Quick Links
From the moment the game begins, it’s clear whatGhost of Tsushimawants to be. Even more than just a samurai action game,Ghost of Tsushimasets out to turnclassic samurai cinema into an interactive experience. Every bloody cut, every gut-wrenching scream is shown with cinematic glee. It’s clear that while Sucker Punch Productions didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel with this game, they certainly set out to create the most beautiful and authentic homage to a subject and medium they obviously have tremendous affection for.
Ghost of Tsushima’sprologue and first mission, “The Warrior’s Code,” set the stage for the story ahead, introducing players to Jin Sakai, a samurai in service to Lord Shimira. The two men are preparing to face down the Mongol invasion of Tsushima, a seemingly impossible task given the small force they have mustered. From the outset, the player will notice the importance of an honorable fight to the Japanese,and how little it meant to Khotun Khan, the leader of the invading Mongol forces. These three men; Sakai, Shimura, and Khan, will form the three pillars of the story that unfolds.
Related:Games To Play If You Liked Ghost Of Tsushima
Ghost of TsushimaPrologue Walkthrough
Surviving the Battle:
Ghost of Tsushima’s prologue does not believe in making players wait long to get into the action. After a brief scene that establishes the basic set up of the story, Jin Sakai and Lords Shimura will charge into the invading Mongol forces. Much of this section acts as a tutorial forGhost of Tsushima’s fighting mechanics.
Jin must fight through several waves of Mongol enemies before charging up a steep hill with Lord Shimura. At this point both Jin and Shimura will be captured. Jin is left for dead and Shimura is given the classic red herring death treatment.
Recovering Jin’s Sword and Armor:
Jin will wake up on the edge of a nearby village, the sounds of a Mongol raiding force fill the air. He must quietly make his way through the small town, avoiding any danger before he has his sword.
Following the path will lead Jin to the first house, which the mission prompts him to search. He will notice that another warrior was sharpening their sword, but his sword is nowhere to be found. Across from the sharpening station, Jin will find his armor. Though broken, it provides better protection than nothing at all.
Now that Jin has his armor, he must find his sword. As Jin tries to exit the house, he is immediately stopped by Yuna, a new character whose remarks lead Jin to believe she is the one who saved him. After dealing with a Mongol warrior looking for food, Yuna will tell Jin to follow her if he wants his sword.
This section will serve as a tutorial forGhost of Tsushima’s basic stealth mechanics, explaining the enemy sight meter. Follow Yuna under another building to reach the next cutscene. Jin explains to Yuna that he is Lord Shimura’s nephew, and Yuna realizes she has saved Jin Sakai. She explains that Lord Shimura was taken prisoner by the Mongols, and was alive when she last saw him. Yuna admits to Jin that she needs his help, but is cut off before she can explain why. Continue to follow Yuna through the village, avoiding contact with the Mongols.
Follow Yuna across the courtyard. As long as Jin waits and moves with her, he will not get spotted. When prompted, climb up onto the rooftops until reaching a small room. Here the game introduces the simple looting mechanic, tasking Jin with collecting small caches of ‘supplies.’ When examined from a distance, the various objects that can be picked up will lightly flash. As Jin gets close enough, he will see the R2 prompt that allows him to collect an item. There are several caches upstairs and down, collect them all to clear the mission task.
Yuna and Jin will reach the house with Jin’s sword immediately after the supplies segment. Go in through the front window, collect the few supplies lying on the ground, and proceed to the small stash in the back. Here, Jin will find his sword. Right after retrieving the sword, the game cuts to a combat tutorial.
Flashback Combat Tutorial:
This segment, despite being a combat tutorial, is extremely important to the story. A much younger Jin appears to have been in a fight, and his uncle, Lord Shimura, vows to teach him to master his blade by controlling his emotions.Ghost of Tsushima’s dialogue optionsare introduced in this segment as well, providing Jin with two choices that do not alter the overall narrative, but allow for small fluctuations in the story. Here, the game treats the “Lure him in” option as the better choice for a samurai.
Aside from the basic combat techniques, with square as light attack and triangle as heavy attack, Jin learns how to use the resolve system. Three circles above his health bar represent Jin’s store of ‘resolve,’ which allow him to heal by pressing down on the d-pad.Parrying attacks and killing enemieswill be the primary means of gaining resolve in the early game.
Complete the tutorial by learning the parry technique, and how to deal with specialized weapons like the spear. Spear thrusts, which are indicated by a red X, cannot be parried. Use the dodge to quick attack technique to quickly dispatch spear wielding enemies.
