title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Discussion of a sequel stalled until 1989, in part because Cameron was working on other films such as "Aliens" (1986) and "The Abyss" (1989), and also because of Cameron's and Schwarzenegger's refusal to work with the rights holder Hemdale Film Corporation. Hemdale co-founder John Daly had attempted to alter the ending of "The Terminator" against Cameron's wishes and the pair had almost physically fought. A sequel, however, could not be made without Hemdale's approval because Cameron had surrendered 50% of his rights to the company to get "The Terminator" made. Cameron had also sold half of the remainder to its producer, co-writer, and his ex-wife Gale Anne Hurd for $1 following their 1989 divorce. By 1990, Cameron, Schwarzenegger, Hurd, and special-effects artist Stan Winston were suing Hemdale for unpaid profits from "The Terminator".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron and Schwarzenegger were aware Hemdale was experiencing financial difficulties and would eventually be forced to sell the rights to "The Terminator". Having worked with independent film studio Carolco Pictures on the big-budget, science-fiction film "Total Recall" (1990), Schwarzenegger persuaded its owners, including Mario Kassar, to purchase the rights. Kassar described the securing of the rights as the most-difficult deal Carolco conducted. He took Daly's $10million offer for Hemdale's share, which Kassar believed was a sum that had been fabricated to ward him off, and gave Hurd $5million for hers. With incidental costs, the securing of the rights cost $17million before any development had begun.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Kassar had lunch with Cameron to explain to recoup his investment, the film would proceed with or without him; Kassar offered Cameron $6million to be involved and write the script. The film would be a collaboration between several production studios; Carolco, Le Studio Canal+, Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment, and Hurd's Pacific Western Productions. Compared with the $6.5million budget of the first film, "Terminator 2" was estimated to cost at least $60million but Kassar called it a "ghost" number; he was aware the figure would increase because of Cameron's previous work. News sources labeled "Terminator 2" the most-expensive independent film ever and said it would "bankrupt Carolco". Despite these predictions, Kassar said through pre-sales to markets outside the U.S., television and home-video rights, Canadian tax breaks, outside investments, and theatrical distribution rights, he had secured funding 110% over the budget before filming began. He said he could secure up to $10million from Japan for a single film. The studio also had an existing US distribution deal with TriStar Pictures for a set percentage of the budget, an estimated $4million. Tristar wanted the film to be ready for release on May 27, 1991, Memorial Day.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: With a scheduled release date in place, Cameron had six-to-seven weeks to write the sequel; he approached his frequent collaborator and "The Terminator" co-writer William Wisher Jr. in late March 1990. They spent two weeks developing a film treatment based on Cameron's concept of forming a relationship between John Connor and the T-800, something Wisher initially believed was a joke. Their treatment departed from the "science-fiction slasher" of the original and focused on the unconventional family formed between Sarah, John, and the T-800, who would serve as a surrogate father. Cameron said this relationship is "the heart of the movie", comparing it with the Tin Man's getting his heart in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron's initial concept had Skynet and the resistance each sending a T-800, both played by Schwarzenegger, into the past; one to kill John and the other to protect him. Wisher believed a fight between two identical Terminators would be boring. The pair considered using a larger "Super-Terminator" but it did not interest them. They decided to adopt an idea Cameron had for "The Terminator", a liquid-metal Terminator that would look like an average human to contrast with Schwarzenegger's large frame. The first half of the story would end with the destruction of Skynet's T-800, forcing it to use the T-1000, its ultimate weapon. Cameron considered removing the T-1000 before deciding to make it the only antagonist. The writers had the T-1000 take on the appearance of a police officer, which allowed it to operate with less suspicion, and made it ruthless and "evil" to contrast with the protagonist T-800. Cameron said the policeman persona is thematically relevant because the T-1000 represents humans losing their compassion and becoming like Terminators. Wisher found it challenging making the T-800 "good" without becoming non-threatening until he and Cameron decided to grant it the ability to learn, allowing it to develop emotions and character traits.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Wisher, who worked at Cameron's home over the next four weeks, was given the first half of the treatment to develop, and Cameron the latter. Many pages were removed, including a "convoluted" subplot about Dyson and the T-1000 massacring a camp of survivalists who had helped Sarah. Cameron, who did not consider the budget while writing, had to remove some elaborate scenes, including a nine-minute opening set in 2029 that would have showed a time-travel machine being used. Wisher and Cameron frequently conferred with special-effects studio Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to determine if their ideas were realistically achievable.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron and Wisher rewatched "The Terminator" to determine where the characters would be years later. Cameron believed Sarah's knowledge of the future would isolate her, and cause her to train with military forces and survivalists to become a self-sufficient commando. She was written to have become emotionally cold and distant, effectively making her like a Terminator. Sarah and John would have begun the film together but to increase the tension, John is placed with a foster family. In a 2021 interview, Cameron stated that the decision to focus on John was inspired by the 1985 Sting song "Russians", a plea against mutual assured destruction that focuses on the potential suffering of innocent families, stating that "I remember sitting there once, high on E, writing notes for "Terminator", and I was struck by Sting’s song, that 'I hope the Russians love their children too'. And I thought, 'You know what? The idea of a nuclear war is just so antithetical to life itself'. That's where the kid came from". Cameron wanted to make the Terminator a protagonist because he found it uninteresting to repeat the character of "The Terminator". The T-800's dialogue was kept brief; its intent is mainly portrayed through Schwarzenegger's physicality. The catchphrase "Hasta la vista, baby" was something Wisher and Cameron said after their telephone calls. Wisher and Cameron spent about three days refining the script; the printed copy was still warm when Cameron boarded Carolco's charter jet to visit the studio's stars and filmmakers in Cannes in early May 1990, where "Terminator 2" was announced. Schwarzenegger read the script on the plane but struggled to understand some of Cameron's intent, asking "What is 'polyalloy'?" He also took issue with his character's not killing people (which is antithetical to his action-hero image) and did not understand how to portray the difference between his formerly ruthless character turned protector. Cameron and Schwarzenegger discussed the script until Schwarzenegger understood Cameron's want to defy audience expectations. Schwarzenegger requested: "Just make me cool".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Schwarzenegger was interested in reprising his role because he found the character more complex and sympathetic than his previous performance. He was paid $12–$15million for his involvement. Carolco had been blamed for the increase in exorbitant salaries paid to actors, having paid Schwarzenegger around $11million for "Total Recall" (1990) and justifying the expense because of their leads' wide appeal in markets outside the U.S. To lessen its immediate financial burden, Carolco paid most of Schwarzenegger's salary with a financed, $12.75million Gulfstream III jet, allowing them to settle the fee over years. Schwarzenegger found portraying a fearless, emotionless machine difficult, and extensively rehearsed action scenes with stunt coordinator Joel Kramer to minimize the effects of fire and explosions occurring around him.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron refused to re-cast Hamilton's role but developed plans to work around her absence if she chose not to return. Negotiations were initially protracted but were settled quickly once Cameron informed Carolco he could not finish the script unless he knew Hamilton would be involved. Hamilton requested Sarah to be "crazy", saying "I thought, 'This woman has been living with the certainty of man's demise for all these years and she'd have become this wild thing', so the warrior and the crazy woman ideas were all me". She continued: "[The T-800] is a better human than I am, and I'm a better Terminator than he is". Cameron considered giving the character a facial scar but determined applying it daily would be difficult. Hamilton received about $1million, which she described as "quite a bit more" than she earned for "The Terminator" but was unhappy at the pay disparity between her and Schwarzenegger. Hamilton undertook extensive preparation for her role, working with a personal trainer for three hours a day, six days a week; and learning judo, military training, combat, and weapons techniques under former Israeli commando Uziel "Uzi" Gal, as well as maintaining a strict, low-fat diet, losing about of body weight. Hamilton described her experience as "sheer Hell" but enjoyed showing off her new physique. She often slept only four hours a day so she could spend time with her twenty-month-old son Dalton outside of filming and training. Hamilton's twin sister Leslie stands in for Hamilton in scenes in which two versions of Sarah appear on-screen.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Patrick, who was living in his car, was one of several actors in their late 20s who were considered for the T-1000. Cameron wanted a lithe actor who looked like a newly recruited police officer to contrast with Schwarzenegger; according to Cameron, "If the [T-800] series is a kind of human Panzer tank, then the [T-1000] series had to be a Porsche". Casting director Mali Finn believed Patrick, whose agent described him as a cross of David Bowie and James Dean, had the "intense presence" they wanted. Patrick auditioned by acting like an emotionless hunter, and later participated in a screen test with Cameron to judge the way lighting worked with his skin and eyes. He took inspiration for his character by watching Schwarzenegger's performance in "The Terminator", and observed the movement styles of hunting creatures; reptiles, insects, cats, and sharks. Patrick's facial expressions were based on those of an eagle, keeping his head tilted down to imply constant forward movement. He used a military posture and martial-arts movements to imply a more fluid movement than that of the T-800's rigid skeleton. The role required Patrick to be in peak physical shape; lean, and fast. He also trained under Gal, spending four hours a day practicing martial arts, judo, weightlifting, and meditation; and running so he could sprint without appearing to be breathing or exhausted. Weapons master Harry Lu taught Patrick to operate and reload weapons such as the T-1000's Beretta 92FS without looking, and Patrick eventually learned to fire weapons without blinking. Singer Billy Idol was the first choice for the role before a motorbike accident seriously injured his leg. In a 2021 retrospective, Cameron said Idol had an interesting aesthetic but in hindsight, he probably would not have cast Idol. Singer Blackie Lawless of the rock band W.A.S.P. was also considered but was deemed too tall.