like Jon says, hopefully this is just a mere oversight, and not an actual reflection of the game, though it definitely has Japanese gamers worried…

Credit: Sucker Punch Studios

In case you missed it, Ghost’s official description reads as follows: “In the late 13th century, the Mongol empire has laid waste to entire nations along their campaign to conquer the East. Tsushima Island is all that stands between mainland Japan and a massive Mongol invasion fleet led by the ruthless and cunning general, Khotun Khan.

“As the island burns in the wake of the first wave of the Mongol assault, samurai warrior Jin Sakai stands as one of the last surviving members of his clan. He is resolved to do whatever it takes, at any cost, to protect his people and reclaim his home. He must set aside the traditions that have shaped him as a warrior to forge a new path, the path of the Ghost, and wage an unconventional war for the freedom of Tsushima.”

Credit: Sucker Punch Productions

Ghost of Tsushima launches on July 17, exclusively on PlayStation 4. You’ll be able to check out the GameByte review before launch, on July 14.

Featured Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions