Ghost of Tsushima: Beginner's Guide

Getting Started in Ghost of Tsushima

You begin as Jin Sakai during the Battle of Komoda Beach, a Mongol assault that sets up the story. After the opening, you gain full control in Izuhara, the island's first major region. Liberating nearby Mongol camps earns supplies and Technique Points. Learn the standoff mechanic and spend points on Ghost tools early.

Core Mechanics to Master

Stone Stance (swordsmen) is available from the start; the other stances are unlocked by observing or killing Mongol leaders around the island, in the order Water (shieldmen), Wind (spearmen), Moon (brutes). Watch enemy weapon types before engaging and select the appropriate stance. Hold L1 to block, and tap L1 at the last moment before a blow lands to parry, which staggers most enemies and opens a counter. Attacks marked with a red flash are unblockable and must be dodged; attacks marked with a blue flash can be parried or dodged.

Best Early Upgrades

Ghost weapons: prioritise the Kunai and Smoke Bomb. Samurai skills: Heavy Attack Mastery (breaks guard) and Perfect Parry are useful early investments. Gather Iron from destroyed enemy camps to upgrade your Tanto (stealth kills) and Katana. The Gosaku's Armor set (rewarded from six Farmstead liberations) is a solid choice for Act 1.

Essential Tips

1. Follow the wind. On PlayStation, swipe up on the touchpad to summon the guiding wind toward your objective. On other controllers and PC the input differs, so check the controls menu.
2. Follow foxes from fox dens to Inari Shrines, which unlock more charm slots for your Omamori charms.
3. Use standoffs. A standoff is a direct confrontation: wait for the opponent to move first, then win with one strike.
4. Compose haiku and visit hot springs. Haiku reward headbands (head armour) and hot springs increase Jin's maximum health.

Early Boss Duel: General Temuge (Act 2)

General Temuge is fought in the courtyard of Yarikawa Stronghold during the Act 2 tale "The Ghost of Yarikawa". He carries a shield and often ignites his sword; while it burns, most of his attacks are unblockable and marked by a red glint, so dodge them (roll to put out flames if you catch fire). Water Stance works well against his shield. This is a sword duel, so Ghost weapons and the bow are not available — rely on parrying, dodging, stances and Samurai techniques. Finishing him unlocks Ghost Stance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Director's Cut worth it?
A: The Director's Cut includes the Iki Island expansion. On PS5 it adds full Japanese lip sync, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, 3D audio, dynamic 4K and shorter loading times. Legends launched on 16 October 2020 and received a standalone release on 3 September 2021.

Q: Is the PC version available?
A: Yes. The Windows Director's Cut was released on 16 May 2024, developed by Nixxes Software. We did not verify PC-specific feature lists for this page.

Q: How long is the main story?
A: We could not verify a reliable figure for this page.