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron believed the candidates for the role of John Connor were either overexposed in other media or came from advertisement backgrounds, which trained them to be happy and perky. Furlong had no acting experience and was discovered by Finn at the Boys & Girls Club in Pasadena. Cameron described Furlong as having a "surliness, an intelligence, just a question of pulling it out". Furlong secured the role at his last audition; there were about 100 other prospects. Furlong was required to take acting lessons and to learn some Spanish, ride a motorcycle, and repair guns. Cameron cut Furlong's hair during filming because he had a habit of chewing it.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Joe Morton said he was cast as Miles Bennett Dyson because he believed Cameron wanted a minority character to be integral to the changing of the world. Morton avoided interacting with the cast so their on-screen relationships would seem believably distant. The role was reduced after preferred choice Denzel Washington declined it because it mostly required him to act scared.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Three months of pre-production was truncated to meet the release schedule, leaving Cameron without the time he wanted to prepare all aspects of the film before filming began. Over one week, he spent several hours each day choreographing vehicle scenes with toy cars and trucks, filming the results, and printing the footage for storyboard artists. There was no time to properly test practical effects before filming; if effects did not work, the filmmakers had to work around them.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Principal photography began on October 8–9, 1990, with a $60million budget. The production was long and arduous, in part because of Cameron, who was known for his short temper, and uncompromising and "dictatorial" manner that resulted in the crew making T-shirts bearing the slogan "You can't scare me—I work for Jim Cameron." Schwarzenegger described him as a supportive but "demanding taskmaster" with a "fanaticism for physical and visual detail". Cameron had a practical approach when making scenes fit his vision; in one instance, he angrily fixed a broken camera when the operator could not, and Morton said during his death scene, Cameron decided on a whim to detonate surrounding glass to see how it would look. Because of the tight schedule, Cameron worked throughout Christmas, editing on Christmas Eve, and persuaded Schwarzenegger to cancel multiple Christmas events and a visit to American troops in Saudi Arabia with U.S. President George H. W. Bush to be available for filming. By the 101st day of filming, Schwarzenegger and Hamilton were frustrated by the number of takes Cameron ordered; five days were spent on Hamilton's close-ups in scenes at the Dyson home. Scenes were filmed out of sequence to prioritize those requiring extensive visual effects; Schwarzenegger found this difficult because he was meant to convey subtle signs of the T-800's progressive humanity and was unsure what was fitting for each scene. Cinematographer Adam Greenberg, who also worked on "The Terminator", described the greater scope of the sequel as the most daunting prospect; where he had been able to shout instructions to his crew on the original film, he used one of 187 walkie-talkies to conduct efforts over an expansive area.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: The production used many locations in and around California. The now-destroyed Corral bar in Sylmar is where the T-800 confronts a group of bikers. Location manager Jim Morris chose Corral because it was raised above ground, allowing the scene to take place over different levels. On one occasion, a woman who was oblivious to ongoing filming walked into the bar; when she asked Schwarzenegger, who was wearing only a pair of shorts, what was going on, he replied: "It's male-stripper night". Executives suggested cutting the scene to save money but Cameron and Schwarzenegger refused.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: The T-1000 arrives at the Sixth Street Viaduct, John hacks an ATM at a bank in Van Nuys, and his foster parents' home is in the Canoga Park neighborhood—which was chosen because it looked generic. The Terminators confront John inside Santa Monica Place mall, although exterior shots were filmed at Northridge Fashion Center where there was less traffic. When the on-foot T-1000 chases John on a bicycle, Patrick's training made him faster than the bicycle and so its speed was increased. The T-1000 pursues John and the T-800 in a truck at Bull Creek spillway in North Hills. Other locations include the Lake View Terrace hospital, which was used for Pescadero State Hospital, and Petersen Automotive Museum became its garage; Cactus Jack's Market in Lancaster, California, Elysian Park—the site of Sarah's apocalyptic dream—and Dyson's home near California State Route 1 in Malibu. The Cyberdyne Building destroyed in the film was an abandoned office in San Jose that was scheduled for demolition. Cameron used real Los Angeles Police Department SWAT members in the scene, although he embellished their real tactics into a more visually interesting assault.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: The final highway chase was filmed along the Terminal Island Freeway near Long Beach, of which a stretch was shut nightly for two weeks. The future war of 2029 was filmed in the rubble of an abandoned steel mill in Oxnard, California, in a space that was enhanced with burned bicycles and cars from a 1989 fire at the Universal Studios Lot, and with effects such as flying vehicles added in post-production. "Terminator 2"s ending was filmed in the closed Kaiser Steel mill in Fontana, which Greenberg made appear operational mainly through lighting techniques. Despite appearing to be actively smelting steel, the mill was frigid and dangerous because of the moving machinery and high catwalks. The T-800's thumbs-up during his death was added during filming; Hamilton believed it was too sentimental. Six months of filming concluded on March 28, 1991, about three weeks behind schedule. Hamilton described the production as the most "difficult, exhausting, physically, and emotionally stressful experience of my life". She suffered permanent partial hearing loss after forgetting to wear earplugs in the scene in which the T-800 fires a gun in the hospital elevator, and experienced shell shock from months of exposure to violence, loud noise, gunfire, and action set-pieces.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2" was edited by Conrad Buff IV, Richard A. Harris, and Mark Goldblatt, who said although there was more time to edit than on "The Terminator", it was still relatively small given the greater scope of the sequel; they described the complexity of scenes such as the final battle between the Terminators, which required a seamless combination of live-action, practical effect shots, and CGI. After having to rush editing at the end of "The Abyss", Cameron limited filming on "Terminator 2" to five days a week so he could edit the film on weekends from the start of filming. Several scenes were deleted, in part to reduce its running time; these include Kyle Reese appearing to Sarah in a dream and encouraging her to continue fighting; Sarah being beaten in the hospital; the T-1000 killing John's dog (a scene the animal-loving Patrick was not a fan of); John teaching the T-800 to smile and discussing whether it fears death; the T-1000 malfunctioning after being frozen in the steel mill; and additional scenes with Dyson's family. Schwarzenegger unsuccessfully rallied to retain his favorite scene, in which John and Sarah modify the T-800's CPU, allowing it to learn and evolve. Sarah attempts to destroy the CPU but John defends the T-800. The scene was replaced with dialogue indicating the T-800 already possesses the ability to learn. The scripted ending depicted an alternative 2029 that was filmed at the Los Angeles Arboretum in Arcadia, in which an aged Sarah narrates how Skynet was never created while John, now a senator, plays with his daughter. To make the film more evocative and memorable, Cameron changed this scene to one in which the characters look out at the road ahead. The production ran until about two days before the film's theatrical release; delays were mainly caused by the rendering of shots at Consolidated Film Industries, the most difficult of which was the T-1000's death. Co-producer Stephanie Austin said the production crew worked twenty-four-hour shifts and slept on site. The release print was delivered to theaters the night before its release. The film runs for 137minutes.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron and Schwarzenegger said the final budget, excluding marketing, was about $70million, and the cost of making the film was about $51million. According to Carolco executives Peter Hoffman and Roger Smith, the film cost $75million figure before marketing, saying "Terminator 2" was only "modestly" over budget. Including marketing and other costs, the film's total budget is reported to be between $94million and $102million. This figure was reduced by advances and guarantees of $91million, including North-American television ($7million) and home-video ($10million) rights, and $61million from theatrical and television rights outside the U.S.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: A 10-month schedule and about $15–$17million of "Terminator 2"s budget was allocated to the entirety of its special effects, including $5million for the T-1000 alone, and a further $1million for stunts, at the time one of the largest ever stunt budgets. Four main companies were involved in creating the film's 150 visual effects: ILM under special effects supervisor Dennis Muren managed the computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects, Stan Winston Studio the prosthetics and animatronics, Fantasy II Film Effects developed miniatures and optical effects, and 4-Ward Productions were responsible for creating a nuclear explosion effect. Pacific Data Images and Video Image provided some additional effects. The cost of producing CGI and practical limitations of staff numbers meant the effect was using sparingly, appearing in 42–43 shots, alongside 50–60 practical effects.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Produced near the advent of CGI, vivifying the T-1000 was a risk endeavor as there was no backup plan in place if the CGI did not work as intended or could not be composited effectively with Winston's practical effects The computer systems needed to animate and render the T-1000 CGI cost thousands of dollars on their own, but creating the character also relied on a variety of practical appliances, visual illusions, and filming techniques. A team of up to 35 at ILM were required for the five minutes of screen time the T-1000's effects appear, and the process was so complex that rendering 15 seconds of footage would take up to ten days.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "The Terminator" composer Brad Fiedel returned for the sequel, working in his garage in Studio City, Los Angeles. Film industry professionals regarded his return with concern and skepticism; they believed his style would not suit the film. Fiedel quickly realized he would not receive the finished footage until late in the production after most effects were completed, which made it difficult to commit to decisions such as use of an orchestra because, unlike ambient music, the score had to accompany the on-screen action. Fiedel and Cameron wanted the musical tone to be "warmer" due to its focus on a nobler Terminator and young John. Fiedel experimented with sounds and shared them with Cameron for feedback.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: While "The Terminator" score had mainly used oscillators and synthesizers, Fiedel recorded real instruments and modified their sounds. He developed a library of sounds for characters such as the T-1000, whose theme was created by sampling brass-instrument players warming up and improvising. Fiedel said to the players, "You're an insane asylum. You're a bedlam of instruments." He slowed down the resulting sample and lowered the pitch, describing it as "artificial intelligent monks chanting". Cameron considered the "atonal" sound "too avant-garde" for him but Fiedel justified it as an accompaniment to Cameron, who was making a film "people have never seen before".