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For the entirety of Ghost of Tsushima's first act, the player will spend their time preparing to storm Castle Kaneda and rescue Lord Shimura. After recruiting Lady Masako, Sensei Ishikawa, and the Straw Hat Ronin to his cause, Jin's last task was acquiring a tool that would allow him to scale the castle walls. In Act 1's penultimate mission, "The Iron Hook," Taka the blacksmith provides Jin with an item that does exactly that: the grappling hook. With one of Ghost of Tsushima's most useful tools in his hands and the support of his rag-tag band of warriors, Jin is finally ready to free his uncle.
"Shadow of the Samurai" begins precisely where "The Iron Hook" leaves off. As the final mission of Act 1, there is a unique tension that can be felt from the moment Jin meets up with his gang and realizes the Straw Hat Ronin are nowhere to be found. In many ways, this mission shuts the door on 'Lord Sakai,' and fully opens the door to Jin becoming 'the Ghost.'
How to Start 'Shadow of the Samurai' in Ghost of Tsushima
To start 'Shadow of the Samurai," simply head to Komatsu Forge. Yuna will be waiting for Jin inside the main forge building, ready set the rescue plan in motion. Given that this is the final mission of Act 1, players should expect a considerable challenge. There are several things that Jin can do to ensure a speedy victory:
- Upgrades: Jin's primary arsenal can be upgraded several times. Upgrading the Sakai Katana will likely show the most obvious combat improvements, but each item can be incredibly useful in many situations. For example, the Sakai Tanto upgrade significantly improves assassination speed, making it far easier for Jin to pop out of the pampas grass, get a Mongol, and slide back into hiding without being seen.
- Charms: Make sure to study which charms work best with a chosen play style. It is worth finding all the major shrines in the first area in order to have the best selection. A great charm for players that struggle with the parry technique is the Charm of Mizu-No-Kami. This makes Parries, Perfect Parries, and Perfect Dodges easier to perform.
- Techniques: Investing in the best techniques can be hugely beneficial to all players. Look into the following techniques before heading to Castle Kaneda:
- Perfect Parry, Unyielding Sword Parry, Unyielding Spear Parry: Perfet Parry is easy to understand, but the 'unyielding' techniques are some of the best in the game. These essentially change all unblockable sword and spear attacks into parry-able blue-glint attacks.
- Iron Will: This invaluable technique is found in the 'Evolving Tactics' section of the Ghost menu. It allows Jin to use three resolve nodes to recover from a fatal attack. It can be used any number of times, as long as Jin has the resolve. Look in the first row, beneath 'Regain Health'
- Concentration, Mental Fortitude, Advanced Mental Fortitude: These archery techniques allow Jin to slow time as he aims his bow. This turns the bow from a weapon with extremely limited close-range benefits, to a genuine crowd-killer.
Khotun Khan, Lord Shimura, and Ryuzo Doesn't Show:
After meeting with Yuna, the game cuts away to a conversation between Khotun Khan and Lord Shimura. This moment is extremely important to Ghost of Tsushima's overall narrative, as Lord Shimura learns here that Jin's battle tactics are straying from the path of the samurai. This will have implications that are felt for the remainder of the game.
When we return to Jin, Yuna informs him everyone but the Straw Hats have arrived. Clearly unhappy with Ryuzo, Jin decides there is simply no more time to wait. Here, Ghost of Tsushima provides Jin with the chance to have a quiet word with each of his allies before the attack begins. While the player will not technically miss anything by skipping this section, anyone invested in the story should see it through.
Objectives:
- Optional: Speak with your allies
- Speak with Yuna to begin the attack
Once Jin has spoken with all his allies, meet Yuna by the fire to start the attack on Castle Kaneda.
Begin the Attack on Castle Kaneda
Silence the Alarm:
- Scale the cliffs to infiltrate Castle Kaneda
From between the burnt out houses where the group meets, look directly up to see the quest marker signifying Jin's destination. Head over to the cliffs and look for the stump pictured in the image to grapple up the ledge. Once up, simply follow the only path forward, utilizing the branches and grappling points as necessary.
Once Jin makes it to the top of the cliffs, he'll see a small hole in the fence that allows him to enter the castle grounds. Once inside, there will be at least two Mongol guards close by. Use the pampas grass, and any other sight obscuring item, to stay hidden until the alarm has been dealt with.
- Do not raise the alarm
- Find the Mongol alarm
- Defeat the Mongols guarding the alarm
This courtyard can be a good place to utilize Jin's bow skills, as getting through sight unseen can be difficult. Take out Mongols from a distance to thin the crowd. If Jin aims at the Mongols in the next courtyard's guard towers, he will notice that Sensei Ishikawa is taking them down.
Be careful when entering the buildings as Mongol soldiers may be asleep on the ground. Use focused hearing to scan before entering. Slowly walk up to the sleeping enemies to use the assassination prompt.
Follow the quest marker through the window of the second building and into the next courtyard. Be careful when landing as several Mongols will be in line of sight. Once Jin takes out all the Mongols in the courtyard, the game will take over, cutting away momentarily to a conversation between Jin and his allies. He gives everyone a task except for Lady Masako, who stays with him.
