 It is no secret that Ghost of Tsushima is a gorgeous looking game. The island setting offers not only expansive vistas, but it takes care to showcase the beauty of nature and the reverence for it found in Japan's Shinto religion. It really shows off the painstaking effort Sucker Punch Studios went to in order to create an immersive experience. This natural world hides many wonderful surprises, but should a player encounter a fox den, what should they do?
Ghost of Tsushima follows Jin Sakai as he tries to take back the island of Tsushima from the invading Mongol forces led by Khotun Khan. To do so, Jin must make the most of his training as a samurai, and use his knowledge of the island to his advantage. While there are times when Jin must break from samurai code and terrorize his enemies for the difficult to obtain Witness Protection trophy, retaining a close relationship to nature is important too. Interacting with animals found in nature rewards the player, and foxes are part of this.
When players find a fox den, they should follow the fox living there. It will take them to an Inari Shrine, which is a type of Japanese shrine used to worship the deity Inari. Inari is associated with foxes and general prosperity, so it makes sense that the fox would have an affinity for the shrine and would want to lead Jin to it. The shrines are usually quite nondescript, some being tucked away in hard to reach areas, so having a fox guide Jin is key to finding them. Reaching the shrines usually requires some platforming, so players should be prepared to climb and make some daring leaps.
Praying at Inari Shrines found via the fox dens opens up more charm slots for Jin. This is a worthwhile endeavor as there are a number of powerful charms out there, providing damage buffs, or reducing enemy detection speed. More slots, means more charms can be equipped. While searching for fox dens might take some time, traversing the gorgeous island of Tsushima is worth it. The scenery is great, and a certain Sly Cooper-related trophy can only be unlocked from a thorough sweep of the island.
The reverence for foxes, nature, and the pains taken to be as authentic as possible could be some of the factors that led Famitsu magazine to give Ghost of Tsushima a perfect score. The score marks only the third western release to earn the coveted 40 from the publication.
The game offers so much for players to explore in this gorgeous rendering of the Kamakura period. One piece of this world are the fox dens, and now players should have a better idea of what to do when they run into an adorable fox.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now for PS4.