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Tri-Star asked Schwarzenegger to arrange a tie-in music video and theme song for the film; he chose to work with rock band Guns N' Roses because they were popular and there was "a rose in the movie and bloody guns". The band offered the use of "You Could Be Mine", the debut single from their album "Use Your Illusion II" (1991). The music video, featuring Schwarzenegger as the T-800 pursuing the band, was directed by Stan Winston, Andrew Morahan, and Jeffrey Abelson. Patrick unsuccessfully lobbied to use "Head Like a Hole" by Nine Inch Nails as the tie-in song, in part because his brother Richard Patrick was their tour guitarist. Wisher suggested using "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood & the Destroyers as the T-800 puts on the biker clothes; although Cameron did not like the idea, Wisher said he later found Cameron had used the song but had forgotten it was his idea. "Guitars, Cadillacs" by Dwight Yoakam also features in "Terminator 2".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Competition between studios was expected to be strong during the summer theatrical season, which runs from mid-May to early September, with fifty-five films scheduled for release compared with thirty-seven in 1990. Release dates repeatedly changed as studios attempted to avoid strong competition and maximize their films' successes at a time when the cost of film production had increased 20% in a year, in part due to costly salaries for stars who also commanded a percentage of the film's profits, and declining revenues from box-office receipts, video sales, and television-network deals. Films scheduled for release included "City Slickers", "", "Only the Lonely", "Hudson Hawk", "The Rocketeer", "What About Bob?", and "Point Break". The films most-expected to do well included "Backdraft" and "Terminator 2", which were seen as having international appeal; "Dying Young" and the year's predicted top film "". An unnamed studio executive said audiences were seeking escapist entertainment such as comedy or action, and avoiding films about less-positive subject matter.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Schwarzenegger was involved in "Terminator 2" marketing and merchandising campaign, which was estimated to be worth at least $20million. By 1991, advertising for "Terminator 2" was ubiquitous with high audience recognition and despite its US Rrating, restricting audiences to over 17s unless accompanied by an adult, the marketing was mainly aimed at younger audiences. Tristar contributed about $20million for marketing, which included a $150,000 teaser trailer that was directed by Winston and depicts the construction of a T-800. Trailers ran for six months before the film's release; Tristar incentivized cinema staff to play it frequently by offering chances to win "Terminator 2"-branded goods and tickets to the premiere. Collaborations with fast-food restaurants and soft-drink manufacturers such as Subway and Pepsi, were used to promote the film.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: There were two private screenings: one for family, friends, and crew at Skywalker Ranch and another in Los Angeles for studio executives. Austin said, "People were stamping their feet and clapping for ten or fifteen minutes", at which point the crew knew they had succeeded. During test screenings the ending was well-received, and was described as a "touching" favorite scene. The premiere took place on July 1, 1991, at the Cineplex Odeon in Century City, Los Angeles. According to Fiedel, it was treated as a major event, unlike the premiere of "The Terminator", at which the audience was skeptical or laughed at the wrong times. Celebrities in attendance included Maria Shriver, Nicolas Cage, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, and Furlong's date Soleil Moon Frye.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" received a wide release in the United States and Canada on July 3, leading into the Independence Day holiday weekend. Between Friday and Sunday, the film earned about $31.8million from 2,274 theaters, an average of $13,969 per theater, making it the number-one film of the weekend ahead of "The Naked Gun 2½" ($11.6million) in its second weekend and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" ($10.3million) in its fourth. Over the five-day holiday weekend (Wednesday to Sunday), "Terminator 2" earned a $52.3million, becoming the second-highest-grossing opening five-day total ever behind "Batman"s (1989) $57million, and the highest-grossing opening Wednesday ($11.8million). The opening-week audience was evenly split between adults, teenagers, and children, about 25%–30% of whom were females, although Tri-Star said the figure was higher. The film benefited from repeat viewings by young audience members. One theater chain executive said: "...nothing since "Batman" has created the frenzy for tickets we saw this weekend with "Terminator". At virtually all our locations, we are selling out... the word-of-mouth buzz out there is just phenomenal." Industry professional Lawrence Kasanoff said it was an "open secret" that despite the R rating, children were seeing the film, remarking "When "T2" opened, I saw kids skateboard up to the ticket window..."


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: It retained the number-one position in its second weekend, earning $20.7million, ahead of the debuts of the re-release "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" ($10.3million) and "Boyz n the Hood" ($10million); and in its third weekend with $14.9million, ahead of "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" ($10.2million) and "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" ($7.8million)."Terminator 2: Judgment Day" fell to number two in its fifth weekend, earning $8.6million against the debut of the comedy "Hot Shots!" ($10.8million). It remained in the top-five highest-grossing films for twelve consecutive weeks and the top-ten highest-grossing films for fifteen weeks. In total, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" spent about twenty-six weeks—184 days—in theaters in a maximum of 2,495 cinemas, and earned $204.8million, making it the highest-grossing film of the year; ahead of "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" ($165million), "Beauty and the Beast" ($145million), "The Silence of the Lambs" ($130million), and "City Slickers" ($124million). This also made it the thirteenth-highest-grossing film of its time, behind "Back to the Future" (1985), and the highest-grossing R-rated film, a record it held for just over ten years. The "Los Angeles Times" estimated after the theater and distributor cuts, the box-office returns to Carolco would be well over twenty percent of the film's cost.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Outside the U.S. and Canada, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" set numerous box office records, including a three-day opening of $4.4million (a one-week record of $7.8million). It earned at least $30million in the United Kingdom, $9.5 one-week in France (biggest opening since Rocky IV) and $16million in two weeks, Germany ($8million in five days), $1.2million in Thailand—becoming its highest-grossing western-hemisphere film ever—and a record Australian opening weekend. The film also performing well in Brazil and earned at least $51million in Japan. Internationally, the film earned about $312.1million, making it the first film to gross over $300million outside of the U.S. and Canada. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is estimated to have earned a worldwide gross of $519–$520.9million, making it the year's highest-grossing film, and the third-highest-grossing film ever, behind 1977's "Star Wars" ($530million) and 1982's "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" ($619million).


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was released to general acclaim. Many reviews focused on the state-of-the-art physical, special, and make-up effects, which were roundly praised as "revolutionary" and "spectacular", particularly those relating to the T-1000 as a "technological wonder". Several publications wrote Cameron's ability to realize cinematic action blockbusters was unmatched; Maslin said at his best, despite occasional lapses into melodrama, Cameron's work is akin to that of director Stanley Kubrick. Both Maslin and "The Austin Chronicle" commented on the kindness and compassion in the film; "The Austin Chronicle" contrasted it to the lack of a moral message in "The Terminator" and Travers described it as a "visionary parable" but they, alongside others, criticized "Terminator 2"s "muddled" message about protecting the value of human life and peace by using extreme violence to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, war, and technological reliance.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Reviewers generally agreed the narrative early in the film is stronger than the one near the end. Glieberman said the first hour has a genuine "emotional pull" and according to Ebert, the initial concept of a boy finding a father figure in a Terminator that is learning to be human is "intriguing", but Glieberman said the narrative weakens once Hamilton's character joins the group; Travers and Corliss wrote it stumbles after hours of relentless action and a "conventional climax". Despite this observation, Glieberman praised the final battle between the T-1000 and the protagonists. "Empire"s review and Terrence Rafferty found the film's narrative less satisfying and idea-driven than that of "The Terminator"; Glieberman said despite it being an effective and witty thriller, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" comes across as an expensive B movie when compared with "visionary spectacles" such as the "Mad Max" series and "RoboCop" (1987). Kenneth Turan said "Terminator 2"s action scenes succeed without the extreme gore and violence of "RoboCop".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Ebert and Maslin, among others, appreciated the twist on Schwarzenegger's public action-hero persona by making him a hero who does not kill his enemies; David Ansen and Glieberman found humor in the T-800's non-lethal methods and efforts to become more human-like. Maslin and Hinson agreed, as in "The Terminator", Schwarzenegger's role is perfect for his acting abilities; Hinson said Schwarzenegger portrayed more humanity as a machine than he did when portraying normal people. In contrast, "Empire" suggested the change was a concession to Schwarzenegger's young fans and Peter Travers chose the T-800's death as a "cornball" scene that is out of place for the actor and film.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Several reviewers praised the T-1000 character for the combination of Patrick's "chilling" expressionless performance and the advanced special effects, which create an implacable, "showstopping" villain; "Empire" called the character "one of the great monsters of the cinema". Glieberman said the character's absence from much of the film's second act is to the film's detriment, and Hinson wrote the T-1000 lacks any "soul" and thus a way for the audience to identify with it. Critics generally agreed Hamilton portrays a "fierce" female hero with an impressive physique that lets her outshine another female action hero, Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley in Cameron's "Aliens" (1986). Other publications found Sarah Connor's narrations about peace to be "heavy-handed", overused, and "unintentionally amusing". Furlong was praised for giving a natural performance at a young age, and Hinson wrote despite limited screentime, Morton made an impression. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A+" on a scale of A+ to F.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: At the 1992 Saturn Awards, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" received awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director (Cameron), Best Actress (Hamilton), Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Furlong), and Best Special Effects; and a nomination for Best Actor (Schwarzenegger). It also won Favorite Motion Picture at the 18th People's Choice Awards. For the 45th British Academy Film Awards, "Terminator 2" received awards for Best Sound (Lee Orloff, Tom Johnson, Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers) and Best Special Visual Effects (Stan Winston, Dennis Muren, Gene Warren Jr., Robert Skotak), as well as a nomination for Best Production Design (Joseph Nemec III).