- Advance to the upper courtyard
Jin and Lady Masako will continue to move through the castle grounds.
Continue Fighting through the Castle with Lady Masako and Yuna
As the rest of the group completes their tasks, Jin and Lady Masako will make their way through the outer layers of the castle. The very first area they come to after separating from the group is crawling with enemies. It is extremely difficult to make it through this section without being seen, so prepare for a fight.
- Speak with Masako
Jin leaves Lady Masako to operate the 'hwacha,' a massive, multi-projectile firing device that rains fire down on enemies from a considerable distance. Jin will meet Yuna at the bridge into the heart of the castle.
- Speak with Yuna
- Defeat the Mongols
After meeting Yuna and defeating the Mongols in the area near her, Jin will reach the bridge that he was thrown from. Crossing from here will set the missions final section into motion.
Entering the Heart of Castle Kaneda
After crossing the bridge that leads to the main gate into the central keep, Jin will discover he must go around in order to breach this area.
- Find a way around the locked gate
Facing the gate, turn right to see Jin's path. Follow it down and under the bridge, then begin the climb back up. Jin will once again find a small hole in the fence that conveniently lets him enter.
- Open the bridge gate for Yuna
- Defeat the Mongols
When Jin crosses into the new area, he will mention that he could use Yuna's help. To complete this task, head directly to Jin's right side and drop to the lower level to open the gate for Yuna. Having her help will make clearing the courtyard significant;y easier.
This area will have several enemy types, including the new flame-weilding variety. The flaming archers are just normal archers with flaming arrows. However, the flaming-sword Mongol can be very dangerous. Using a kunai to weaken and stun these aggressive enemies will help Jin make short work of them. Make sure to utilize all Jin's ghost weapons in these large encounters, as this will ensure the best chance of success.
- Advance to the main courtyard
- Find a way past the locked gate
After clearing out all Mongols from the first section, Jin and Yuna must head up a small hill to reach the next courtyard. At the top of the hill, they will encounter yet another locked gate. While facing the gate, turn left to pass through another hole.
How to Defeat Ryuzo the Traitor
The Duel with Ryuzo:
In what can only be described as a cruel twist of fate, Jin emerges from the hole in the fence to find his close friend Ryuzo waiting for him. Even at this point, Jin gives him the chance to redeem himself. Ryuzo does not take it.
For many players, this will be their first proper duel in Ghost of Tsushima. Ryuzo may not be a samurai, but he is a trained swordsman. Many of his moves are similar to Jin's. This duel can be very challenging, so consider these tips when entering the arena:
- Charm of Mizu-no-Kami: At any difficulty level, attacks that follow a Perfect Parry deal massive damage. This charm is meant to help with these exact situations. Jin will have ample opportunity to show his prowess later, for now, just win. By making Perfect Parries much easier to perform, this charm will help do that.
- Follow-Up Attacks: Ryuzo loves to chain attacks together. Remember, a Perfect Parry will stop him dead in his tracks, but anything else will not. Do not make the mistake of attacking immediately after a regular parry or dodge. This is not a hard and fast rule, but he chains attacks enough for the player to be cautious.
- Iron Will: Iron Will can help here, but don't expect to revive with much health. Still, it is worth having, and it can be helpful.
- Study Attacks: Players will notice that many of Ryuzo's attacks can be parried, while several more cannot. Learn the difference by studying his moves just before attacking. Waiting until the blue or red glint can sometimes be too late. For example, one of Ryuzo's few unblockable attacks begins with him lowering his sword into the water and spinning. Another begins with him sheathing his sword. The latter will almost always be followed by a second unblockable attack. Learn the animation that precedes the attack and the fight will feel much easier.
Ultimately, Jin lets Ryuzo escape as a small group of Mongols enter the area. Clear these enemies before moving to the main keep.
Free Lord Shimura and Retake Castle Kaneda
Storm the Castle and Acquire Shoji Assassination:
- Enter the keep to free Lord Shimura
- Defeat the Mongols
Opening the front door to the keep will reveal a room full of Mongols. Jin must clear them out before moving on. Luckily, the game automatically enters a Standoff state, which, if upgraded, will allow for up to three kills.
Each level will have a small ladder that will take Jin up one floor. Upon reaching the second level, Jin will see a shoji door with the obvious outline of an enemy on the other side. This is where the shoji assassination ability will unlock, and it is very, very cool.
- Defeat the Mongols
- Defeat the Mongol guard
Jin will find his uncle on the fourth floor of the keep, guarded by two Mongols, one of which can be killed with a shoji assassination. When Lord Shimura is freed, it is clear he is not going to sneak his way out of the area. He and Jin will fight their way through the mission's final section.
Take Back Castle Kaneda:
Jin and the rest of the group will face two waves of Mongol enemies. This fight is more of a set piece than an actual challenge. Once the fight is over, the castle will be back in the hands of the Jito of Tsushima Island, and the Mongols will have faced their first decisive loss.
Ghost of Tsushima:Director's Cut is available now on PS5. The base version of Ghost of Tsushima is available on PS4 and PS5.