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GHOST OF TSUSHIMA
GoT: LEGENDS
GoT: DIRECTORS CUT

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2018 - 2021

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UI Artist
Production Artist

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Jin Sakai fights to liberate his home from the first Mongolian invasion of Japan, an open-world action-adventure game exclusive to Playstation.

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UI ARTIST

In October 2020 I transitioned to the UI team to create art for the game's UI. Inspired by traditional Japanese family crests called Kamon, this work played a large role in developing the UI's aesthetic, particularly around the gear and trophy icons found throughout Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, and Ghost of Tsushima: Legends.

The game's UI is minimal and unobtrusive, allowing immersion while giving the player the information needed to complete the adventure they've chosen. It was a joy to work on.

I also worked with the UI lead to produce mockups for navigation and activities found in Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut. Icons were implemented using Sucker Punch proprietary tools. Occasionally I'd work with UI Engineers when needed.

The simplified, perspective-free, symmetrical shapes and bold lines common to Kamon make them easy to read even at small sizes. I feel they are a perfect fit for Ghost of Tsushima's UI and I referenced them heavily for the icons in the game.

Here are the Kamon-inspired PlayStation Trophy Icons that can be earned by completing various tasks in the game:

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GEAR ICONS

Cosmetic rewards are such an important and fun part of Ghost of Tsushima. I developed these icons to represent gear found in the world while navigating the UI menu. These were made using screenshots of each item and simplifying their forms by referencing the style of Japanese Kamon.

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COLLECTABLE, TALENT, NAV ICONS

Various items encountered throughout Ghost of Tsushima, including quest icons, collectables, materials, talents and navigation icons.

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PHOTO MODE ICONS

Ghost of Tsushima's Photo Mode is a powerful and fun tool that allows players to capture their adventures and express themselves in the game. Players have made millions of images using Photo Mode.

These icons were made to illustrate Photo Mode's settings.

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KAMON

Ikeda Clan, Archery Challenge, and Straw Hat Ronin.

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GAME MENU ART

To bring visual interest to the game menu, concept art and screenshots matching the theme were used as a base. Their values were then crushed to create striking black and white images that are easy to read.

I was responsible for the art found in the game menus, the layout was done by the UI Lead.

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SWORD KITS ICONS & SWATCHES

Ghost of Tsushima has a huge variety of cosmetic customization. To represent different color options for the same item, swatches were made by taking screenshots of each item and fitting them in the diamond swatch.

I was responsible for the Sword Kit Icons and Cosmetic Color Swatches found in the game menus, the layout was done by the UI Lead.

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GHOST OF TSUSHIMA: LEGENDS 

Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is a multiplayer mode separate from the single-player story. 

For GoT: Legends I produced splash art for ultimate ability explainers, talent icons for the four classes - Samurai, Hunter, Ronin, and Assassin, and item icons for earned rewards.

Ghost of Tsushima launched July 17, 2020.

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Full Team Credits (IMDB)

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To Jason Connell, Ryan McIntyre, Ryuhei Katami, Ian Jun Wei Chiew, Naomi Baker, Romain Jouandeau, Mitch Mohrhauser, John Powell for the consistent contact and feedback. To the entire SP team for making Ghost of Tsushima and working on it so wonderful.

©2021 Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Ghost of Tsushima is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Developed by Sucker Punch Productions LLC.

© Mike Ackerman 2023

mikeackermanart@gmail . com