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: The 64th Academy Awards earned "Terminator 2" four awards; Best Makeup (Winston and Jeff Dawn), Best Sound (Orloff, Johnson, Rydstrom, and Summers), Best Sound Effects Editing (Rydstrom and Gloria S. Borders), and Best Visual Effects (Muren, Winston, Warren Jr., and Skotak), as well as nominations for Best Cinematography (Adam Greenberg) and Best Film Editing (Conrad Buff, Mark Goldblatt and Richard A. Harris). It was the first film to win an Academy Award when its predecessor had not been nominated. It received six awards at the 1992 MTV Movie Awards, including: Best Movie, Best Action Sequence ("L.A. Freeway Scene"), Best Breakthrough Performance (Furlong), Best Female Performance (Hamilton), Best Male Performance (Schwarzenegger), and nominations for Best Song From a Movie ("You Could Be Mine"), Best Villain (Patrick), and Most Desirable Female (Hamilton); as well as a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Cameron and Wisher Jr.)


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" began the careers or raised the profiles of its principal actors. According to industry professionals, Schwarzenegger became the top international star ahead of actors such as Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise. It also marked the start of a lasting friendship between Schwarzenegger and Cameron, who formed a "midlife crisis motorcycle club" and reunited for the action film "True Lies" (1994). Cameron and Hamilton began a romantic relationship in 1991, married in 1997, and later divorced. In 1992 Cameron was given a five-year, $500million contract by 20th Century Fox to produce twelve films.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Furlong became in high demand and Patrick found dealing with his new-found recognition difficult as people asked him to impersonate the T-1000. Despite the film's success, Carolco reported 1991 losses of $265.1million, which was caused by the financial problems of its other films and subsidiaries; despite investor support, the studio filed for bankruptcy in 1995 and its assets, including "Terminator 2", were sold to Canal Plus for $58million.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: In December 1991, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was released on VHS and LaserDisc. It was a popular rental in the U.S. and Canada; a record 714,000 copies were shipped to retailers and it became the best-selling rental by mid-January 1992. A "Special Edition" featuring a 15-minute extended version of the film that restored deleted scenes, as well as interviews with cast and crew, storyboards, designs, and other unrestored deleted scenes, was released on LaserDisc in 1993. Cameron stated he did not use the label "Director's Cut" because he considered the theatrical releases to be definitive and the extended versions as opportunities to restore "depth and character made omissible by theatrical running time". The theatrical version was released on DVD in 1997. In 2000, an "Ultimate Edition" DVD was released, containing the theatrical and "Special Edition" cuts, and a new "Extended Cut", containing a further scene of the T-1000 inspecting John's bedroom, and the aforementioned alternate ending. "Terminator 2" special effects coordinator Van Ling supervised the release. In 2003, an "Extreme Edition" featuring the theatrical and "Special Edition" cuts, a remastered 1080p image, Cameron's first commentary, and a documentary about the film's legacy to special effects.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2" was released on Blu-ray in 2006; this was followed in 2009 by a "Skynet Edition" that contains the theatrical and "Special Edition" cuts, and commentaries with the cast and crew. This release includes a limited collector's set containing the Blu-ray; the "Ultimate" and "Extreme" editions on DVDs; a digital download version; all extant special features; and a T-800 skull bust. A 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version that includes a standard Blu-ray and digital version, was released in 2017; this release also offered a collector's option that includes one of 6,000 life-size replicas of a T-800 skeleton forearm, each of which Cameron signed; and individually numbered, the soundtrack, the theatrical, "Special", "Extended", and 2017 3D remaster cuts, and "Reprogramming the Terminator", a documentary that includes interviews with Schwarzenegger, Cameron, Furlong, and others.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: In 1991 Varèse Sarabande released Fiedel's score, which spent six weeks on the "Billboard 200" record chart, peaking at number70. The theme song "You Could Be Mine" peaked at number29 on the U.S. "Billboard 100", and performed well in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Spain, Canada, and elsewhere.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Cameron oversaw a year-long 3D remaster and subsequent 2017 theatrical re-release of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in August 2017. Cameron said: "If you've never seen it, this'll be the version you want to see and remember". Cameron made visual modifications to the film to fix errors that had bothered him, including the addition of windshield glass to the T-1000's truck, which fell out during its stunt fall and reappears in later scenes; concealing the obvious use of stuntmen for Furlong and Schwarzenegger during the same scene, concealed more of Patrick's nudity during his introduction, and brightened the visuals. The 3D remaster's theatrical release was seen as a disappointment, earning about $562,000 in its debut across 386 theaters compared to the 3D re-release of Cameron's "Titanic" in 2012, which fetched $17million.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was marketed with numerous tie-in products, including toys, puppets, trading cards, jigsaw puzzles, clothing, a perfume named "Hero", and a novelization by Randall Frakes that expands on the film's ending. In 1991 Marvel Comics adapted the film into a comic book, which was followed by expansions of the "Terminator 2" narrative, including Malibu Comics's "Cybernetic Dawn" and "Nuclear Twilight" (1995–1996); Dynamite Entertainment's "Infinity" and "Revolution" (2007); and the "T2" novel series by S. M. Stirling in the early 2000s. Several video-game adaptations of "Terminator 2" were published; these include a and an in 1991; the arcade game was popular enough to be ported to home consoles as "T2: The Arcade Game". Multiple studios developed adaptations for home consoles; these widely differing games include "Terminator 2" for Game Boy and "Terminator 2" for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES); the NES version was ported to Game Gear and Sega Master System in 1992. A later adaptation was developed for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and a different game was published for home computers. Merchandise for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was estimated to have generated $400million in sales.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: In 1996 "", a live-action attraction, was opened at Universal Studios Florida, and later at locations in Hollywood and Japan). The twenty-minute attraction was co-written and directed by Cameron and cost $60million to produce, including live-action stunts and a $24million, 12-minute, 3Dfilm starring Schwarzenegger, Hamilton, Patrick, and Furlong as their in-world characters, making it the most-expensive film per minute. In it, Sarah and John attempt to stop Cyberdyne, which has developed Skynet. They are confronted by the T-1000 but saved by the T-800, which returns to 2029 with John to defeat Skynet and its latest creation, the T-1000000.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: A central theme of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is the relationship between John Connor and the T-800 that serves as a surrogate for the father (Kyle Reese) he never knew. Cameron said: "Sure, there's going to be big, thunderous action sequences, but the heart of the movie is that relationship", comparing it with the Tin Man getting a heart in "The Wizard of Oz". Both "Terminator 2" and Cameron's earlier film "Aliens" focus on compassion and parental figures; "Aliens" central character Ripley serves as a surrogate mother to an orphaned girl in contrast to an alien queen and her brood, while "Terminator 2" depicts the T-800's relentless protection of his ward against the equally relentless T-1000. The T-800 is designed to emulate humans for infiltration purposes but as it grows and evolves, its emotions become real and it learns from John to feel grief. The T-800 chooses to sacrifice its life to ensure the survival of everyone else. In 1991 essayist Robert Bly wrote elderly men were not offering suitable role models for young men, and in "Terminator 2", Sarah denounces the many men in her past who failed to be a father for John, except for the T-800. Once its role is complete, the T-800 leaves John for his own good after stating it lacks the emotions John must rely on.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: While John teaches the T-800 about humanity, his biological mother Sarah has become less human because of her knowledge about the future. Cameron said: "She's a sad character—a tragic character... she believes that everyone she meets, talks to, or interacts with will be dead very soon". This theme of machine-like humans links with Cameron's and Wisher's choice to make the T-1000 appear as a police officer because thematically they believed it represents humans who should have empathy for others becoming more machine-like and detached from their emotions. The SWAT team at Cyberdyne shoots Dyson, an African American, without warning. "Cinephilia" described Dyson as the most-human character in the film; according to them, he is an intelligent, optimistic family man who represents real-world encounters between police forces and people of color, compared to their encounter with the Caucasian T-800, during which they warn him before opening fire. The 1991 police beating of Rodney King was captured on the same videotape a civilian used to capture the filming of the biker bar scenes.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Following her escape from the state hospital, Sarah appears to embrace John but is actually checking him for injuries, forgoing any emotional attachment for the practicality of ensuring his survival and bringing about his destiny as a future leader. The T-800 is portrayed as a better parent than Sarah, offering him undivided attention while Sarah remains distant and focused on the future rather than the present. Philosophy professor Richard T. McClelland notes Sarah acceptance of the T-800 as John's surrogate father is such she leaves it in control of John when she leaves to kill Dyson. Sarah's dream about the nuclear holocaust that will kill six billion people, including her son, incites her to kill Dyson before he can complete the work that will bring about Skynet but when the moment comes, she is unable to fully forsake her humanity and murder him with no emotion. Cameron described this as a question of humanity's worth if we abandon it to win the battle for its existence. Compared to the bleak, nihilistic theme of "The Terminator", "Terminator 2" emphasizes the concept of free will and the value of human life. Schwarzenegger quoted the film's line "no fate but what we make", saying people have control over their own destinies.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: On its release, reviewers were critical of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" message about preserving peace through violence; Owen Gleiberman stated "reckless indifference" to human life is intrinsic to the film but the T-800 maiming people rather than killing them potentially condemns victims of violence to a life of pain. Cameron described the film as the "world's most violent anti-war movie", and said it is about people struggling with their own violent natures. In particular, Cameron had been concerned by the original antagonist T-800's status as a cultural icon and power fantasy as a lethal, unstoppable force of strength and power, and chose to redefine it in "Terminator 2", retaining the power fantasy without taking lives. "Cinephilia" said it is not morally possible to recover from killing people so "Terminator 2" is about redeeming the T-800 and Sarah.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: After the success of "Aliens", the growth of female-led action films reflected the increase in women assuming non-traditional roles and the division between professional critics—who perceive a masculinization of the female hero—and audiences who embrace characters regardless of gender. The hyper-masculine heroes played by Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were replaced with independent women who are capable of defending themselves and defeating villains in films such "Terminator 2" and "The Silence of the Lambs". These female characters often perform stereotypical male actions, however, and have muscular physiques rather than feminine, "soft" bodies. Professor Jeffrey Brown considers Hamilton's undershirt to be symbolic of typically male action heroes such as John McClane and John Rambo, as well as females displaying masculine traits such as Rachel McLish in "".


