Ghost of Tsushima's open world and stance-based combat would perfectly fit a game set in Avatar: The Last Airbender's unique fantasy world.
Sucker Punch Productions' open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima is the perfect template for an Avatar: The Last Airbender video game. The PlayStation-exclusive action game, heavily inspired by Japanese samurai films like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, lets players explore a massive recreation of Tsushima Island while fighting off a Mongol invasion. These Asian influences borrowed by a Western studio are similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender, with the beloved Nickelodeon series drawing inspiration from Japanese anime and culture. Combined with the cinematic, near-perfect Ghost of Tsushima combat system, these qualities would make Sucker Punch a perfect choice to create an Avatar: The Last Airbender game.
The success of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender series has spawned a multimedia franchise made up of novels, comic books, video games and a sequel series called The Legend of Korra. The franchise takes players to a robust fantasy world separated into four nations, each associated with the element of water, earth, fire or air. While gifted members of each land are able to manipulate their associated element, a spiritual being known as the Avatar is capable of bending all four at once. Tie-in games have adapted all three seasons of The Last Airbender, but the world of Avatar is easily vast enough to tell original stories through gaming. Fans have requested an Avatar RPG like Jade Empire, among other concepts, but Sucker Punch Productions' open-world adventure Ghost of Tsushima provides the perfect template for an Avatar experience.
Related: Skyrim Last Airbender Mods To Make You The Avatar
Ghost of Tsushima puts players in the shoes of Jin Sakai, a powerful samurai who must adopt ninja tactics to protect his island from invaders. The samurai epic gives players three separate regions to explore as they gain new abilities and progress a number of storylines. A highlight of Ghost of Tsushima is its combat system, which lets players engage in climactic sword duels by evading, blocking and counterattacking with Jin's razor-sharp katana. The combat system lets Jin instantly switch between four sword stances, with each one specifically designed to counter enemies with swords, shields, spears or two-handed weapons. While development of Ghost of Tsushima 2 has been rumored, the game's mechanics could also lend themselves to an Avatar game.
Ghost of Tsushima's basic premise of exploring a massive Asian-influenced world would perfectly fit the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise. Sucker Punch's title is filled with colorful characters and breathtaking vistas that would translate perfectly into a fantasy world. The game's stance-based combat system would also be a perfect fit, with an Avatar game trading in sword stances for the four elements. Controlling an Avatar would let players swap between different elements in the middle of combat, with the player character gaining new elements over the course of the story. Different elements could counter certain enemies, with waterbending being effective against firebenders while airbending moves easily evade earthbending attacks.
Apparently Avatar: The Last Airbender games are in development, and Sucker Punch would be the perfect choice to create one of them. Ghost of Tsushima's entire aesthetic would fit the franchise perfectly, and its stance-based sword combat would work well to balance the Avatar franchise's four elements. An open-world title from Sucker Punch would be the perfect opportunity to let fans fully explore the fascinating world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Next: Why Avatar The Last Airbender Needs An Open World Game
Thomas McNulty is a self-published Senior Gaming News Writer who has been with Screen Rant since 2020. He has a bachelor’s degree in English, and is currently stationed in sunny New Jersey. As a part of Screen Rant’s dedicated Gaming News team, Thomas covers day-to-day happenings throughout the industry such as new game announcements, prominent leaks and rumors, exciting fan creations and more. As a life-long gamer and dedicated writer, Thomas is living the dream by reporting on the gaming industry’s latest and most groundbreaking stories. Movies, TV shows, video games, books and pop culture are personal passions, and he is thrilled to be helping Screen Rant cover topics that are so near and dear. If someone has a story to tell they should be able to tell it, so Thomas is committed to delivering accuracy with every article while staying true to his own voice and the voice of Screen Rant.