The lesson will conclude with a sparring match between Jin and Lord Shimura. The first to five hits will win. Once this is over, Jin and Shimura will discuss the meaning of honor, and the difficulty of living up to that meaning, which leads directly back to Jin holding his reclaimed sword in the present.
Related:PS4 And PS5 Games With Great Narratives
Fighting the First Mongol Enemy
As Jin returns from his memory, a Mongol enters the shack, speaking in a language he cannot understand. What is clear, however, is his lethal intent. Here, players will see just how deadlyGhost of Tsushima’s combat can be. Regardless of the difficulty level, enemies will go down very quickly, but so will Jin.
This Mongol is wielding a spear, so remember to use the dodge to quick attack technique. OnGhost of Tsushima’s ‘lethal’ difficulty, it will take just one slice to end the enemy.
Find and Choose a Horse
After fighting the first enemy, Yuna will lead Jin out of the village. They come across a small group of Mongols terrorizing villagers.Yuna recommends they use stealthto swiftly deal with their foes, but Jin will not hear of it. This is the first hint that the two have diametrically opposed ideologies, which will be a significant story point going forward.
Jin will take the enemies head on, with the game taking the moment to teach the player how to fight multiple enemies at once. Clear out the first and second groups of enemies to save the civilians being threatened
After seeing that Jin is willing to risk his life to save others, Yuna reveals that her brother Taka has been taken by the Mongols. Jin Agrees to find him after saving his uncle.
The next stop is the stables, which is defended by three Mongols. After defeating this group of enemies, Jin will choose his horse. This horse will be with Jin throughout most of the game, with no way to switch, so make sure to pick wisely. There is nothing unique about the horses beyond color. After choosing a horse, Jin will then pick a name. The basic options are as follows:
Horses:
Names:
Once the horse is chosen, Jin and Yuna will ride to Castle Kaneda to rescue Lord Shimura.
Facing Khotun Khan at Castle Kaneda
When they arrive at the castle, Yuna once again suggests a stealthy approach, which Jin promptly denies. He will not dishonor himself or his uncle by using backhanded techniques. He is a samurai, and he will fight like a samurai.
Upon approaching the castle, Jin will be introduced toGhost of Tsushima’s ‘Standoff’ technique. By holding up on the d-pad when prompted, Jin can fight a small group of soldiers in a staged sequence. Enemies will attack one at a time and can be cut down by holding triangle, then releasing just as they attack. The timing will vary between enemy types, and will get gradually more difficult as the game progresses. At this point, Jin can only fight a single enemy in a standoff sequence, but this number will increase later.
Jin and Yuna will make their way through the castle. At this point, the action is linear, and must be strictly followed.
Look for enemies crawling along the ground after they have been downed. When approached, a prompt will appear that will allow Jin to “End Suffering” by pressing the square button. This will provide a significant amount of resolve to Jin’s meter.
After the first few encounters, Jin and Yuna will split up. Continue on with the fight until reaching the bridge. Jin will encounter his first shied-carrying enemy along the path, simply use heavy attacks (the game says “tap triangle”) to break through their shielding for an attack opening.
Further on down the path, the game will teach Jin how to dodge arrows. Listen for the Mongol archers to call out before firing, using the left stick and circle button to dodge out of the way. After this, Jin will arrive at the bridge.
Use Standoff to begin the fight with the four Mongols on the bridge. Once they are defeated, Jin will face Khotun Khan.
From the outset, Jin is meant to lose this fight. Contrary to Khan’s taunts, this is not his time. Use the few techniques Jin has learned, but do not worry if no progress is made, as it is not possible to actually kill Khan at this point. Once Jin is defeated, he will be thrown from the bridge, setting him on the path to becoming the Ghost.
Related:Ghost of Tsushima 2 Has A High Bar Set For Open-World Activities
Funeral Interlude Walkthrough
Before the game opens up, Jin must first experience the flashback to his father’s funeral. This experience is mostly guided, with the player controlling Jin as he walks towards his father’s pyre. Jin meets several characters at this time that the player will not yet recognize, but who are significant to the upcoming story.Jin will have a conversation with Lord Shimuraat the top of the steps, which will lead back to the reveal that Jin survived the fall.
Wind Mechanic:
Jin falls to his knees, asking the spirit of his father - in the form of his sword - how he is supposed to save his uncle. A gust of wind arises and leads Jin to Yuna. Discussing the matter with Yuna, Jin begins to warm to the concept of doing whatever it takes to save his uncle. After hiding from several Mongol riders who appear to be hunting him, Jin decides he and Yuna must split up. This is where the Prologue ends and the game opens up.
