Ghost of Tsushima is being review bombed on Steam due to PSN controversy

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Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most beloved games of the eighth generation and it finally seeing a PC release should be a joyous occasion for gamers. Unfortunately, its release has been somewhat overshadowed by the recent actions of Sony.

Earlier this month, Sony came under fire after it announced that all Helldivers 2 players must connect a PSN account to Steam to keep playing the game. This led to the community review bombing the game and taking a stand on social media until Sony reversed this decision two days later. At one point, Helldivers 2 became the most negatively reviewed single-player game in Steam’s history. However, it wasn’t the victory everyone had hoped for as Sony restricted access to Helldivers 2 in the 180 countries and regions where PSN services aren’t available. As of writing, gamers in these countries can still not purchase the game.

Despite the backlash, Sony has decided to continue to press ahead with its decision to require a PSN account to play the multiplayer aspect of Ghost of Tsushima. This makes sense because the game was originally a PlayStation 4 game that also required a PSN account. But, this decision has led to the same 180 countries and regions being restricted from purchasing and playing the game, even the single-player component, with players in these countries having their pre-orders canceled before launch.

A chart illustrating a 72.31% positive SteamDB rating with 1,356 favorable reviews and 454 unfavorable ones as of May 16, 2024. The chart uses blue for positive and red for negative reviews, much like how Ghost of Tsushima uses colors to convey its narrative tension.
Image via Steamdb

With Ghost of Tsushima now available on PC for the first time, it is receiving a similar backlash that Helldivers 2 faced due to the PSN requirement. Despite only being available in countries where PSN is accessible, Ghost of Tsushima already has a review score of just 75%, with 1,356 positive reviews and 454 negative reviews at the time of writing, with most of the negative reviews being critical of the PSN requirement.

It is a shame to see such a highly anticipated release have its launch tarnished by the actions of its publisher, but it doesn’t seem like Sony is going to budge when it comes to the PSN requirement for its own IPs. With PC players already having to use so many different launchers to play every game, including Steam, GOG, Xbox, Ubisoft Connect, EA, Rockstar Games Launcher, and more, it is understandable that players don’t want to add yet another requirement to play their games. Although nothing has been confirmed or even rumored yet, it does beg the question as to whether we could eventually see a PlayStation launcher, similar to EA or Ubisoft Connect to house all of Sony’s own PlayStation titles.

About the Author

David Coulson

David is a gaming news writer here at VideoGamer His favorite franchises include Resident Evil and Final Fantasy. Despite being a gaming boomer, he still enjoys cranking 90s in Fortnite.

Ghost of Tsushima

  • Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
  • Genre(s): Action, Adventure, RPG
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