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Despite the emphasis on strong femininity, Hamilton's character remains secondary to Schwarzenegger's; Sarah's efforts to defeat the T-1000 fall short until the last-minute intervention of the T-800. Victoria Warren said this allows the female character to be strong enough to be admired but not strong enough to undermine the male protagonist's masculinity. Amanda Fernbach and Thomas B. Byers said the rigid form of the T-800 represents reactionary masculinity that is in direct opposition to the gender-bending T-1000, which represents a post-modern, fluid nature that is outside traditional norms and in opposition to patriarchy and the preservation of the traditional family.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Author Mark Duckenfield said "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" can be seen as an unintended allegory for the decline of United States industries against successful Japanese technology firms with the cutting-edge T-1000 representing Japan against the older, less-advanced T-800. The U.S. industries, which were sometimes seen as villains during the economic boom of the 1980s, are seen as more sympathetic in the face of obsolescence, just as the T-800 is presented as friendlier and still powerful but no longer overwhelmingly so. Duckenfield considers the final scene, which takes place in a steel mill—a place of American industry—symbolic.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: According to Warren, "Terminator 2" reflects Cold War American values that emphasized principles of American culture, in particular individualism and rejection of government intervention. The institutions the film's protagonists should be able to rely on, such as the government, the police, and technology, are the ones attempting to stop them because they do not believe in the protagonists' doomsday prophecy.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: With a $94–102million budget, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" became the most expensive movie made in its time, and it remains Schwarzenegger's highest-grossing film. It had a significant impact on filmmaking; "Den of Geek" described it as one of the most influential blockbusters since the thriller "Jaws" (1975). Cameron and special-effects artist and supervisor Dennis Muren said the groundbreaking special effects in "Terminator 2" demonstrated the possibilities of computer generated effects and without it, effects-focused films such as "Jurassic Park" (1993) would not have been possible. Various publications have referenced "Terminator 2" influence on special effects, describing it as the most important special-effects film since "Tron" (1982), and began the era of reliance on CGI effects for films such as "Jurassic Park" and "The Matrix" (1999). In 2007 the Visual Effects Society, an entertainment-industry organization of visual-effects practitioners, named "Terminator 2" as the 14th-most-influential visual-effects film of all time, and the T-1000 is listed by Guinness World Records as the "first major blockbuster movie character generated using computers". According to "The Guardian", however, the film's "groundbreaking" effects led to "CGI laziness", a reliance on computer graphics over practical effects, stunts, and craft. A 2014 "Entertainment Weekly" article said "Terminator 2" contributed to the contemporary Hollywood high-budget, science-fiction epic film, and a reliance on turning films into franchises targeted at young audiences and broad demographics.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Alongside her appearance in "The Terminator", Hamilton's Sarah Connor became regarded as one of the greatest and most-influential cinematic female action heroes and an iconic character. Patrick's T-1000 is considered one of the most-iconic and best cinematic villains; Patrick made cameo appearances as the T-1000 in "Wayne's World" (1992) and Schwarzenegger's "Last Action Hero" (1993). In "Last Action Hero", Stallone replaces Schwarzenegger as the T-800 on the "Terminator 2" poster. The T-800's line "Hasta la vista, baby" is considered an iconic piece of movie dialogue that is often quoted. Schwarzenegger also used it in speeches during his political career.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" has been referenced to in a variety of media, including television (including "American Dad", "Rick and Morty", "Stranger Things", and "The Simpsons"), films (including "Ready Player One" and "Scream 2"), and video games (including "Cyberpunk 2077", "Doom", "Grand Theft Auto Online", "", and "Mortal Kombat 11"). "Terminator 2" biker bar scene was recreated for a 2015 advertisement, which featured Schwarzenegger, for the video game WWE 2K16; the bar patrons were replaced with WWE wrestlers. Director Ryan Coogler called "Terminator 2" a "big inspiration" for the superhero film, "" (2022).


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Since its release, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" has been assessed as one of the greatest films, and one of the best sequels ever made. It is considered equal to or better than "The Terminator", and is also regarded as either the best film in the "Terminator" franchise or second in quality to "The Terminator". "Terminator 2" is also considered one of the best action films of all time, and one of the best science-fiction films. In 2001 the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked "Terminator 2" number77 on its 100 Years... 100 Thrills list, recognizing the "most heart-pounding movies"; and the 2003 list of the 100 Best Heroes & Villains ranked the T-800 character as the forty-eighth-best hero. The 2005 list of the 100 Best Movie Quotes listed the T-800 dialog line "Hasta la vista, baby" as the 76th-best quotation; and the 2008 AFI's 10 Top 10 named "Terminator 2" as the eighth-best science-fiction film. To mark Schwarzenegger's 75th birthday in 2022, "Variety" listed "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" as the best film in his 46-year career.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes offers a approval rating from the aggregated reviews of critics, with an average score of . The website's critical consensus says: ""T2" features thrilling action sequences and eye-popping visual effects, but what takes this sci-fi/action landmark to the next level is the depth of the human (and cyborg) characters." The film has a score of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 22 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". During "Terminator 2" 30th anniversary in 2021, Cameron, among others, said despite using older models of cars, the film's visuals still compare well with contemporary films. Cameron also said "Terminator 2" remains relevant because artificial intelligence had become a ubiquitous reality rather than a fantasy. In 2006 "Terminator 2" was listed at number32 on Film4's "50 Films to See Before You Die" list, and is included in the 2003 film reference book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". Rotten Tomatoes lists it as one of 300 essential movies and at number123 on its list of 200 essential movies. "Popular Mechanics" and "Rolling Stone" jointly listed it alongside "The Terminator" as the third-best time-travel film ever made. "Rolling Stone"s reader-voted list of the best-sequels ranks "Terminator 2" second behind "The Godfather Part II" (1974); and "Empire" readers ranked "Terminator 2" 17th on its 2017 "100 Greatest Movies" list.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Following "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" release, Cameron said he had no intentions for further sequels, believing "Terminator 2" "brings the story full circle and ends. And I think ending it at this point is a good idea". Wisher said he and Cameron wrote the script with the intention of leaving no option for a sequel. Despite this, sequels "" (2003), "Terminator Salvation" (2009), "Terminator Genisys" (2015), and "" (2019) followed. None of the sequel films recreated the critical success of "Terminator 2", and following the failure of " Terminator Salvation", "Terminator Genisys", set before the events of "The Terminator", was an attempted reboot of the franchise. This also failed and was followed by "Dark Fate" which serves as a direct sequel to "Terminator 2", and ignores the events of "Terminator 3" and subsequent installments.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

text: Schwarzenegger returned for "Terminator 3", "Terminator Genisys", and "Dark Fate", but Cameron and Hamilton worked only on "Dark Fate". Although better critically received than other post-"Terminator 2" sequels, "Dark Fate" is also considered a failure; analysts blamed audience disinterest on the diminishing quality of the series since "Terminator 2", and repeated attempts to reboot the series. Fans also criticized "Dark Fate" opening scene, in which a T-800 kills Furlong's teenage John Connor; entertainment website Collider wrote this retroactively damages the ending of "Terminator 2". A television series "" (2008–2009) also takes place after the events of "Terminator 2", and ignores the events in sequels "Terminator 3" and beyond.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The player controls Jin Sakai, a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Jin must choose between following the warrior code to fight honorably, or using practical but dishonorable methods of repelling the Mongols with minimal casualties. The game features a large open world which can be explored either on foot or on horseback. When facing enemies, the player can choose to engage in a direct confrontation using Jin's katana or to become a legendary warrior known as "the Ghost" by using stealth tactics to assassinate opponents. A multiplayer mode titled "Ghost of Tsushima: Legends" was released in October 2020 and made available separately in September 2021.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Sucker Punch began developing the game after the release of "" in 2014, as the studio wanted to move on from the "Infamous" franchise to create a game with a heavy emphasis on melee combat. The studio collaborated with Japan Studio and visited Tsushima Island twice to ensure that the game was as culturally and historically authentic as possible. The team was heavily inspired by samurai cinema, particularly films directed by Akira Kurosawa, as well as the comic book series "Usagi Yojimbo". The game's landscape and minimalistic art style were influenced by "Shadow of the Colossus", and locations in the game were designed to be "the perfect photographer's dream". While the in-game landmass is similar in shape to Tsushima Island, the team did not intend to create a one-to-one recreation. Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi composed the game's soundtrack.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The game was released for PlayStation 4 in July 2020, and an expanded version for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, subtitled "Director's Cut" and featuring the "Iki Island" expansion, was released in August 2021. The game received positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the game's melee combat, story, characters, performances, and music, though it received some criticism for its implementations of stealth gameplay and open world structure. The game was a commercial success, selling more than 9.73 million copies by July 2022 and was one of Sony's fastest-selling original games. It was nominated for several end-of-the-year awards, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2020. A film adaptation is in development .


