The world design is very gamey in Tsushima. A bunch of platforming jungle gyms with landscape filler in-between. Such a beautiful game, I would wish it looked more realistic. More Red Dead, less Far Cry.
I think that’s why the Tsushima map had such an impact on me. It’s one of those games where if you just look around for a few seconds you can quickly tell which part of the world you’re in. It’s all breathtakingly gorgeous, but the details in the vegetation, landscape, and atmosphere are aesthetically varied and blatantly unique. You’re right it’s not particularly realistic, but I think that’s how they managed to make it all feel so big and beautiful. Freaking love that game.
That's fair, I loved that side of things, too. I'm more talking about the conspicuous and samey cliffs that look and feel a little too contrived, strictly made for gameplay purposes like creating paths, blocking off areas, providing platforming challenges and assassination opportunities. They were overused and unnatural looking sometimes.
Larger than life beauty for beauty's sake is done so well, in that game, it's an amazing experience, the overuse of little cliffs everywhere is really my only gripe. I spend more time walking on my horse along paths than I do galloping straight to my destination. I like just soaking it all in. I'm playing it right now for the first time; I did the first act and the DLC, I'm about a quarter of the way tbrough the second act now. Loving it.
Edit: Oh I do have a second gripe, but with the DLC, and it's the same gripe I have with all DLC. It was obviously written by the B team, the writing is less subtle and everything is a bit more extreme. Still a good time, but just a wee notch lower in writing quality than the main story.