Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game created by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The player controls Jin Sakai, a samurai who must protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Jin faces a choice: follow the warrior code to fight honorably or use practical but dishonorable methods to drive away the Mongols with fewer losses. The game includes a large open world that players can explore on foot or on horseback. When fighting enemies, players can choose to attack directly with Jin’s katana or use stealth to silently eliminate opponents. A multiplayer mode called Ghost of Tsushima: Legends was released in October 2020 and became available separately in September 2021.
Sucker Punch started working on the game after Infamous First Light was released in 2014. The studio wanted to move away from the Infamous series and focus on a game centered on close combat. The team worked with Japan Studio and visited Tsushima Island twice to ensure the game reflected the culture and history of Japan accurately. The game was inspired by samurai movies, especially those by Akira Kurosawa, and the comic series Usagi Yojimbo. The game’s landscape and simple art style were influenced by Shadow of the Colossus, and locations were designed to look like ideal places for photography. While the game’s landmass resembles Tsushima Island, the team did not aim to create an exact copy. The soundtrack was composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi.
Ghost of Tsushima was released for PlayStation 4 in July 2020. An expanded version, called Director’s Cut, which includes the Iki Island expansion, was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in August 2021. A Windows version of Director’s Cut, made by Nixxes Software, was released in May 2024. Critics praised the game’s combat, story, characters, and music, but some criticized the stealth gameplay and open world design. By September 2024, the game had sold over 13 million copies. It was nominated for awards such as Game of the Year at The Game Awards and the D.I.C.E. Awards. A sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, was released in October 2025. A movie based on the main game and an anime based on Legends are also being developed.
Gameplay
Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure video game played from a character's perspective. The player has many choices to complete tasks given in the game. They can fight enemies directly in a "standoff," using a sword called a katana to strike multiple enemies in a row. During battles, Jin can use different fighting styles to defeat specific enemies: "stone stance" for sword-wielding enemies; "water stance" for enemies with shields; "wind stance" for enemies with spears; and "moon stance" for strong enemies. Later, the player unlocks "ghost stance," which makes Jin unable to be harmed and allows him to kill enemies with one hit for a short time. To use ghost stance, players must defeat enemies without taking damage or kill a Mongol leader. To hurt enemies, players must first weaken their defenses by staggering them or blocking their attacks. Players can use bows to shoot different types of arrows. At certain points, Jin must fight powerful enemies called bosses who use special moves. The game's hardest mode makes battles more realistic, with players and enemies dealing large amounts of damage quickly.
Alternatively, players can use stealth to avoid enemies and attack silently with a dagger called a tanto. As the player progresses, they can unlock "chained assassination," which lets Jin attack multiple enemies in a row. Jin has many tools, including firecrackers and wind chimes to distract enemies, smoke bombs to confuse them, kunai to strike multiple enemies, and explosives to kill groups. Players eventually unlock a blowgun that shoots poison darts, making enemies hallucinate and attack others. When Jin heals or uses special moves, he uses "resolve," which is earned by performing skillful actions like assassinations or blocking attacks.
The game has a large open world that players can explore with or without guidance from wind directions. Three islands—Izuhara, Toyotama, and Kamiagata—are unlocked as the player progresses. Iki Island is available only to players who buy a special add-on after reaching Izuhara. Players ride horses to travel and use a grappling hook to reach high places. Yellow birds guide Jin to important locations, such as hot springs that increase maximum health, "Bamboo Strikes" that boost resolve, "Pillars of Honor" that give cosmetic weapon designs, and places where Jin can meditate and write haiku. By following torii gates and solving challenges, players find Shinto shrines that grant helpful effects. Foxes lead Jin to Inari shrines, which increase the number of helpful charms Jin can use.
The game includes side quests and interactions with characters. Players can free Mongol-controlled villages by defeating all enemies in an area. Combat styles are unlocked by observing or killing Mongol leaders. Completing side quests or helping characters gives players small charms and gifts that can be collected at altars. Completing "Mythic Tale" quests unlocks special armor and techniques. Each armor set has unique effects that help in battles. Most armor and clothing can be improved by collecting materials in the world. Jin's appearance can be customized with masks, helmets, and headbands.
