In "Ghost of Tsushima" and its new work "Ghost of Mount Yotei", being able to pet foxes is one of the few comforts left to players by developer "Sucker Punch" in this brutal Japanese historical game - but don't be fooled by the cute little faces and orange fluff of the foxes.In the 17th century (the era when the game is set), stroking their fur was a harmless thing, but outside the time and space where the story of "The Ghost of Mount Yotei" takes place, foxes in Japan have become untouchable in reality and may even be deadly.

Because they have parasites!Parasite!According to Japanese media reports, it is this "tragedy" in reality that makes some Hokkaido residents worry that "The Ghost of Mount Yotei" may cause outsiders to misunderstand the real Ezo red fox.What's more, the face of the real Ezo red fox is smaller and more delicate, and the color of its fur is brighter than freshly squeezed orange juice... (Oh, sorry, I was confused by cute animals just now. You see - this is the problem.)

Ezo red foxes are especially cute like little cakes in winter, but in reality you must not touch them.Unfortunately, they are hosts for the Echinococcus tapeworm, a parasite that can be transmitted to humans and form organ cysts in the body.You may think this is scary enough, but what's even scarier is that once these cysts rupture, they can cause fatal anaphylactic shock.

Think about it – a cyst that ruptures in your gut, or a parasitic cyst.So, don’t touch the fox in reality other than “The Ghost of Mount Yotei”.A Japanese biologist said that this game "restores historical details very well and can be called a model of historical research."

He explained on Twitter: "The Echinococcus tapeworm is said to have been brought to Hokkaido with foxes introduced from the Kuril Islands in the 1920s. It is an artificially introduced species. However, it was not until the 1980s that the disease caused by this parasite was confirmed throughout Hokkaido, so this is actually a relatively recent occurrence."

"The story of the game is set in 1603, when foxes in Hokkaido did not yet carry the Echinococcus tapeworm." If the parasite had existed at that time, "The Soul of Mount Yotei" would probably be a completely different game.