In context: Ghost of Tsushima takes place in feudal Japan during the Mongol invasion in 1274. Players assume the role of a samurai named Jin Sakai on the island of Tsushima. As players progress they forge a new fighting style called the way of the Ghost. Hence, Jin Sakai is the "Ghost of Tsushima."

Sony provided us with a good look a Ghost of Tsushima at its E3 press conference with an eight-minute gameplay trailer. The video was essentially a short mission and did a good job showing off the title's visuals, combat, and a stealth system.

The graphics are stunning. It is evident that a considerable amount of time went into creating even the smallest details in the game. Costuming is accurate. Environments react to your movements. It all blends to create a stunning portrait of thirteenth-century Japan.

In fact, it looks so good that the English voice acting seemed flat to me. Don't get me wrong. The acting is not bad, but the characters speaking perfect English just does not fit. I feel like it needs to be played with Japanese voice-over and English subtitles, but who am I to quibble.

The combat was very impressive. Mongols are invading the land and killing innocent villagers. Jin Sakai, a samurai and protagonist of the story, walks through the town observing the devastation and encounters three Mongols killing an unarmed civilian.

The encounter begins as a brief standoff with Jin in a fighting stance, sword sheathed but hand over hilt. The three foes already have weapons drawn but pause as if to see what Jin is going to do. The first swordsman moves to attack, but Jin strikes him down with a single sword slash straight out of the sheath like a total bad ass.

The other two he quickly takes down with a combination of sword parries, dodges, and slashes before being attacked by two more Mongols --- one with a sword and shield, the other with a Naginata. These enemies required more finessed techniques, showing that the combat can be varied and complex.

Near the end of the demo, Jin got to show off some stealth techniques, which were pretty impressive. First, there was the standard sneak attack. If the enemy is unaware, Jin can sneak up from behind and take them out quietly. However, if there is a group, he can initiate a stealth attack that slows time down and allows him to target several foes before they have a chance to react.

Ghost of Tsushima is under development by Sucker Punch Productions and will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive. There is still no release date set for it, but from what has been shown, it looks to be worth the wait.