A multiplayer mode called Ghost of Tsushima: Legends was released in late 2020. Players can access it from the main menu or by meeting an NPC named Gyozen the Storyteller in the single-player game. Unlike the main story, Legends is based on Japanese myths and includes magical realms and enemies. The mode has four classes: the samurai is a strong fighter who can take and deal damage; the hunter uses bows and arrows to attack from a distance; the rōnin can summon dogs to help in battle and revive the team; and the assassin can deal massive damage with one attack and teleport short distances. As players progress, they earn "rank" to unlock upgrades and cosmetic items. A player's gear has a "Ki" level that affects how powerful they are in battles. Legends includes several game modes:
- Story: Two players work together to complete quests. As players advance, they unlock harder challenges, new goals, and rewards. In October 2020, a new mode called "The Tale of Iyo" was added, featuring a three-chapter raid for experienced players that requires teamwork and solving puzzles.
- Survival: Four players team up to fight 15 waves of enemies. Surviving and completing goals unlocks powerful abilities, such as summoning a spiritual bear or setting enemies on fire.
- Rivals: Two teams of two players compete in survival mode. Teams earn "Magatama," a currency used to buy perks that help their team and hinder the other. The team that spends enough "Magatama" unlocks a final wave and must finish it faster than the other team to win.
Synopsis
The main character, Jin Sakai, is the leader and only remaining member of Clan Sakai and a samurai warrior. He is the nephew and guardian of Lord Shimura, who is the jitō, or leader, of Tsushima. Jin meets several friends and allies, including a thief named Yuna, her brother Taka, who is a blacksmith, Lady Masako Adachi, a female warrior and widow, Sensei Sadanobu Ishikawa, a skilled archer, Kenji, a merchant and trickster, Norio, a Buddhist monk, Yuriko, an elderly caretaker of Clan Sakai, and Ryuzo, Jin's childhood friend and leader of a group of rōnin called the Straw Hats. The main enemy is General Khotun Khan, a ruthless and clever leader of the Mongol Empire, who is the cousin of Kublai Khan and the grandson of Genghis Khan.
In 1274, a Mongol fleet led by Khotun Khan attacks the Japanese island of Tsushima. Lord Shimura and Jin lead the five major families of the island—Clan Shimura, Clan Sakai, Clan Adachi, Clan Nagao, and Clan Kikuchi—to fight the invaders as they land at Komoda Beach. However, the battle ends badly, with many samurai killed by the Mongols' stronger weapons, Lord Shimura captured, and Jin badly injured and left for dead. Yuna, a scavenger, finds Jin, helps him recover, and tells him that the island has been taken over by the Mongols. Jin attacks Khotun Khan's stronghold at Castle Kaneda to save Lord Shimura but is defeated and thrown off the castle bridge.
Realizing he cannot win with traditional samurai methods, Jin gathers allies and learns guerrilla tactics from Yuna. He teams up with Yuna, Taka, Kenji, Sadanobu Ishikawa, Lady Masako Adachi, and Ryuzo, along with Ryuzo's Straw Hats. As Jin disrupts Mongol activities and frees villages, the islanders call him "The Ghost," a samurai spirit fighting the Mongols. Taka builds a grappling hook to help Jin climb Castle Kaneda's walls. However, Ryuzo and the Straw Hats betray Jin to collect a reward from the Khan. Jin defeats them, frees Lord Shimura, and retakes Castle Kaneda. Despite this victory, the Khan has already moved to attack Castle Shimura with Ryuzo.
Jin recruits Norio, Norio's monks, and the Yarikawa family to retake Castle Shimura. He also asks pirate Goro to help deliver a request for reinforcements and to be adopted as Lord Shimura's heir. Jin retrieves his family's armor from Yuriko, who teaches him to make poison. Under Lord Shimura's orders, Jin and Taka try to infiltrate a fortress where Ryuzo is hiding but are captured by the Khan. When Jin refuses to surrender, the Khan forces Taka to kill him for his freedom. Instead, Taka attacks the Khan and is killed. After the Khan leaves, Jin escapes and destroys the Straw Hats with Yuna's help. The Shogun's reinforcements arrive, and Lord Shimura leads an attack on Castle Shimura, driving the Mongols into the inner keep. The Mongols explode explosives on a bridge, killing many samurai.
Knowing a direct attack would cause more deaths, Jin sneaks poison into the Mongols' drink to kill Ryuzo but misses the Khan, who has fled north. Even though the castle is taken without further samurai losses, Lord Shimura is angry with Jin for breaking the samurai code of honor. Jin argues that the code is useless against the Mongols. Knowing the Shogun will execute him for treason, Lord Shimura suggests Jin blame Yuna, but Jin refuses and embraces his "Ghost" identity. Lord Shimura arrests Jin and burns a decree naming him his heir. Jin's allies help him escape, but his horse is killed by Mongol archers. Jin travels north and learns the Mongols have copied his poison to attack the Japanese mainland. Before gathering his allies, getting a new horse, and attacking the Khan's final stronghold in Port Izumi, Jin leaves a note for Lord Shimura asking him to join the fight. With the Mongols distracted, Jin infiltrates the port and kills the Khan on his flagship.
With Khotun Khan dead, the Mongol invasion weakens, and the samurai gain the upper hand. Lord Shimura tells Jin the Shogun sees him as a threat and has ordered him to be killed. Jin and Lord Shimura reluctantly duel, with Jin winning. Jin can kill Lord Shimura for a proper warrior's death or spare his life, but either way, Jin becomes an enemy of the Shogun and continues protecting Tsushima.
Jin finds villagers driven mad by a poison called "sacred medicine," given by a Mongol warband from the Eagle Tribe, led by Ankhsar "The Eagle" Khatun. Jin defeats the warband and learns the Eagle is attacking Iki Island, where Jin's father, Kazumasa, once led a failed campaign. Jin was a boy during that battle and still feels guilty for not saving his father. To stop the Eagle, Jin sails to Iki Island. A storm destroys his boat, but he survives and reaches Iki. Discovering the Eagle's base is his father's former stronghold, Fort Sakai, Jin attacks but is captured by the Eagle's second-in-command, Khunbish. The Eagle forces Jin to take the poison, causing hallucinations of the Eagle, his father, and past failures. Jin is rescued by Tenzo, a raider who reluctantly helps him reach the raiders' leader, Fune. Jin works with the raiders to weaken the Eagle's forces, retakes Fort Sakai, and kills Khunbish. After fending off the Eagle's retaliation, Jin hears Tenzo say, "May your death benefit all beings," the same phrase a raider said to his father before killing him. Realizing Tenzo killed his father, Jin nearly kills Tenzo but controls his anger. He plans to reenact the ambush that killed his father to lure the Eagle into a trap. After overcoming hallucinations by accepting his father's faults and accepting his death, Jin kills the Eagle in a duel, turning the tide for the raiders. Jin and Tenzo forgive each other.
Development
Ghost of Tsushima was created by Sucker Punch Productions, a game development studio that had 160 employees during the game’s creation. Work on the game began in 2014, after the studio finished making Infamous Second Son and its expansion, First Light. After spending nine years working on the Infamous series, the team decided to make something new. During the planning phase, they chose to create an open world game with a focus on close combat. Before settling on feudal Japan as the setting, the team considered other ideas, such as pirates, the story of Scottish outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor, and The Three Musketeers. They later discovered a historical account of the Mongol invasion of Tsushima in 1274, which inspired the game’s setting. In 2020, a prototype from a canceled Sucker Punch project called Prophecy was leaked. This game, set in a steampunk world, had gameplay elements later used in Ghost of Tsushima. The team worked on Ghost of Tsushima for six years, the longest time they had ever spent on a game. Development ended on June 22, 2020, when the team confirmed the game was “declared gold,” meaning it was ready for release. Nate Fox was the game director, and Jason Connell was the creative director and art director.
The Mongol invasion of Tsushima was chosen as the game’s setting because the conflict was easy for players to understand. At the time, the Mongols had the most advanced military in the world, making the stakes high and requiring Jin, the main character, to act. To ensure the game’s world was accurate, the team consulted Japan Studio, another Sony game development team, early in the project. Japan Studio supported the idea and helped send about 10 members of Sucker Punch to Japan and Tsushima Island for a 10- or 11-day tour with a historian. The team visited Japan twice to research Tsushima: once in the summer and again in November, during the anniversary of the invasion. Japan Studio also connected the team with historians who helped explain the invasion and local traditions. Experts on 13th-century Japanese dialects, religions, and kanji were also involved. The team invited Ide Ryusetsu and Kuwami Masakumo Shike, experts in samurai martial arts, to perform motion capture and advise on sword fighting. Seattle-based expert David Ishimaru also helped shape the game’s combat style. Although the team initially thought about including real historical figures, they decided against it after experts said it might be disrespectful. Jin’s armor and katana are not historically accurate. His armor is based on the Sengoku period (16th–17th centuries), not the 13th century, because 13th-century armor looked too different from what players expect. The katana was included because it is a famous symbol of samurai. A Japanese localizer suggested replacing the game’s “haiku” side quest with a “waka” side quest, but the team chose haiku because it is more recognizable outside Japan.
A major goal for the developers was to create strong, well-developed characters. Unlike the Infamous games, Ghost of Tsushima does not use a character karma system, which affects how characters behave based on player choices. Without this system, the team could tell a more unified story showing Jin’s transformation from a loyal samurai to a warrior who must abandon his traditions to save Tsushima. Instead of forcing players to make binary choices, the game’s world and characters react to Jin’s decisions, either supporting or criticizing his actions. The team believed Jin’s journey of letting go of his past to become something new would be relatable to players. Even though the game does not have a karma system, the weather on Tsushima Island becomes stormier when players use ghost techniques more often. The game’s main villain, Khotun Khan, does not change over time. While he is a ruthless invader, he also tries to conquer Tsushima with as little violence as possible. Patrick Gallagher joined the cast in 2017 and prepared for his role by studying The Godfather and drawing on his experience playing Attila the Hun in Night at the Museum.
Fox said the game was “entirely grounded in reality,” but the team also created a fictional story. In real life, the Mongol invasion was stopped by a hurricane, which the team honored by engraving storm wind designs on Jin’s katana. The game was inspired by 13 Assassins and films by Akira Kurosawa, such as Seven Samurai, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Red Beard, and Ran. The ending of Sanjuro directly inspired the game’s “standoff” gameplay, where a warrior waits for their opponent to act first before killing them. The team tried to reflect the samurai code from Seven Samurai in the game. They also reached out to the Kurosawa Estate to use the director’s name for the game’s black-and-white gameplay mode. The comic book Usagi Yojimbo, which features a kind rabbit samurai, also influenced the team. Fox read this series while working on Sly Cooper games. The protagonist’s surname was a tribute to Stan Sakai, the creator of Usagi Yojimbo. Other video games inspired the team: items in the game were influenced by Tenchu, and the ability to play as both a ghost and a samurai was inspired by Onimusha: Warlords. Karateka and Red Dead Redemption were also cited as influences.
Ghost of Tsushima was designed to be challenging. Jin is often outnumbered by enemies, and basic enemies can defeat him quickly. The team hoped players would grow more appreciative of small improvements in skill. Fox said the three main ideas for combat were “mud, blood, and steel.” The team wanted the game to feel real, intense, and difficult. They aimed to make sword fights deadly, similar to those in samurai movies.
The combat system was the hardest part to create. The team made several versions of it and changed its design many times during development. Early testers said enemies were too tough, absorbing too much damage before dying, which broke the game’s immersion. The team added “hit points” and “armor points” but later decided enemies should be defeated in a set number of hits. Enemy health did not change based on difficulty, but enemies used more defensive tactics, like parrying, at higher difficulty levels. Early versions of this design were criticized as too extreme, as enemies would block all attacks.
Release
The marketing campaign for Ghost of Tsushima began in October 2017 when a trailer was shown at Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Paris Games Week press conference. Sony delayed the game’s announcement because many of its systems were not yet decided and could change. A gameplay demo and a live shakuhachi performance by Cornelius Boots were shown at E3 2018. The game was released for PlayStation 4 on July 17, 2020, after being delayed from its original June 26 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sucker Punch announced four editions: standard, digital deluxe, special, and collector’s edition. Each edition included different collector’s items, in-game items, equipment, and unlocked abilities, as well as a bonus for pre-ordering the game. Sony partnered with the Tourism Board of Tsushima Island and the Nagasaki Prefecture to create a website that teaches about the real-life island’s history and culture. Art prints by Cook & Becker were released in November 2020.
A multiplayer expansion titled Ghost of Tsushima: Legends was released on October 16, 2020, along with a new game plus feature for the base game. Unlike the main game, Legends includes supernatural elements from Japanese mythology. Although Legends was introduced as a post-launch update, Sucker Punch planned for cooperative gameplay early in development. Work on the multiplayer mode began in 2016, and the team tested it for six months to a year. The team chose supernatural elements as the focus of Legends, which allowed more creative freedom in designing characters and abilities. A storyteller character was added to connect Legends to Jin’s journey and the world of Tsushima. Darren Bridge, the senior game designer leading Legends’ development, said the visual style of Legends was not fully developed until the final nine months of its creation. The final boss fight was also completed late in development, with the team once considering delaying or removing it. In December 2020, Legends introduced four character outfits inspired by other PlayStation franchises: Bloodborne, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Shadow of the Colossus. Legends was released as a standalone game on September 3, 2021, and was offered for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers in March 2022.
Sucker Punch released Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut on August 20, 2021, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 5 version includes exclusive features such as full Japanese lip sync, haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, 3D audio, dynamic 4K resolution, and faster loading times. The Director’s Cut also includes an expansion where Jin visits Iki Island to stop a Mongol tribe led by a shaman named Ankhsar Khatun. Iki Island is about the same size as Act One of the main game and can be accessed after completing Act Two of the main story. Iki Island is different from Tsushima Island because it is mostly populated by bandits, raiders, and criminals. The team used bold colors for Iki Island but chose a different color palette to help players distinguish it from Tsushima Island. The story on Iki Island explores Jin’s past and the history of Clan Sakai, offering a new perspective on the Mongol invasion. New combat skills, such as a horse charge ability, were added, along with side quests, open-world activities like visiting animal sanctuaries, and music by Chad Cannon and Bill Hemstapat, who previously worked with Umebayashi on Tsushima’s suite. An armor set inspired by Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West was added to the Director’s Cut in February 2022. In April 2022, Sucker Punch announced they would stop working on updates for the main game and Legends as they shifted focus to other projects.
Nixxes Software developed the PC version of the game, which was released on May 16, 2024. On May 11, 2024, it was reported that the Steam listing for the game was removed from 177 territories due to the unavailability of PlayStation Network in those regions. This followed criticism of a similar situation with Helldivers 2, another PlayStation Studios title. Sony had previously stated that PlayStation Network account linking was required only for Ghost of Tsushima’s multiplayer component, not for single-player. The regional lockout was lifted on October 28, 2025, after a patch separated Legends into free downloadable content, though Legends content remains region-locked.
Sony announced in September 2025 that players who earn the Platinum Trophy by December 2025 can unlock special merchandise for purchase. The merchandise includes a pin and a t-shirt.
Reception
Ghost of Tsushima received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. Another review site, OpenCritic, said the game received "mighty" approval, with 88% of critics recommending it. The game earned a perfect score of 40/40 from four editors at Famitsu, a Japanese video game magazine, making it the third Western-developed game to achieve this. Toshihiro Nagoshi, the director of the Yakuza series, praised Jin, the game's protagonist, and noted that Japanese studios rarely create games with a middle-aged main character due to marketing reasons.
