Ghost of Tsushima Game Guide

Ghost of Tsushima Game Guide

From the creators of Sly Cooper and Infamous, Sucker Punch Production is back with a whole new game: Ghost of Tsushima exclusively for the PS4. Set in Feudal Japan, the story centers around Jin Sakai, one of the last samurai on Tsushima Island after the Mongols began their first invasion of Japan. Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful open world that is yours to explore however you see fit - from adventuring to taking out Mongol camps to customizing your gameplay. 

 

Ghost of Tsushima Gameplay Tips

Ghost of Tsushima has a lot of options of things you can do from exploring to combat to story, so here are some key tips to help you the most while you play, especially starting early on.

  • It’s okay to focus on exploring first. Exploring and completing side quests instead of the main story will net you some really cool gear and experience that will help you in the story. We did some significant upgrades to our armor sets and katana before even finishing Act 1.

  • Clear out Mongol Camps to reveal the map. For one, it’ll net you some experience, legend status, and supplies, but once you clear all the camps it’ll remove the fog of war from the map! No more running around just to clear the fog of war. 

  • Use the wind to find items and locations. Early on you learn the wind will guide you to the objective, but you can also use it to find things like flowers once you get the Traveler’s Attire after speaking to a Merchant. You can also unlock the ability to find Hot Springs, Fox Dens/Inari Shrines, Bamboo Strikes, Pillars of Honor, Vanity Gear, etc via the wind.

  • Upgrade Stance Trees. Each stance gives you access to different abilities which are beneficial against different enemy types. You can easily swap between them during combat by holding R2 and pressing the corresponding facebutton. There are a lot of abilities you can upgrade including Parry and Evade trees - but don’t forget about Stances. 

  • Gain the Ronin, Samurai, and Tada Yori armor early on. Each of these sets have their own benefits that you can swap out depending on the combat situation or if you just want to look cool. 

    • Ronin armor comes from the Straw Hats mission and is great for stealth and melee combat.

    • Samurai armor you receive from helping Lady Masako and is great for additional health. 

    • Tada Yori armor you get from the Mythic Tale: The Legend of Tadayori that boosts your archery abilities. 

  • Choose how you want to play. The beauty of Ghost of Tsushima is that you can pick exactly how you want to play and change it up at any time. You don’t have to just parry and dodge, you can opt to stagger enemies instead or focus on archery or go the stealth assisnation route if that is more your thing. It’s yours to choose and you can enhance these with your armor sets. 

  • Observe Leaders before killing them. If you’re planning to take out a Mongol fortress or base, use your stealth and focused hearing to find someone practicing combat swings - it’ll be the Mongol Captain. Once you’re in range (and undetected!), it’ll prompt you to hold R2 and you’ll unlock an additional slot of progress towards learning stances before taking him out.

  • Unlock the Jump Roll. Unlocking this will allow you to roll when you jump off a ledge that isn’t too high and will negate damage taken. It’s great for exploring the various cliffs across the island. 


Ghost of Tsushima Combat 

Below are some key points to master your samurai combat skills. Combat in this game is very fluid and nuanced, almost like dancing once you get it right.

How to Parry

If you’re someone interested in parrying attacks, you need to focus on your timing. You can parry an incoming attack by pressing block (L1) right when an enemy swings at you. If done successfully, you will have an opening to attack before they regain their composure.

How to Dodge

At first, you’ll only be able to dash out of the way, but you can upgrade to roll out of the way. This is especially important if you see red gleams aka unblockable attacks, so you can dodge out of harm's way. 

How to Heal 

There are circles in the bottom left corner also known as your Resolve. You just need to press down on the D-Pad to heal, and it’ll use some of your Resolve. 

How to Replenish and Increase your Resolve

You can replenish your Resolve by parrying, assassinations, ending suffering, and other feats. To increase your max Resolve, you’ll want to find Bamboo Strikes to hone your skills through a series of button combos. You can also increase your Resolve as you increase your Legend. 

 

Play Better with SCUF

Just like Ghost of Tsushima allows you to tailor your gameplay as you see fit, you can customize your SCUF to how you like to play. 

One thing to note in Ghost of Tsushima - there is no lock-on system. This adds to the immersion and the feel of nuanced combat - but sometimes it makes looking around while fighting tricky.

If you particularly struggle with this, try adding some of your attacks and dodge onto your paddles. It may take some getting used to, but it’ll keep your thumb on the stick to look around; particularly useful if there are a lot of enemies around.

SCUF Infinty4PSPRO Ghost of Tsushima PS4 Controller SetupLearn More About SCUF INFINITY4PS PRO

SCUF IMPACT Ghost of Tsushima PS4 Controller SetupLearn More About SCUF IMPACT

Thumbsticks

To give you more control over your movement and looking around (due to the lack of a lock-on system mentioned above), we recommend using two short concave thumbsticks. You’ll be able to really dig in to have precise movement and viewing, but also be able to do so quickly.

Keep in mind that SCUF Thumbsticks are interchangeable, so you can test out different ones that best suit your playstyle.

High Performance Grip

While you’re playing for hours on end to explore Tsushima Island and fighting Mongols, high-performance grip will reduce slippage and increase comfort during long hours of play. Don’t let sweaty hands get in the way of your adventure. 


Save Tsushima Island

Take advantage of the tips throughout this guide to take back Tsushima from the Mongol Invasion. Enjoy exploring, killer combat, and being honorable in the latest samurai game for PS4, Ghost of Tsushima. Let us know how you’re enjoying this gorgeous game over on  Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook.