Ghost of Tsushima is far from Sucker Punch Productions’ first foray into open-world games. The Infamous franchise on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 provided urban open-world mayhem for years.
This samurai game takes a different approach to the genre, focusing more on living in the world as a Japanese warrior rather than causing destruction. That’s not to say there is not plenty to do and slice up, however. Even after beating the main story, one’s sojourn on the island of Tsushima is far from finished. The activities listed below extend the game time twenty hours past when the credits roll.
Updated August 16, 2021 by Jason Wojnar: Though Ghost of Tsushima is already enhanced for the PS5, developer Sucker Punch Productions is not done improving upon their 2020 modern classic. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is coming out on August 20th, 2021 and is adding a small wealth of content for both newcomers and those revisiting the Sony exclusive. With this new re-release, we decided to revisit this list and give you more things to do after beating the main campaign. Being an open-world game, there is plenty to do and explore after the credits roll.
15 Iki Island
The biggest addition to the director’s cut is the Iki Island expansion, a whole new landmass with new story content and bonus missions. It won’t be as big as the whole main game, but it is said to be about as big as the game’s first act.
With bonus missions, this all adds up to a beefy chunk of gameplay. Exploration is handled so brilliantly in Ghost of Tsushima, so receiving a new play area is a real treat for fans.
14 Play It In Japanese
The original release already contained a Japanese voice track, though many were disappointed by the lack of proper lip-synching for the voices. The whole point of a Japanese voice track is immersion, so the lip movement not syncing correctly takes away from that effect.
This is now fixed for the re-release, which includes lip-synching for both the English and Japanese voices. Though the feature is welcome, some wonder why we have to pay for it in the first place.
13 Ghost Of Tsushima: Legends
In October developer Sucker Punch added a cooperative multiplayer mode called Legends. In addition to the addition of multiplayer, the tone is drastically different, dealing more with supernatural elements.
It is a free update, so there is no reason to not check it out if you already beat the game and want more Ghost of Tsushima goodness. Story mode has two players going through a stage together, while survival mode can have up to four people simultaneously.
12 Play It On PS5
Ghost of Tsushima is already extremely impressive on PS4. Most notably, load times are already extremely fast during quick travel. If you plan on replaying the game soon or want to jump in to do some extra content, we recommend doing it on PS5.
There is no special patch or additional cost. The game senses it is already on PS5 and runs at 60 frames per second. After seeing it run this smooth, it is hard to go back.
11 Learn About The Actual Historical Period
Tsushima is a real island and the story is based on a real historical event. However, it takes some liberties with real life to make a more entertaining game and tell a more coherent story. Most notably, the island of Tsushima does not have the geographic diversity present in the game.
If the environment and story really piqued your fancy, why not take some time to read up on the actual history of the period where the game takes place? We wonder how the upcoming movie will tell this story and portray the historical setting.
10 Shrines
Two types of shrines populate the island of Tsushima; Shinto and Inari Shrines. The former requires a small platforming challenge to reach, while the latter simply tasks one with following a fox to an area.
Combat is such a big part of the experience, but it is nice when many side objectives do not require Jin Sakai to even think about unsheathing his Katana. More Inari Shrines also means more adorable foxes to pet.
9 Hot Springs
Hot Springs throughout the world slightly increase Jin’s maximum health. With this in mind, most players will want to find these before finishing the main campaign.
However, after the credits roll is a good opportunity to clean up anyone might have missed along the way. It will also help conquer any of the remaining side quests or Mongol Territories still scattered about the world.
8 Bamboo Challenges
Jin Sakai explains how samurai train using bamboo. Players test their button coordination in the Bamboo Challenges waiting around the island. Each one has three stages. The first stage has the player press three buttons quickly, and the following two add two buttons onto the prior combination.
They are surprisingly addictive despite their simplicity. After doing all of them, some players may still find themselves wanting to engage in the mini-game even more.
7 Side Quests
Side quests, or Tales, come in two different forms. The most minor ones are taken from villagers and people wandering the island, while more involved Tales come in several parts and tell a separate side story throughout the campaign.
Finally, Mythic Tales revolve around Japanese folklore and often unlock a new armor or a unique ability. Even if many of the Tales are simple, they tell interesting stories and flesh out side characters like Yuna.
6 Max Out The Skill Tree
Unless the player has been extra vigilant in tackling side activities, odds are Jin Sakai is not fully powered by the game’s conclusion.
Take the opportunity while doing side quests and gaining Technique Points to fully upgrade the character and become the most powerful warrior in all of Japan. Gaining new abilities not only makes combat easier, but also more fun.
5 Write All The Haiku
Composing Haiku is one of the more serene activities Jin indulges in over the course of the game, giving gamers a chance to flex their creative muscles as they pick out the phrases which they feel best go together to form the poem.
They don’t always make sense depending on what the player chooses, but it is a cool idea nonetheless. Players only unlock a headband, making this endeavor less vital during the main campaign.
4 Clear Out All The Mongol Territories
Those interested purely in combat will still get a lot of mileage out of the bonus content. Much of the land is populated by the invading Mongolian forces, and it is Jin’s responsibility to show them the way out with his Katana.
The first act presents a decent amount, but more are added when the second act starts up. These are all pure combat challenges, and players decide if they want to be stealthy or not.
3 Increase The Difficulty
Most will probably tackle the game on either Easy or Normal difficulty modes. These can be changed at any point during the game. With the main campaign done, it is as good an opportunity as ever to crank up the challenge to see how one fairs against tougher foes.
An update added Lethal mode, which makes attacks all the more deadly while also making Jin more powerful.
2 Platinum Trophy
Most of the aforementioned activities contribute to obtaining the platinum trophy, so by now it should not take too much extra effort to get them all. Some find no joy or satisfaction in having that sound and icon pop up, but it is a nice incentive to keep playing a beloved game long after the credits roll.
Some are particularly difficult and may require guides, like Honour the Unseen, which requires bowing at ten hidden altars.
1 Fool Around With Photo Mode
It is no secret that Ghost of Tsushima is stunning. Any player who has not already done so should activate the Photo Mode and try to take the pretty snapshots.
A staggering amount of options provides the player with plenty of control over how the image turns out. Considering the visual fidelity and art style, most snapshots turn out gorgeous.
