Ghost of Tsushima has finally been released for PlayStation 4, offering heaping amounts of gorgeous open-world exploration and slick, stylish combat that caters to fans of old Samurai films. One of the more standout features of the game is the ‘standoff’ aspect of combat, essentially a 1v1 duel with deadly consequences. Now, developer Sucker Punch has opened up about the importance of these standoffs and the duel’s two main components. Generic Ghost of Tsushima spoilers below.

In a recent interview with Comicbook, Ghost of Tsushima director Nate Fox spoke about how the team focused on two main components of the standoff system to bring the feature to life. “The duel has two main components,” Fox begins. “One is that there’s a feeling of tension that precedes swords coming out. And I think that happens before the duel even starts. As you’re walking towards the dueling ring, and you see the lone warrior standing in it, and that environment is very serene.”

And you understand that you’re going to go into a deadly, deadly sword battle. You talked to your opponent, and then there’s the standoff where you and that warrior stare each other down, and slowly take out your sword. This is quintessential samurai cinema that precedes every duel.”

“The other side of the coin is that the fights require skill,” Fox continues. “The person you’re fighting, you have to learn to read, and you have to learn to move and counter with very quick precision in order to overcome them. You can’t use any tools like smoke bombs to make it easier. It’s just about precision with your sword. And that’s because the duels are meant to bring that cinematic clash to life where it’s just about honoring the sanctity of blade on blade combat.”

During some of the duels, protagonist Jin will potentially lock swords with an opponent for a moment and exchange banter. Nate Fox goes on to reveal that these are called sword binds, and Sucker Punch chose to implement these as a way to help the characters “reinforce why they’re fighting.” “Jin doesn’t duel people just because they’re there to duel,” Fox continued. “It’s always for a reason that he’s willing to kind of step into the ring and take another person’s life. They have some form of relationship. And when they talk to each other over a sword bind, it’s just to really force why they’re doing this battle.”

Ghost of Tsushima is now available exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

So, thoughts on Ghost of Tsushima so far? Are you enjoying the standoff feature? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!