Why Is No One Talking About This Open-World Game That's Ghost of Tsushima Meets Death Stranding?

I cannot begin to count the number of days I have desperately searched for “games like Death Stranding” and “games like Ghost of Tsushima” on Google and come up with few genuinely inspiring offerings. Death Stranding’s deeply rewarding exploration, intense traversal across harsh landscapes, and yet oddly cozy delivery gameplay is something I am endlessly seeking more of. Similarly, the historical setting of Ghost of Tsushima, coupled with its gorgeous open-world and meaningful side content, feels like the gold standard within its genre.

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Finally, after years of tireless 3 am searches, I have stumbled across a game that is not just like either title, but in fact both of them simultaneously. This upcoming open-world game doesn’t just promise the cozy, traversal-focused, delivery sim elements of Death Stranding, but the stunning vistas and historical focus of Ghost of Tsushima. Yet, despite offering the best of both worlds, this game, which, in my opinion, has the potential to become one of the greatest open-world games ever made, is barely being discussed. I believe it is about time that changes and more people become aware of the genuinely compelling experience that is The Legend of Khiimori.

The Legend Of Khiimori Could Be The Next Best Open-World Game

The player sat on their horse overlooking the landscapes beyond in The Legend of Khiimori. — Image Courtesy of Mindscape

The Legend of Khiimori’s pitch to players is an intriguing one and, frankly, something that feels as if it were made specifically for me. Set in the 13th century untamed Mongolian wilderness, players must deliver precious cargo across a vast and picturesque open world, weather the challenging terrain, and survive ruthless attacks from wildlife. I’ve been fond of games centred around delivering packages, whether that’s one of the most criminally underrated indie games, the postal simulator Lake or the aforementioned Death Stranding, and, thankfully, The Legend of Khiimori appears to be hyper-fixated on its systems-driven approach to its delivery tasks.

You won’t just need to embark on a perilous journey with your cargo strapped to your back. You’ll need to find the right horse for the job (which you must first, of course, tame and breed), then you’ll need to balance the weight of your cargo so as to not tire your horse out faster, craft and bring the necessary resources to last the dangerous trip, and, most important of all, plot out your course. It is ostensibly bringing Monster Hunter-levels of preperation to a Strand-esque experience, a game that cares deeply about the journey as much as it does the destination.

Interestingly, The Legend of Khiimori isn’t the developer’s first rodeo with horses. Aesir Interactive is perhaps better known for its Windstorm series, of which Khiimori was once a part of before becoming its own thing. Aesir has a lot of experience with developing games centred not just around horses and horse riding, but also building a bond with said majestic creature. This is by far the most ambitious of its Windstorm projects, which, in my opinion, makes it all the more tantalizing, although, I’ll admit, leaves plenty of room for potential pitfalls and failures.

Ultimately, however, The Legend of Khiimori isn’t full of feature creep or overstepping within its chosen genre. It has a vast and beautiful open-world to explore, but it isn’t promising the same level of depth as, say Kingdom Come: Deliverance offers. There is combat akin to Ghost of Tsushima, but it is seemingly limited to sparse encounters against wildlife using your bow exclusively. Instead of promising the most intricate and complex open-world experience à la Crimson Desert, Khiimori is focused on delivering a unique experience within the oversaturated genre, one that, undeniably mixes influences from a range of experiences, but, should it be successful, will very much feel incredibly distinct.

The Legend Of Khiimori Is Releasing Very Soon

The player riding their horse through a mountain pass in The Legend of Khiimori. — Image Courtesy of Mindscape

The Legend of Khiimori is set to release into Early Access on March 3, 2026. While the mere mention of Early Access may ring alarm bells for some, I’ve advocated for its use specifically with this type of experience before, citing that the alternative to Early Access is ballooning budgets and isolated development, which, understandably, typically leads to lacklustre experiences. Should developer Aesir Interactive manage to offer an enthralling experience from the outset (which, based on currently available gameplay trailers, it will), then I suspect this could end up becoming a cult classic.

I’m glad we’re seeing more AA open-world experiences attempting to accomplish wildly different things becoming more common. The Legend of Khiimori enters a severely undersatured market alongside the likes of the unfortunately overlooked open-world masterpiece, The Knightling, the eurojank specialties of the now sadly defunct Piranha Bytes, JRPGs like Edge of Eternity, and upcoming indies including Sword Hero, Ardenfall, and more. At the very least, I’m grateful more developers are throwing their proverbial hat into the ring and attempting to create something ambitious in both scope and scale.