The story was generally well-received. Matt Miller from Game Informer wrote that the game explores "the contradictory ideals of honor and revenge." He praised the side quests for showing the harsh effects of war on ordinary people. IGN’s Mitchell Saltzman praised the performances of Tsuji and Gallagher, calling Jin’s struggles "compelling" and Khan, the antagonist, "memorable" for his "soft intensity." Critics liked the side characters, saying their stories influenced Jin’s development. However, some reviewers said the side quests were repetitive and forgettable. Chris Tapsell from Eurogamer compared them unfavorably to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, calling them an "afterthought." Some reviewers noted that the Japanese audio lacked lip-syncing, a problem fixed in the Director’s Cut version. Edmond Tran from GameSpot said the characters had limited body expressions but added that the music and cinematography helped convey emotions. Keza MacDonald from The Guardian felt the story was too similar to classic samurai tales and lacked originality.
Critics praised the gameplay. Miller liked the variety of enemies and said combat stayed challenging even late in the game. He appreciated the freedom to choose different playstyles. Rachel Weber from GamesRadar said combat felt like a "dance" and emphasized timing. Standoffs were praised for resembling Japanese samurai films. Saltzman compared the combat system to games like Assassin’s Creed and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and liked the progression system, which did not require grinding for experience. Mike Williams from USgamer said combat was "decent" but noted that the camera and lack of a lock-on system made it harder to control battles. Some critics said stealth gameplay was too simple, and the AI was not advanced enough.
Weber called the game’s world a "work of art," while Miller described it as a "painter’s vision of feudal Japan." Saltzman said its visuals were among the best in open-world games. Critics praised the use of nature, like wind and birds, to guide players. Williams called the wind system a "major innovation," and Tran said it encouraged exploration. Miller liked the world design but said some platforming sections were too static. Chris Carter from Destructoid enjoyed unique activities like haiku composition and hot springs, but Tapsell said the open-world structure was outdated. Andrew Webster from The Verge said repetitive activities hurt the game’s innovative ideas. Kirk McKeand from VG247 criticized the open-world design for slowing the story’s pace.
Scholar Anthon Cederwall noted that the game included Shinto religious practices, such as torii gates marking sacred spaces and foxes representing the deity Inari. A thesis by Asha Bardon argued that the game promoted interest in Tsushima Island, encouraging tourism and cultural appreciation. Fox and Connell were named tourism ambassadors in 2021 for spreading awareness of the island. The game helped fund the restoration of Watazumi Shrine on Tsushima after a typhoon damaged it in 2020.
In the UK, Ghost of Tsushima was the best-selling physical game in its debut week, selling 373,473 units by the end of 2020. It was also the best-selling physical game in the US in July 2020 and Sucker Punch’s fastest-selling game there. The game topped download charts in Europe and the US and was the seventh-best-selling game of 2020 in the US. The Director’s Cut version was the best-selling game in the UK during its release week and the second-best-selling game in the US in August 2021. The PC version topped the U.S. software sales chart in May 2024.
In Japan, the game sold 212,915 units during its debut week and remained in the top 30 best-selling games for over 15 weeks, totaling over 412,000 units sold. It had the second-highest lifetime sales for a Sony first-party game in Japan, behind Marvel’s Spider-Man. Sony confirmed in May 2023 that the game sold over 1 million units in Japan.
Globally, Ghost of Tsushima sold over 2.4 million units in its first three days, making it the fastest-selling first-party original IP debut for PlayStation 4.
Adaptations
On March 25, 2021, Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions said they would make a movie version of the game. Chad Stahelski will direct the film. Stahelski, Alex Young, and Jason Spitz of 87Eleven Entertainment, along with Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions, will produce the film. Sucker Punch will help manage the production, with Peter Kang overseeing it for the studio. On April 12, 2022, Takashi Doscher was hired to write the screenplay. The movie is still being developed.
Jin Sakai appeared in episode 15 of the Secret Level TV series.
In January 2025, Sony announced an anime series based on the game’s multiplayer mode. The series is called Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. It is being made by Kamikaze Douga with help from Aniplex, Crunchyroll, Sony Music, and PlayStation Productions. Takanobu Mizuno will direct the series, and Gen Urobuchi will help create the story. The anime is expected to release on Crunchyroll in 2027.
Sequel
Ghost of Yōtei, a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, was released for the PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025. The story is set near Mount Yōtei on Japan's Hokkaido island in 1603 and follows the female warrior Atsu.