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: "Ghost of Tsushima" is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective. The player has a variety of gameplay options to reach objectives they are given. They can engage in a direct confrontation with enemies using their katana, called a standoff, which can result in a series of fatal strikes against a number of different enemies. In combat, Jin adopts different combat stances when facing different types of enemies: stone stance for hostile swordsmen; water stance for shielded enemies; wind stance for spearmen; and moon stance for brutes. Eventually the player unlocks ghost stance, which makes Jin invincible and allows him to kill enemies with a single hit for a limited period of time. To activate ghost stance, players must kill a number of enemies without taking any damage or assassinate a Mongol leader. The player needs to stagger enemies or land a successful parry to break their defense before attacking to deplete their health. The player has access to bows, which can fire multiple types of arrows. At certain points in the game, Jin must duel against non-playable characters (NPCs) who act as bosses with unique offensive tactics and attack animations. The game's highest difficulty is a more realistic mode in which the player and enemies do large amounts of damage to each other, with all non-boss fights ending in one or two successful attacks.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Alternatively, using stealth allows the player to evade enemies and strike them silently. As the player progresses in the game they can unlock chained assassination, which allows Jin to strike several enemies consecutively. To this end, Jin has a large arsenal of ghost weapons. These include firecrackers and wind chime bells to create distractions, smoke bombs to disorient alerted foes, kunai for striking multiple enemies, and explosives to kill groups of enemies. Players will eventually unlock a blowgun that allows them to shoot poison darts and causes victims to hallucinate and attack their peers. When the player restores Jin's health or uses special combat techniques, they deplete their "resolve", which is gained by performing feats of finesse such as assassinating or parrying an enemy.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The game features a large open world which can be explored with or without guidance based on wind direction. The three islands of Tsushima are unlocked gradually as the player progresses. The island of Izuhara is unlocked first, followed by Totoyama and Kamiagata. Players travel to different parts of Tsushima on horseback and can use an item that acts as a grappling hook to access difficult-to-reach areas. As the player explores the world, yellow birds will guide Jin to locations of interest. These include hot springs which increase Jin's maximum health, "Bamboo Strikes" which increase Jin's maximum resolve upon completion, "Pillars of Honor" which contain additional cosmetic designs for Jin's weapons and armor, and locations in which Jin will meditate and compose haiku. By following torii gates and completing a platforming challenge, the player will find Shinto shrines and unlock charms that grant the player passive perks such as decreasing damage taken, reducing enemy detection speed, and increasing how much health is recovered when healing. Foxes will also lead Jin to Inari shrines, which increase the number of charms Jin can equip.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The game features side quests and NPCs with whom the player can interact. Players can also liberate Mongol-controlled villages and camps by eliminating all the enemies stationed in the area. Combat stances are unlocked after Jin observes or kills Mongol leaders. Completing side quests or helping NPCs grants players minor charms and gifts which can be collected at altars. In particular, completing "Mythic Tale" side quests will unlock unique armors and special combat techniques. Each armor set has different properties that provide various benefits during combat. Most sets of armor and clothing can be upgraded by collecting materials found in the game's world. Jin's appearance can also be further customized with masks, helmets and headbands.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: A multiplayer mode titled "Ghost of Tsushima: Legends" was released in late 2020. Players can access this mode from the menu or by reaching the NPC Gyozen the Storyteller in the single-player campaign, which will transport the player to "Legends" multiplayer lobby. Unlike the single-player campaign, "Legends" is based on Japanese mythology, featuring otherworldly realms and supernatural enemies. "Legends" features four classes: The samurai is the group's tank character who can deal and sustain a large amount of damage, the hunter is the group's sniper who specializes at using ranged weapons such as bows and arrows, the "rōnin" has the ability to summon dogs to aid combat and revives the group, and the assassin can deal a massive amount of damage with one attack and has the "Shadow Strike" ability which allows them to teleport short distances. As the player plays more matches and progresses in the game, they will earn "rank" which allows them to unlock class-specific upgrades and cosmetic items. A player's combat performance is dictated by the "Ki" level of their gear. The higher the player's overall "Ki" level, the more lethal they are, making them better at completing missions with higher difficulty levels. "Legends" features a variety of game modes:


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The protagonist Jin Sakai (Daisuke Tsuji / Kazuya Nakai) is the head and sole remaining member of Clan Sakai and a samurai warrior. He is the nephew and ward of Lord Shimura (Eric Steinberg / Akio Ōtsuka), the "jitō" of Tsushima. He meets several friends and companions, including a thief named Yuna (Sumalee Montano / Yu Mizuno), her blacksmith brother Taka (Eddie Shin / Kappei Yamaguchi), a female warrior named Lady Masako Adachi (Lauren Tom / Mabuki Ando), renowned "Kyūdō" archer Sensei Sadanobu Ishikawa (François Chau / Shigeru Chiba), merchant and con artist Kenji (James Hiroyuki Liao / Setsuji Sato), Buddhist warrior monk Norio (Earl T. Kim / Mitsuaki Kanuka), Clan Sakai's elderly caretaker Yuriko (Karen Huie / Yuri Tabata), and Jin's childhood friend and leader of the infamous Straw Hat "rōnin", Ryuzo (Leonard Wu / Youhei Tadano). The main antagonist is the ruthless and cunning General Khotun Khan of the Mongol Empire (Patrick Gallagher / Tsutomu Isobe), cousin of Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: In 1274, a Mongol fleet led by Khotun Khan invades the Japanese island of Tsushima. Local samurai Lord Jin Sakai and his uncle Lord Shimura lead the island’s samurai in an attempt to repel the invaders. However, the battle ends in disaster with the samurai killed, Shimura captured, and Jin severely wounded and left for dead. He is found and revived by Yuna, a thief, who informs him that the island has fallen to the invaders. Jin storms Khotun's stronghold at Castle Kaneda in an attempt to rescue Shimura, but is defeated by Khotun in combat and thrown off of the castle bridge.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Realizing he cannot defeat the Mongols alone or with traditional samurai tactics, Jin travels around the island to recruit allies and learns guerilla warfare. He recruits Yuna, her blacksmith brother Taka, sake merchant Kenji, master archer Sadanobu Ishikawa, female samurai Masako Adachi, and his mercenary friend Ryuzo along with Ryuzo's Straw Hat "rōnin". As Jin disrupts Mongol activities and liberates villages across the island, the people begin to refer to him as "The Ghost", a samurai spirit that has risen against the Mongols. Taka crafts a grappling hook for Jin to scale Castle Kaneda’s walls, and Jin attacks the site with his allies. Destitute and starving due to harsh wartime conditions, Ryuzo and the Straw Hats betray Jin to collect the bounty issued on him by Khotun. Jin manages to fend them off, free Shimura, and retake Castle Kaneda. Despite their victory, Khotun has already left to conquer Castle Shimura with Ryuzo.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: To retake Castle Shimura, Jin recruits Norio, Norio's warrior monks, and the Yarikawa Clan. He also recruits local pirate Goro on Shimura's behalf to carry a petition for reinforcements and a request to be adopted as his heir to the Shogun. With a new army being assembled, Jin recovers his family's ancestral armor from caretaker Yuriko, who teaches him how to create poison. Under orders from Shimura, Jin and Taka try to infiltrate a fortress where Ryuzo is located but are ambushed and captured by Khotun. When Jin refuses to submit to his rule, Khotun kills Taka. Jin then escapes with Yuna’s help. The Shogun's reinforcements arrive and Shimura leads the assembled army in an assault on Castle Shimura, driving the Mongols into the inner keep. As the Mongols retreat, they detonate explosives on the bridge leading to the inner courtyard, inflicting huge casualties on the advancing samurai.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Knowing that another frontal attack would only result in more losses, Jin decides to infiltrate the keep and sneak poison into the Mongols' "airag". He also encounters and kills Ryuzo after he refuses to surrender. However, he again misses Khotun, who has left to campaign further north. Despite the castle being taken without the samurai suffering any further losses, Shimura is furious with Jin, as his actions have severely violated the samurai code of honor. Knowing the Shogun will have Jin executed for insubordination, Shimura urges him to use Yuna as a scapegoat, but Jin refuses and embraces his persona as "The Ghost". Shimura regretfully has Jin arrested for treason. With some help from his remaining allies, Jin manages to escape captivity, but his horse is fatally shot by archers in the process. Jin travels north and learns that the Mongols have learned how to craft his poison, which they intend to use in their assault on the Japanese mainland. Before gathering his allies and assaulting Khotun's final stronghold in Port Izumi, Jin leaves a note for Shimura in his castle asking him to join the effort with the samurai, which he does. With the bulk of the Mongol forces distracted, Jin infiltrates the port and kills Khotun on his flagship.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: With Khotun dead, the Mongol invasion loses its momentum and the tide turns in favor of the samurai. Shimura informs Jin that the Shogun considers him a threat to the island's stability and status quo of obedience of the people to their leaders. He states that the Shogun has therefore disbanded Clan Sakai and ordered Shimura to kill Jin. Reminiscing about what they have both lost, Jin and Shimura reluctantly duel each other, with Jin emerging victorious. Jin has the option to either kill Shimura to give him a proper warrior's death or to completely abandon the samurai code and spare his life. Regardless of the decision, Jin becomes the enemy of the Shogun.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Sometime after his duel with Shimura, Jin comes across a community of villagers who have been driven insane by a poison described as "sacred medicine". It was administered to them by a warband of Mongols whom Jin has never previously encountered: members of the Mongolian Eagle Tribe, led by Ankhsar "The Eagle" Khatun (Anzu Lawson). Defeating the warband, Jin learns that Khatun is engaged in a conquest of Iki Island, where his late father Kazumasa had once led an unsuccessful military campaign against the island's raiders. The samurai withdrew from the island after Kazumasa was ambushed and killed by the raiders. Jin was there during the campaign as a boy; he witnessed his father's death and still blames himself for not saving him. Made cognizant of this new threat to Tsushima, Jin sails to Iki Island to stop Khatun and face his past.