Jin will not have access to a traditional mini-map with quest markers. Instead, when marking a location on the map, Jin can summon gusts of wind to point him in the right direction. Swipe up on th touchpad to use this unique mechanic.
A Note On Missions inGhost of Tsushima
After being set free inGhost of Tsushima’s open-world, Jin can choose which mission he begins first. The main story missions are under the “Jin’s Journey” banner, of which there are two choices: “The Warrior’s Code” and “The Tale of Sensei Ishikawa.” While this guide chooses to focus on “The Warrior’s Code” first, it is perfectly fine to choose differently. There will be severalchoices of this nature throughoutGhost of Tsushima.Look at the mission rewards to decide which quests to focus on.
“The Warrior’s Code” Walkthrough
Get the Traveler’s Attire and Gifts
Before Jin heads to the mission location, he should consider exploring a few of the locations on the map.Ghost of Tsushimais filled with several types of interactions, including helpful foxes that lead Jin to shrines that increase his active charm capacity.
The Golden Temple is an extremely useful location to visit early, giving Jin a fast-travel location in the region as well as access to each type of upgrade merchant. Approach the large tree in the center courtyard to unlock the “Gifts” mechanic, which periodically awards Jin with gear and upgrade materials. The Golden Temple often acts and an area hub, where Jin can gain helpful information from NPC’s. Look for the small talk bubble above an NPC’s head to know whom to speak to.
Another helpful item to acquire early isGhost of Tsushima’s Traveler’s Attire. This will give Jin a visual and audio cue when he is near specific items in the world. To acquire, simply go to the question mark between the first two mission markers. It will be a survivor camp setup on the ridge of a small hill. Speak to the merchant, and he will give Jin the unique outfit.
Related:All The Evidence Of A Ghost Of Tsushima Sequel Being In The Works
Begin “The Warrior’s Code”
Jin must head to the location on the map that features Yuna’s face, which is just west of the Jade Hills region of the map. The mission will be centered around rescuing Yuna’s brother Taka from his Mongol captors.
As Jin approaches, he will hear Yuna fighting and killing several Mongols that had been terrorizing a family. Speak to her to begin the mission. She will inform Jin that several prisoners were spotted upriver.
“The Warrior’s Code” - Mongol Prison Camp Part 1
Mission Objective 1:
Jin and Yuna will ride on horseback to their destination. Jin can set the pace by using the wind to guide them.
Mission Objective 2:
Upon reaching their destination, Jin and Yuna will go over the strengths and weaknesses of the Mongol camp’s defenses. The player must line up the white circles visible on-screen to reveal a specific point of interest. Jin and Yuna decide to wait until it is dark to sneak in.
Mission Objective 3:
Sneak into the camp through the hole in the fence. Jin will agree to use stealth tactics to kill the Mongols.
Mission Objective 4:
Slowly approach the Mongol Soldier from behind. As Jin gets closer, a prompt will appear instructing him to press the square button to perform an assassination.
Flashback Sequence
Jin will remember back to an encounter he had while hunting with his uncle. The brief flashback serves as an extremely important reminder of the training Jin received from his uncle, and how the importance of honor was pressed into him from a young age. Play through the flashback to return to the present time.
“The Warrior’s Code” - Mongol Prison Camp Part 2
As Jin returns from the flashback, he and Yuna will move to the interior of the camp. Here, Jin will learn how to use “Focused Hearing” to survey his surroundings. To do this, press the touchpad button. Practice the mechanic to satisfy the mission objective, then use it to find each guard in the camp.
Using the new hearing mechanic, slowly move through the camp, assassinating the guards. Jin will be able to see through the tents to locate exactly where each Mongol is located. On the lower level of the camp, Jin will find a prisoner cage, though the dead body inside is not Taka.
Moving to the upper level of the camp, Jin will find a large tent with a large amount of supplies inside. While looting, make sure to grab the Mongol Artifact and Records.
MIssion Objective 2:
Kill the final Mongol outside the large tentand open the cage with the lone surviving prisoner. Speak to the man to learn anything about Taka’s whereabouts. Make sure to loot the camp before leaving to meet Yuna.
Mission Conclusion:
After realizing the prisoner was not Taka, Yuna and Jin learn that Taka has likely been taken to a much larger prison camp at Azamo Bay. Meet Yuna in Azamo to complete “The Broken Blacksmith.”
Ghost of Tsushimais available on PS4 and PS5.
