Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch Productions is hard at work on the game's expansion, Iki Island. Given the success of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020, the expansion is one of the most anticipated PlayStation releases of 2021. That said, Ghost of Tsushima fans are curious as to what form the game will take, particularly in terms of size and scope. Luckily, Sucker Punch staff writer Patrick Downs offered an idea of what players can look forward to as part of a recent interview.
Speaking with Press Start, Downs gave a pretty direct comparison for how big of an experience Iki Island will be in comparison to Ghost of Tsushima. Downs explained that fans should think of Iki Island as similar in size and content to Ghost of Tsushima's Izuhara region. "It'll have that variety and depth of content, and playtime, of course," is how Downs characterizes the similarities between the two. Izuhara is, of course, Ghost of Tsushima's first major island region in the game, as well as its largest.
RELATED: Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Lets Players Tame Cats, Deer, and Other Animals
While Downs doesn't explicitly state how long he expects the Iki Island expansion to last, it can be assumed based on typical Ghost of Tsushima playtimes. Just in a casual playthrough of Ghost of Tsushima, the first area can take over 15 hours. More thorough playthroughs can take up to 30 hours or more for Izuhara. It's not only the largest area in the game but also the most densely packed when it comes to content for completionists. 15-40 hours for Iki Island sounds robust.
One other key point to make is that while Izuhara is massive in the base version of Ghost of Tsushima, it's also the starting area. Which is to say, its content is easier than what players will find in the later two regions of Ghost of Tsushima. Iki Island isn't necessarily going to be significantly more difficult, but it's not content designed for players just starting the game. As such, it may be richer.
What Downs is trying to convey is that Iki Island will be substantial. It's not just a DLC pack full of missions and cosmetics. It's a full experience with a massive open world to explore, a cinematic story, and plenty of content for completionists to sink their teeth into.
That said, Sucker Punch obviously chose to make Iki Island require the base game, rather than let it be standalone like the Miles Morales game. That could just be due to PlayStation wanting players to get more upgrades and PS5 game purchases. Or it could be because Sucker Punch wasn't sure if it was an appropriate standalone experience. Players will have a chance to find out on August 20.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now on PS4 with a PS5 Director's Cut releasing on August 20.
MORE: Everything You Need to Know Before Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
Source: Press Start