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: A thunderstorm destroys Jin's boat, but he survives and eventually arrives on Iki. Discovering Khatun's base to be his father's former stronghold, Fort Sakai, Jin storms the fort but is subdued and captured by Khatun's second-in-command, Khunbish. He and Khatun force-feed Jin the "sacred medicine" in an attempt to convert him into one of the tribe's shamans. The poison causes Jin to frequently hallucinate visions of Khatun, his deceased father, and many of his past failures. He is rescued by the raider Tenzo, who reluctantly accepts Jin's help and takes him to the raiders' leader, Fune. Jin works with the raiders to weaken Khatun’s hold over the island, eventually retaking Fort Sakai and killing Khunbish. After fending off retaliation by Khatun’s forces, Jin hears Tenzo say "may your death benefit all beings" to a dying Mongol — the same phrase a masked raider spoke to Kazumasa before killing him. Realizing that Tenzo killed his father, Jin nearly kills Tenzo before controlling his anger. He proposes re-enacting the ambush that killed his father in order to lure out Khatun and ultimately kill her. Although suffering from near-continuous hallucinations, Jin overcomes the effects of the "sacred medicine" by acknowledging his father's faults and at last coming to terms with his death. Jin kills Khatun in a duel, turning the tide in the raiders' favor. Jin and Tenzo forgive each other before parting ways.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: "Ghost of Tsushima" was developed by Sucker Punch Productions, which had a staff count of 160 at the time of development. Development of the game started in 2014 after the studio completed "Infamous Second Son" and its expansion, "". After working on the "Infamous" series for nine years, the studio believed that it was time to create something new. During the conceptualizing phase, the studio decided to create an open world game with a heavy emphasis on melee combat. Before deciding on the setting as feudal Japan, Sucker Punch considered various other settings and themes such as pirates, Scottish outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor, and The Three Musketeers. They later found a historical account of the Mongol invasion of Tsushima in 1274 and "the entire vision clicked into place." In 2020, a prototype for one of Sucker Punch's cancelled projects, "Prophecy", was leaked. Set in a steampunk setting, "Prophecy" featured gameplay elements that were later carried over to "Ghost of Tsushima". Sucker Punch worked on the game for six years, the longest ever for a game developed by the studio. The game's development was completed on June 22, 2020, with Sucker Punch confirming it had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for release. Nate Fox served as the game director, while Jason Connell was the creative director and art director.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The Mongol invasion of Tsushima was chosen as the setting because the conflict was "easy for people to immediately conceptualize". As the Mongols at the time had the world's most advanced military, there were high stakes that required Jin, and therefore the player, to intervene. To ensure that the game's world was authentic, the team consulted SIE Japan Studio, a fellow Sony game development team, early in the game's development. Japan Studio was excited about the idea and helped fly approximately 10 members of Sucker Punch to Japan and Tsushima Island for a 10- or 11-day guided tour with a historian. The team visited Japan twice to research Tsushima, once during the summer and again in November, during the anniversary of the invasion. Japan Studio also helped connect Sucker Punch with historians who the team consulted on the history of the invasion and local Japanese customs and traditions. Experts on Japanese dialects, religions during the 13th century, and the recreation of 13th century kanji were also consulted. The team invited Ide Ryusetsu and Kuwami Masakumo Shike, experts from a samurai martial arts school, to perform motion capture for the game and advise the team on sword-fighting. Seattle-based historical sword fighting expert David Ishimaru was also involved in the creation of the game's combat style. While the team initially considered introducing real-life historical figures into the game, they refrained from doing so after being told by experts that it would be insensitive. Jin's samurai armor and katana are not historically accurate, with his armor based on that of the Sengoku period during the 16th and 17th centuries. According to Chris Zimmerman, one of Sucker Punch's cofounders, samurai armor from the 13th century was "jarring looking" and did not align with players' expectations of what samurai armor would look like. The katana was included in the game since it was considered to be the "quintessential icon of samurai". One of the game's Japanese localizers also suggested to the developers that the game's "haiku" side quest be replaced with a less anachronistic waka side quest, but this was rejected based on the relative recognizability of haiku outside Japan.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: One of the core objectives of the developers was to have strong and well-developed characters. Unlike the "Infamous" games, "Ghost of Tsushima" does not have a character karma system. Its absence allowed the team to tell a more cohesive story which better reflected Jin's transformation from a honorable samurai to a legendary warrior who must sacrifice everything he knows about honor and tradition in order to save Tsushima. Instead of the player being presented with binary choices as in "Infamous", the world and characters react dynamically to Jin's choices in the story, either disapproving of his actions or encouraging them. The team believed that the story would be relatable, as they considered Jin's journey of relinquishing who he was to "become something new" a universal message that would resonate with modern-day players. Despite this, the player can still switch between the ghost style and samurai style seamlessly, as Jin's roots as a samurai do not change despite his transformation to become the ghost. While the game does not have a karma mechanic, the weather in Tsushima Island becomes more stormy when the player uses ghost techniques more frequently. The game's antagonist, Khotun Khan, does not undergo any transformative change. While he is a ruthless invader, he has a "bureaucratic aspect" as he attempts to conquer Tsushima Island with minimal bloodshed. Patrick Gallagher joined the cast in 2017 and prepared for the role as Khotun Khan by watching "The Godfather" and drawing on his experience portraying Attila the Hun in "Night at the Museum".


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: While Fox said that the game was "entirely grounded in reality", the team took the liberty to create a fictional narrative. The initial real-world Mongol invasion was foiled by a hurricane, and the team acknowledged this with Jin's katana which is engraved with storm wind designs. "13 Assassins" from Takashi Miike and films directed by Akira Kurosawa such as "Seven Samurai", "Sanjuro", "Yojimbo", "Red Beard", and "Ran", served as major sources of inspiration for the team. The ending of "Sanjuro" directly inspired the game's "standoff" gameplay feature, in which a warrior must wait for their counterpart to make their first move and then kill them with one strike. The team tried to replicate the samurai code depicted in "Seven Samurai" in the game. Additionally, the team reached out to the Kurosawa Estate in order to use the director's name for their black-and-white gameplay mode. The comic book series "Usagi Yojimbo", which features a soft-mannered rabbit samurai solving various problems for ordinary citizens, also influenced the team. Fox read this comic series when he was working on the "Sly Cooper" games. The last name of the game's protagonist was a tribute to Stan Sakai, the creator of "Usagi Yojimbo". A number of video games also inspired the development team: many of the game's items were inspired by "Tenchu", while the option to play as both the ghost and an honorable samurai was influenced by "". "Karateka" and "Red Dead Redemption" were also cited as sources of inspiration.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: "Ghost of Tsushima" was designed to be a challenging game. Jin is frequently outnumbered by his enemies, and basic enemies can kill Jin fairly quickly. The team hoped that through the game's difficult combat, players would grow more appreciative of minor incremental growth. Fox stated that the three pillars of the game's combat were "mud, blood, and steel". The team wanted the game to be grounded, visceral and challenging. Fox added that they strove to keep swordfights deadly so that each combat encounter would be reminiscent of those seen in samurai movies. The combat system was reportedly the most difficult feature to implement in "Ghost of Tsushima", as the team had to build multiple versions of it and modified its design frequently during the game's development. Early playtesters complained that the enemies were "sword sponge" (i.e., they absorbed a large amount of damage before they died), breaking immersion. The team responded to this criticism by adding "hit points" and "armor points", but ultimately decided that all enemies would be defeated within a certain number of hits. Health of enemies would not change regardless of the selected difficulty. Instead, enemies would adopt more defensive tactics such as parrying and blocking at higher difficulties. Early prototypes of this design was described as overkill, as enemies would deflect all attacks. As a result, the stagger system, which allowed players to break their enemies' defenses while remaining offensive, was introduced. The team allowed combat to take longer in the game's 1v1 duels, as players likely expected them to be boss fights and these encounters could not end too quickly. The ghost weapons were designed to be "exceedingly lethal" and generally more effective than the samurai weapons. This further complemented the story and Jin's emotional dilemma between maintaining samurai honor and saving the island through dishonorable means. While players may enjoy playing the ghost path, the narrative would remind them that these techniques are dishonorable and loathed. Fox compared the Mongol enemies to packs of wolves which attacked the players from all sides. He further likened the game's combat to a dance, in which the player must seamlessly "weave between Mongol swords" as multiple enemies attack simultaneously.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: One of the goals of the studio was to create a "beautiful, serene, and nature-filled open world feudal Japan". During the game's reveal at Paris Game Week, Connell went off the script to announce that the game would not feature any waypoint mechanics and that the game's exploration would be primarily driven by the player's curiosity. This announcement was unexpected to the team, and they had to add additional features in order to fulfill Connell's promise. Sucker Punch strived to ensure that the game had moments of calm in which players can slow down and be fully immersed in the world. This is achieved through having a minimalistic head-up display, nature-guided objectives, and relaxing open world activities that are not tied to progression or the overarching story. Side-quests in the game were likened to an anthology of stories, and Jin meets characters who are simply trying to survive the brutality of war. Connell added that ultimately, the studio wanted players to get lost in the team's recreation of feudal Japan.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The team decided early on that "wind blowing around literally everything in the world" would be "Ghost of Tsushima"s "visual calling card". This was inspired by early Chanbara samurai films, which often feature movement in the background in the form of dust, smoke and wind. The team took one and half years to ensure that foliage other objects would react properly to wind. The team initially added icons and a compass to the game to aid the player's navigation, but they realized they spent an excessive amount of time looking at them and ignored the in-game world itself. The team then decided to use wind to guide players to their objectives, forcing the player to observe the world. The team took about a week to create the feature and spent roughly another year further refining it. While implementing the feature, they were inspired by "Shadow of the Colossus", in which the player is shown the direction of their objectives when they hold up their sword. Connell added that "nature is a symbol for Jin's home", and guidance using wind served as an important tool for players to "connect" with Jin's home. According to Fleming, guiding winds also evoked a feeling that "nature herself is on [the player's] side". This aligned with real-world history as well, as Mongol forces were decimated by a typhoon that was seen by the Japanese as "divine wind" sent to protect their home. Many of the game's particle effects and systems were imported from previous "Infamous" games.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The team did not intend to create a one-to-one recreation of Tsushima Island. While the in-game landmass is geographically the same shape as that of Tsushima Island, Sucker Punch took the liberty of creating the game's individual biomes, ensuring that each region is artistically distinct. This allowed the team to create a unique identity for each area, allowing players to recognize them easily even when viewed from afar. This is achieved through the use of bold and vibrant colors when modelling nature. The team also chose the dominant foliage in each area and significantly exaggerated its presence, creating "little pockets of massive boldness and beauty". For instance, the team focused on orange and yellow hues for the trees when they were creating the Golden Forest, one of the game's locations, instead of including all the types of trees that would realistically grow there. Connell described these locations as one's imagination of what an area would look like and "the perfect photographer's dream". Fox added that the landscape featured in the in-game island is more diverse than its real-world counterpart, as the team also incorporated the aesthetics of mainland Japan when they were recreating Tsushima Island.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: According to Fleming, "everything in Japan tends to celebrate negative space". As a result, the team pushed for simplicity from the design of the game's architecture and interiors to the minimalistic HUD. Connell added that the art and environment teams had a hard time switching to "Ghost of Tsushima" after working for nine years on the "Infamous" games, which features a "punk rock" visual style. "Shadow of the Colossus" and "" both inspired the game's minimalistic landscape and aesthetic, though the team strived to have more photorealistic visuals to highlight the game's picturesque setting. Much of the game was designed to be "serene" and "tranquil" so that it more sharply contrasted with moments of violence throughout the game's combat and story. The game also features a black-and-white filter mode named "Kurosawa mode" in order to pay tribute to the late director. To design this mode, the team playtested the game repeatedly using features commonly found in accessibility modes designed for colorblind individuals.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Jin's armors were heavily inspired by the armor designs of the Kamakura and Heian periods. These armors were designed to be bulky and colorful, radiating "a sense of regality" while contrasting with the darker and more agile ghost outfit. The team intentionally avoided the traditional assassin design in which characters are dressed in all-black fully-cloth clothing for the ghost outfit in order to make it appear more realistic. Parts of some outfits, such as capes and tassels, respond to the wind, further connecting the player and Jin to the game's world. Peasant recruits wear leftover armor and have a more ragtag appearance than typical samurai characters. Peasants frequently wear clothes with geometric patterns that reflect their origins. For instance, people living on Northern Tsushima wear clothes with snowflake patterns. The game's antagonist, Khotan Khan, has two armors, one of which is completely void of color and angular in shape to further signify his oppression and brutality.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Brad Meyer served as the game's audio lead. To record the sound of swordfighting, the team used sword blanks previously used in recording sessions for "God of War", which was developed by Santa Monica Studio, another Sony developer. According to Meyer, the team spent a lot of time "scraping them against each other, clanging them together, swinging them, suspending them from the ceiling and spinning them around" in order to record interesting sounds. The team also used them to cut through fruits, vegetables, and cloth to create the sound of a sword cutting through a human body. Combat sounds are deemphasized when the player is exploring and not engaged in combat. Jin's wind chimes were recorded using a Japanese "fūrin". The black-naped oriole was chosen as the game's guide bird because it can be found in Japan and Meyer had the opportunity to record its sound during a vacation in Sri Lanka in 2018. The audio and music system was initially based on that of "Infamous Second Son", in which combat music will gradually intensify over three different states. However, due to additional gameplay elements found in "Ghost of Tsushima" such as ghost stance and standoff, the team was required to create additional states for the combat music.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: British composer Ilan Eshkeri wrote the game's music. Eshkeri extensively researched Japanese musical styles in the 13th century, including "Gagaku", Shōmyō Buddhist chanting, and the "biwa hōshi". A group of consultants also helped translate lyrics written in English to Japanese. Eshkeri was approached by the team after they listened to his work on "Coriolanus". The team was particularly impressed with how he was able to recreate Japanese music using western instruments. Eshkeri was initially hesitant since he was not familiar with scoring music for fighting games, but he agreed after being briefed on the game's narrative. Eshkeri learned Japanese scales, played Japanese instruments, and listened to music from Tsushima Island. He also met with Junko Ueda, one of the few surviving musicians who can play a "biwa", an instrument used by samurai in the past. It was used in the recording of "The Way of the Ghost", Jin's personal theme. Several ancient Japanese melodies, including "The Tale of the Heike", were also quoted and rearranged by Eshkeri. However, he deliberately avoided listening to the musical scores of Kurosawa's films in order to keep his music original. The most difficult track for Eshkeri to write was the one for the final battle, as the track needed to be simultaneously action-packed and emotional. Eshkeri ultimately wrote double the amount of music that was actually needed. The game also features five musical suites by Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi, who was responsible for creating the game's exploration music. The full soundtrack of the game was released on July 17, 2020. A four-track remix EP titled "Sound of the Storm – Ghost of Tsushima Soundtrack: Reimagined" features contributions from TOKiMONSTA, Tycho, The Glitch Mob and Alessandro Cortini. It was released on July 10, 2022, via Milan Records.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The game's marketing campaign began in October 2017 when a trailer was shown at Sony Interactive Entertainment's Paris Games Week press conference. Sony opted not to announce the title too early since many of the game's systems were tentative and subject to change. A gameplay demo was shown at E3 2018 along with a live shakuhachi performance by Cornelius Boots. The game was released for PlayStation 4 on July 17, 2020, having been delayed from its original June 26 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sucker Punch announced four editions: standard, digital deluxe, special, and a collector's edition. Different editions came bundled with different collectors' items as well as in-game items, equipment, and unlocked abilities, in addition to a bonus for pre-ordering the game. Sony also partnered with the Tourism Board of Tsushima Island and the Nagasaki Prefecture to launch a website that educates readers on the history and culture of the real-life Island. Art prints, produced by Cook & Becker, were released in November 2020.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: A multiplayer expansion titled "Ghost of Tsushima: Legends", was released on October 16, 2020, alongside the addition of a new game plus feature to the base game. Unlike the main game, "Legends" features prominent supernatural elements drawn from Japanese mythology. While "Legends" was introduced as a post-launch update, Sucker Punch decided early on that some form of cooperative gameplay would be included in the final game. Development of the mode started in 2016, and the studio experimented for six months to a year when designing the multiplayer mode. The team ultimately chose supernatural elements as the focal point of "Legends", which gave the team more creative freedom when they were designing the characters and their abilities. A storyteller character was introduced to tie the mode thematically back to Jin's journey and the world of Tsushima. According to Darren Bridge, the senior game designer leading "Legends" development, the visual style of "Legends" was unrefined until the final nine months of the expansion's development. The final boss fight was also completed relatively late in the game's development, with the team once considering delaying its addition or completely removing it from the game. In December 2020, "Legends" introduced four character outfits based on other PlayStation franchises: "Bloodborne", "God of War", "Horizon Zero Dawn", and "Shadow of the Colossus". "Legends" received a standalone release on September 3, 2021, and was one of the free games offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers in March 2022.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: Sucker Punch released "Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut" on August 20, 2021, for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 5 version includes exclusive features such as full Japanese lip sync, haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, 3D audio support, dynamic 4K resolution, and decreased loading times. The PlayStation 5 version also includes an expansion in which Jin visits Iki Island to stop a Mongol tribe led by a shaman named Ankhsar Khatun. The size of "Iki Island" is similar to Act One of the main game, and players can access the island once they have reached Act Two of the main story. Iki Island is drastically different from Tsushima Island as it is mostly populated with bandit, raider, and criminal NPCs. When designing Iki Island, the team continued to use bold colors, though it used a different color palette so that players could easily differentiate between it and the main Tsushima Island. According to the team, the story also delves into Jin's past and the history of Clan Sakai, exploring a different viewpoint of the Mongol invasion. "Iki Island" also added new combat skills, such as the ability for the player's horse to charge at enemies, new side quests and open world activities including visiting animal sanctuaries where Jin can pet various animals, and music composed by Chad Cannon and Bill Hemstapat, both of whom had previously worked with Umebayashi for the arrangement and orchestration of "Tsushima's suite". An armor set inspired by Aloy from "Horizon Forbidden West" was added to "Director's Cut" in February 2022. In April 2022, Sucker Punch announced that they have stopped working on further patches and updates for both the main game and "Legends", as the studio shifted developmental resources to other projects.


title: Ghost of Tsushima

text: The game received "generally favorable" reviews according to the review aggregator Metacritic. It received a combined 40/40 score from four editors of the Japanese video game magazine "Famitsu", the third Western-developed game to do so. It also received praise from Toshihiro Nagoshi, the director of the "Yakuza" series, who applauded Jin as the game's protagonist, adding that Japanese studios were unlikely to greenlight a game starring a middle-aged man due to marketing reasons. Fox and Connell were named as tourism ambassadors to Tsushima Island in March 2021 for spreading "the name and history of Tsushima through their works".