The Story
Ghost Of Tsushima is an action-heavy RPG that steps over the line between Samurai and Ninja Lifestyles. The Warrior “Jin Sakai” has been brought up to fight with honor and pride. however, dark times and an overwhelming Mongol Invasion forces a paradigm shift. Not only will he change in fighting style but in his mind heart and soul as well.
You will find yourself liberating much of your beloved island. The Khan has set his sights on your homeland. Can you defend the lands from invaders?
World Design
The Beauty of this game is reason enough to Replay it! Motion Capture allows the real faces of real actors to add authentic elements. Riding through poison flower fields into climbing around massive mountain shrines! Large lighthouses and curvaceous coves. Barren land to a beach of fallen samurai. Crouching and moving in “Focused Hearing Mode” (Where You Detect Nearby Enemies Via Sound) while you make your way through enemy camps OR climbing rooftops and sniping pissed-off soldiers.
Many seemingly slight details add character to this game – From seeing your brief breaths in the cold climate to huge helping gusts known as “Guiding Wind”. That’s the sort of value that has been brought to your system. From entirely destroyed towns to wavy flower fields, to guarded lighthouses, to cute foxes that lead you to their dens where you find crucial powerups. Foxes that lead you to upgrades.
The sounds and music are deeply integrated into the very flow of the game.
Warning Tones indicating approaching enemies or a harp hit for suicidal leaps off a slight snow path.
Difficulty / Combat Learning Curve
With a variety of optional assistance, gameplay can be as difficult as you want it to be.
If you hopped in towards the end of the game – you’d likely be overwhelmed. However, the game has you unlock different fighting stances by killing Mongol Leaders. This will take time and each of the 4 styles will slowly be introduced. Switching between them will take much practice AND skill points to power up those styles/extend combinations will take time as well. If you want to rush this game then i suggest you play it on easy + activate low-intensity combat in the gameplay options.
Patience and lighting fast timing will make efficient work of the invaders all while making you feel like a badass! They don’t fight fair and neither should you.
Tips And Tricks
Jump More. Specifically, jump over attacks. Other than Enormous Mongols or some with a spear – almost everything can be avoided by jumping AND you can get closer to them – within offensive reach! “Jump kick” will get swordmen off balance and open for a direct attack. OR you can jump to the side and set up your charge attack. You do not need to time blocking or dodging. Instead, stay on offense by proactively getting into place WHILE the enemy misses completely. Another major benefit is that you don’t stay in one place. Mongols historically attack in groups while samurai try to be a 1 man force. Don’t fall into that trap. Get distance and utilize a wealth of options. Explosive arrows that obliterate bunched-up groups. Kunai either kills 2-3 enemies or incapacitates them for 5-10 seconds opening them up for a death blow.
Toggle between various secondary weapons with L2 and R2
While switching you slow downtime but it isn’t long. You will have plenty of practice and continue getting new weapons for apx. 85% of the game.
Avoid Standoffs
When you get within shouting distance of a raiding party – The game will ask you if you want to challenge enemies to a one-on-one showdown. This requires impeccable timing and if you jump the gun/attack too soon then they get a free counter, which drops you down to 1HP, followed by everyone rushing at you. Not pretty and yet optional. Try it out if you want! I personally prefer the open area combat offered by simply not pressing Triangle when prompted.
Pay attention to the Weapons/Armor/Shields of Combatants
Switch stances accordingly. A “Piercing Strike” from the “Stone Stance” will likely take out a swordsman QUICK but won’t do a damn thing against someone with a shield. Each style is designed for a specific enemy type. So pay attention to the opps (each group is slightly different – widely so in the second and third regions) switch it up accordingly.
Follow golden birds
Who lead you towards maximum health-increasing baths and private conversations sometimes about your legendary status in the area and sometimes about the Mongols actions in the area.
Save Bound Villagers
After you defeat the group transporting him or her, you will be rewarded with supplies and exp.
When you are on the battlefield you will see glinting weapons but if you lead one or more enemies towards that spot. Blow them up or turn them against each other
This will alleviate the pressure of running out of limited yet dope items.
Run until he gets tired then roll once (this fills up the invisible endurance meter)
Stances
Water Stance has the longest combo in the game. “Flurry Strike” Is NOT just effective against Shieldmen. Rely on this stance more often and the battle will likely be smooth.
Add Charms to your armor: Go to “options” then to “gameplay”. Under the “difficulty settings, you will see “Enable Armor Loadouts” This is absolutely crucial if you want to customize your armor. It is not well explained in the game >if at all< and I didn’t figure it out until 30 hours in of gameplay.
The best charms and their locations:
- Charm of Fortune (Effects with a % chance to occur are 50% more likely to occur) Complete the “Peace of the divine” quest.
- Charm of dual destruction ( attacks have a 5% chance to do double damage) Complete the “Conspiritor” quest.
- Charm of Amaterasu (killing enemies restores a moderate amount of health)
- Mizu-No Kami (increases duration of Parry Window) Spring Falls Shrine.
- Charm of Tsukuyomi (enemies drop more loot) Scarlet Rock Shrine.
- Charm of advantage (ghost weapons deal 20% more damage) Complete the “Nattou and the sake seller” Quest.
- Charm of hidden blades (throw two additional kunai) Ariake Lighthouse. Potential game changer!
Bonus suggestion: Get into the theme of the game by bowing to random people especially when you visit graveyards
It’s in the Details
- Sheathing your sword after combat and angling the camera to see your character wipe the battle blood from your blade.
- Changing the tune of your flute
- Pet foxes that lead you to a blessing.
These are touchpad options for a reason. I don’t know you but I think you will enjoy the game more if you stray from the beaten path.
It took me 75 hours to finish the game but it could have taken me 35. I more than doubled my playing time because I felt like it. I enjoyed collecting the necessary goods to unlock every piece of vanity gear knowing the whole time that these would offer zero stat bonuses. You probably already bought the game anyway- this is just my view on a litany of reasons to really delve deep into the wonderland and horror show that is Tsushima!
Overall Rating / Recommendation
Anyone who played and enjoyed Assassins’ Creed: Origins or Assassins’ Creed: Odyssey, will find Ghosts quite similar but still unique.
Not for children or weak stomachs. Even if you go to the options and turn off blood, there’s still a significant amount of burnt bodies and saving slaves.
Mounted combat is absolutely horrendous UNLESS you use two explosive arrows on an unsuspecting group and then ride in with the finishing blows while they yell in agony.
Other than that you will probably get knocked off and swarmed.
Final Thoughts
I wish there was a Wider variety of bows and swords
You only get two of each for the whole game.
Everything IN the game is great but it would have been better if you could gather more of the Armor in the First Section of the island “Izuhara” (which is the lengthiest portion of the game) by the time you get the better armor you will be nearly done liberating the second piece of land “Toyotama”. The 3rd “Kamiagata” could be under four hours to play them again, I’m a completionist. If you only follow the main quests I suppose you could stretch the ending by doubling back to all the shrines and storytellers you skipped.
There’s definitely too much forced sneaking around. I almost quit the game at the beginning…. but thankfully I kept with it.
Pacing problems keep it from perfection but it’s still a phenomenal experience.
9.2 / 10