Ghost of Tsushima Guide: An Ultimate Resource

Ghost of Tsushima is an open world action game from Sony first party developer Sucker Punch. It’s a new property that’s set on the Japanese island of Tsushima in 1274, as the Mongol Empire invades. We gave the title an ‘Excellent’ score of 9/10 in our Ghost of Tsushima PS4 review, describing it as “one of the greatest open world games of the generation”.

And things have gotten even better with the release of Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, on both PS5 and PS4. Director’s Cut launched on the 20th August, 2021, just over a year after the original game’s release, and as of 16th May, 2024, can be purchased on PC. It includes PS5 and PC-exclusive features, as well as an all-new expansion that takes place on Iki Island.

In this Ghost of Tsushima guide, we’re going to share our beginner’s tips and tricks that’ll help you get to grips with this epic samurai adventure. We’ll also be linking to all of our Ghost of Tsushima location guides, which tell you where to find Hot Springs, Bamboo Strikes, Fox Dens, Haikus, Shinto Shrines, and Pillars of Honor.

We’ve even got guides on the game’s best armor, the best Charms, and the best Techniques to learn. Meanwhile, our difficulty settings guide is great for new players, as is our accessibility options guide.

Ghost of Tsushima Guide: All Locations

Ghost of Tsushima has an abundance of hidden locations for you to find all over its open world. We’ve listed all of the location types that you’ll want to find below.

Hot Springs are locations where main character Jin can take a bath and increase his maximum health.
Bamboo Strikes are locations where Jin can hone his sword skills. Complete a button input minigame and you’ll increase Jin’s maximum Resolve — a resource that’s needed to heal both in and out of combat. Resolve is also used to unleash special attacks.
Fox Dens are locations where you’ll find a friendly fox. Follow the fox and it’ll lead you to an Inari Shrine. Find enough Inari Shrines, and you’ll unlock new Charm slots, letting you customise Jin’s abilities further.
Haikus are locations where Jin can sit down and reflect upon different topics. You get to compose your own haiku — a kind of Japanese poem — about the topic at hand. Once you’re done, you’re gifted a unique cosmetic headband.
Shinto Shrines are locations where Jin will be tasked with climbing to an ancient prayer site. These locations involve platforming challenges, as Jin jumps, swings, and clambers his way to a picturesque peak. Completing these shrines grants you some powerful rare Charms.
Pillars of Honor are monuments where you’ll find cosmetic Sword Kits.
Lighthouses provide a boost to your Legend Rank when they’re rekindled.
Animal Sanctuaries are locations exclusive to Iki Island, the expansion included in Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. Finding them nets you some powerful Charms.
Memories of Your Father are playable glimpses of Jin’s past, which can be found at set locations around Iki Island, the Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut expansion.
Archery Challenges are activities where Jin can put his archery skills to the test. They’re exclusive to Iki Island.
Iki Island Wind Shrines are mysterious stone shrines where Jin must solve a riddle.

Locations

Ghost of Tsushima Guide: Character Progression

In this next part of our Ghost of Tsushima guide, we’re going to be covering character progression.

There are three main topics to consider:

Armor can be found across Tsushima, and different armor grants Jin different perks. Some armor is great for boosting your abilities in combat, with other armor enhances exploration.
Charms are accessories that can be found throughout the game. Some are more common than others, but all of them bolster Jin’s abilities in some way.
Techniques are abilities and perks that Jin can unlock with Technique Points.

Making good use of armor, Charms, and Techniques can transform Jin into a near unstoppable force. With that in mind, we’ve created the following guides to help you get the most out of Jin’s abilities:

Ghost of Tsushima Guide: Trophies, Hints, Help, and FAQs

In this part of our Ghost of Tsushima guide, we’ll go over Trophies, various hints, and some of the frequently asked questions that you may have about the game.