The Explorer’s guide is all about the stuff you can expect to come across while exploring the wilderness. Of course, the way of actually knowing is by playing the game itself. But it never hurts to look certain things. Who knows? There could be some things here that might pleasantly surprise you.
This first part is all about reading the signs in the environment. As well as things you might encounter while taking note of places that don’t seem to have much importance on the map – like survivor camps.
- Swiping Up on the touchpad at any time will summon a gust of wind that’ll guide you to your destination. A swirling vortex of white flower petals marks the pinned location from the map.
- Look towards the horizon for the telltale signs of Points of Interest. White smoke could indicate quest locations or hot spring spots. Black smoke marks the location of major quest locations or Mongol camps.
- Follow the yellow birds to their destination, they’ll lead you to activities or cosmetic items. Even if they all go derpy at times.
- Follow the roads, they lead to all quest points on the map. It’s also the best bet to remove most of the fog of war from the map.
- Survivor camps, scattered throughout the map, are a good source of Tales of Tsushima quests. However, more quests do not appear until the unresolved quest is complete.
- It is possible to stumble across a Tale of Tsushima while exploring the world. Not only do they give out rewards in the form of legend increases, charms, and resources; they give further context to the people’s suffering during the war.
- Most survivor camps host a merchant and a fur trader. Collecting fur is important for upgrading capacity… but it’s flowers that’ll ultimately be the harder resource to find.
This next set of tips is all about Mongols and other things that might cost you a trophy. And some general things to keep in mind when out infiltrating a Mongol camp. There’s some advice on how to deal with wild animals… which are as troublesome to deal with as the Mongol invaders.
- Mongol patrols hold the road. Bandits and ronin terrorize the countryside. They generally away from the roads. A seemingly harmless looking forest pass is just as likely to have bandits lying in wait.
- Mongol positions such as encampments and fortresses will most likely house a Mongol Artifact. For collectors, be careful not to accidentally complete all the objectives of taking a stronghold. Completing all objectives means burning the area to the ground. It might cost you records and/or Mongol artifacts.
- Listen for the tweets of yellow birds. Most of the time, you’ll hear them first before a visual confirmation. The same goes for listening out for Mongol Eagles. Their screeches are a dead give away for Mongol patrols.
- Black bears and wild boars provide predators hide. Killing dear gets you nothing.
- Wild boars will charge at you. But they’re easy enough to take down with a couple of strikes and a dodge or 2. Black bears, on the other hand, are powerhouses that will maul you if their attacks connect. It will strike twice with a couple of unblockable attacks before pausing. Use this time to either run away or counter attack.
The third part is about the Traveler’s Attire and adding a little vertical movement to your exploration. I couldn’t count the number of times I thought I was close to an Artifact, only to find out that I was directly under it. Finding a way around to certain places is annoying. But it’s there if you know where to look.
Also, if you really are keen on exploring. Get the [Safe Landing] skill as soon as possible. Your Resolve meter will thank you.
- When wearing the Traveler’s Attire. The controller will start to vibrate within the proximity of an artifact. It’ll first start as rumbles following a heartbeat pattern. The rumbling gets stronger and continuous if you’re close to it.
- Most Sashimono Banners are found in elevated locations. If the Traveler’s Attire is reacting to something, chances are it’s located on high ground.
- Look up to spot things like handholds on walls, and tree trunks on cliffs.
- To maximize the jump potential of a rope swing, jump off the rope just before hitting the peak of the swing to preserve momentum.
- Handholds are easy enough to spot. Look for the discolorations along rock walls.
- Some trees allow the Ghost to grapple onto them. Look for signs like rope knots on branches.
- You need to jump first before being able to use your grappling hook on a tree trunk.
- Double-tapping circle just before hitting the ground from a high jump is the safest way of rolling off of [Safe Landing].
Shinto Shrines are some of the picturesque locations on the entire island. Getting to the top of one is a puzzle in and of itself. But let me tell you… there are few places that can beat the view from up there. Ultimately, you’d want to go to as many Shrines as possible if you want to get Major charms for your armor builds.
- Shinto Shrines usually contain Major Charms. Some might contain unique Minor Charms. Regardless of what kind of charm you’ll find, there’s always wax wood present there.
- The path towards a Shinto Shrine provides some of the most breathtaking views found in the game. Getting to a Shrine involves a lot of climbing, and the game’s all the better for it.
- Finding all the Inari Shrines upgrades the Charm of Inari’s Might and the Charm of Silence. At their most powerful, they provide gains by a Massive amount.
- You are able to climb down mountains from Shinto Shrines by following the path back to the nearest Torii gate. A prompt will appear asking you if you want to descend to the entrance of the shrine.
This final part is about the random things you might encounter while on your travels. Most are activities that increase your stats. Others are a grim reminder that the war’s still going on – and it’s taking its toll on the people.
- Hot Springs and Bamboo Strike spots are found all throughout Tsushima. Use them to enhance your health and Resolve meter, respectively.
- Haiku spots focus warriors to better prepare themselves for coming battles. Compose a haiku to get a new headband.
- Circling flock of birds could mean the presence of Pillar Honor. At the very least, it will lead to a grim scene with a story of its own to tell.
- Records are found all over the island. Most are in towns, settlements, shrines, Mongol camps, and even abandoned structures.
- Swiping left on the touchpad allows you to play flute melodies that can change the weather. Finding more Singing Crickets allows you to learn new songs.
- Cemeteries are a good place to find Singing Crickets. Most cemeteries are found near settlements.
- Somewhere on the map, there are 2 special merchants that deal in completely White Vanity Gear and Black Vanity Gear. Look for the White and Black Dye Merchants to expand your collection of color options.
- You will need to accomplish certain milestones in order to unlock some of the monochrome Vanity Gear.