Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Guides, Tips, And Tricks Roundup (Spoiler-Free)

Welcome to our comprehensive collection of expert guides for Ghost of Tsushima’s acclaimed Iki Island expansion, available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 platforms. This substantial content addition brings veteran samurai and newcomers alike to a dangerous new frontier filled with mysteries to uncover.

The Iki Island expansion introduces a completely separate region from the main Tsushima map, featuring diverse landscapes from coastal cliffs to dense forests and mountainous terrain. While familiar activities like Hot Springs and Bamboo Strikes return, you’ll encounter numerous new challenges including animal sanctuaries, unwritten tales, and hidden Mongol camps that require strategic approaches.

To maximize your exploration efficiency and ensure you don’t miss any of the expansion’s rich content, we’ve organized detailed walkthroughs covering every major activity and collectible category. Each guide includes precise navigation tips, reward details, and strategic insights to enhance your gameplay experience.

Accessing Iki Island requires specific progression in the main campaign. You must complete the entirety of Act 1: ‘The Warrior’s Code’ before the expansion content becomes available. This ensures your character has developed sufficient combat skills and narrative context for the challenging encounters ahead.

Once Act 1 is finished, travel to the Drowned Man’s Shore in the Toyotama region where you’ll discover a new questline titled ‘Journey into the Past.’ This mission serves as the narrative bridge to Iki Island and introduces the expansion’s central conflict. We recommend achieving at least character level 25 and upgrading your katana to level 5 before attempting this journey.

Pro Tip: Complete the ‘Legend of Tadayori’ mythic tale and obtain the Tadayori’s Armor set, as its archery-focused bonuses prove exceptionally valuable against Iki Island’s new enemy types. The expansion’s difficulty scales with your progress, so proper preparation significantly enhances your survival chances.

Iki Island features numerous returning activities that provide valuable character upgrades and cosmetic rewards. Bamboo Strikes improve your resolve capacity, while Hot Springs permanently increase your maximum health. Strategic completion order can optimize your character’s power progression.

Bamboo Strikes: Seven locations scattered across the island challenge your timing and precision. Each successful strike grants additional resolve bars, crucial for surviving the expansion’s intensified combat encounters. The most challenging bamboo strike requires perfect execution of a 10-hit combo near the island’s northern cliffs.

Hot Springs: Nine therapeutic locations offer not only health upgrades but also poignant character moments and lore insights. The hidden hot spring on the southwestern coast provides unique dialogue reflecting Jin’s personal journey.

Shinto Shrines: Five elaborate platforming challenges test your navigation skills and reward powerful charms. Approach these during daylight hours for better visibility on precarious jumps.

Archery Challenges: These new activities require precise bow work under time pressure. Mastering them unlocks special arrow types and quiver capacity upgrades essential for dealing with Iki Island’s increased enemy variety.

Iki Island introduces three types of animal sanctuaries that offer both cosmetic rewards and gameplay advantages. Each sanctuary type has distinct mechanics and completion requirements.

Deer Sanctuaries: Five locations where you can peacefully observe and honor these graceful creatures. Approaching slowly and using specific emotes triggers unique interactions that contribute toward 100% completion and provide narrative depth.

Monkey Sanctuaries: Four interactive locations featuring puzzle elements. These require careful observation of monkey behavior patterns and often involve following specific individuals to hidden areas.

Cat Sanctuaries: Three hidden locations where feline friends respond to specific flute melodies. Successfully interacting with all cats unlocks a special vanity item.

Common Mistake: Many players rush through sanctuaries aggressively, missing the subtle interaction cues. Move deliberately and observe animal behavior patterns before attempting interactions.

Beyond core activities, Iki Island contains numerous collectibles that expand the game’s lore and provide practical benefits. Systematic exploration ensures you maximize both narrative understanding and character power.

Haiku Locations: Six contemplative spots offering powerful headband cosmetics. Each haiku presents meaningful character development moments that reflect Jin’s internal conflicts and personal growth throughout the expansion.

Memory Locations: Eight emotionally resonant sites that delve deeper into the Sakai family history. These memories provide crucial context for Jin’s motivations and the expansion’s central narrative themes.

Wind Shrines: Four elemental locations that require specific weather conditions to access. Using the flute to change weather patterns at strategic times reveals these hidden areas.

Optimization Tip: Complete haiku and memory locations during main story progression breaks, as their narrative revelations enhance the impact of key plot moments.

For completionists and seasoned players, Iki Island offers substantial endgame content including unique armor sets, hidden merchants, and challenging side quests that test your mastery of game mechanics.

Armor Sets: Discover five exclusive armor sets with unique abilities tailored to Iki Island’s combat challenges. The Sarugami Armor particularly revolutionizes parry mechanics, rewarding perfect defense with powerful counterattacks.

Crimson Dye Merchant: Unlock this special vendor by completing specific world events. Their unique crimson color schemes provide distinctive visual customization options unavailable elsewhere.

Hidden Quests: ‘A Helping Hand’ and other unmarked missions require environmental observation and NPC interaction rather than traditional quest markers.

Easter Eggs: Numerous subtle references to other PlayStation exclusives await discovery. These include visual homages, musical cues, and narrative nods that long-time fans will particularly appreciate.

Trophy Hunters: The ‘Monkey See’ hidden trophy requires interacting with specific environmental elements in precise sequence across different regions.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Guides, Tips, And Tricks Roundup (Spoiler-Free) Complete guide to exploring Iki Island's activities, collectibles, and hidden content in Ghost of Tsushima