Ghost of Tsushima: World exploration Ghost of Tsushima guide, walkthrough
Last update: 20 July 2020
On this page of our guide to Ghost of Tsushima we have prepared key information about the in-game world exploration. You can find out, among other things, how to travel in the open world, what attractions can be discovered, how to navigate through the game world, and whether it is possible to use the fast travel option.
- The Tsushima Island
- Discovering and exploring the game world
- Markers and indicators
- Fast travel
- Three parts of the map
- Kamigata is the only available region - what should I do?
The Tsushima Island
The game's action takes place on the Tsushima Island which represent the same location that exists in the real world. It is currently one of the islands that are part of the Japanese prefecture of Nagasaki and is inhabited by about 40,000 people. Tsushima in the game hasn't been reproduced on a 1:1 scale, but nevertheless the world of Ghost of Tsushima is very vast and it can take you a long time to explore the whole map in 100%.
It is worth noting that the map of the world in the game offers quite a diverse landscape. Jin can visit, among other things, vast valleys, mountainous areas, villages, or bamboo forests. There are also huge cities in the game with a large number of NPCs.
You don't have to walk on foot through the whole map cause you may use mounts - a horse. Traveling on horseback allows you to get to the desired places much faster. Jin can easily dismount his horse in order to start climbing or fight against opponents.
Discovering and exploring the game world
As the game's world is explored, question marks appear on the map to indicate larger locations that can be discovered. The question mark can be, for example, a village, a temple, a farm or a fort. Once you reach a particular location, the game displays its name as well as its affiliation and you can find out, for example, that it is under Mongol control.
Small tasks and challenges are associated with these locations. These may concern, for example, rescuing imprisoned hostages, murdering an enemy general, or using a bow to eliminate a certain number of enemies. You can get additional rewards for completing a particular location in 100% - these can be, for example, a stock of crafting materials or an increase of hero's reputation.
The game subtly directs you to smaller and optional locations. For example, birds flying over Jin's head may lead him to some places or even friendly foxes can point out the right direction. The small locations that can be discovered include shrines (one of the secrets / collectibles) or abandoned buildings that hide a valuable loot.
The observation of the horizon can also help you to discover new locations to explore. In the distance you can notice some unique constructions or a rising smoke, which may suggest that someone is in a particular place (it may be an NPC with peaceful intentions or a group of opponents).
While traveling around the game world, you can witness random events, such as hunters fighting wild animals. Jin can participate in such small events, or just ignore them and focus only on getting to the location he wants to visit.
Grappling hook will help you in getting to hard-to-reach locations. The game marks interactive points on which you can use this gadget, for example, to climb on a particular spot or swing on a rope.
You can get a grappling hook during the Iron Hook main quest. It takes place in the first act of the game. It's good to take care of it as soon as possible so you may freely explore the world afterwards.
A good way to quickly explore the game world is to save the inhabitants of the island. If you liberate someone from the hands of cruel Mongols, then there's a good chance that they'll tell you about some side job or enemy camp. This way you'll get information that could lead you to the other side of the island. This makes it much easier to explore the vast terrain.
Markers and indicators
In Ghost of Tsushima you won't find any classic markers or indicators that lead to the current goal of your journey. However, the game helps you in navigation by some other means. You can mark the place you want to travel to by using the world map. From that moment on, you can summon Guiding Wind that will subtly direct you to the place you want to reach.
Fast travel
Ghost of Tsushima offers a fast travel option. It is only available in case of those locations that you have already discovered and visited. You can't move to, for example, some random places on the map, that is, locations that haven't been personally explored by Jin.
There are a lot of locations that can be used for fast travel. You can move to all side activities (like bamboo strikes or foxholes) to all recaptured Mongol villages and, of course, to safe towns where you can relax.
The loading screens are very short so you can easily jump between locations without wasting too much time.
Three parts of the map
The map in Ghost of Tsushima is divided into three parts:
- Izuhara Region
- Toyotama region
- Kamigata Region
You can't get to any of them by simply traveling on the map. You unlock your way to the further regions by completing story missions. Each ending of the act will unlock the passage to the next part of the map. This means that to get to the second location you have to complete act one, that is, A New Horizon quest. By contrast, completing act two (Honor and Ash mission) will allow you to get into the third region of the game.
Once you have unlocked all regions available in the game you will be able to move between them by using the fast travel feature.
Kamigata is the only available region - what should I do?
It happens after completing From the Darkness quest. You won't be able to navigate through the entire map of the game. Only the Kamigata region will be available. You can't either go back or move to previous regions.
To return to the previous regions, you must complete the Wolves at Gates main quest. This will allow you to return to the previous region.