Is Ghost of Tsushima hard? Difficulty options explained

It’s a tricky climate for anyone wanting a slightly more relaxed combat experience in their games too as many new titles have a Soulsborne edge to them, meaning they have brutally unforgiving fighting mechanics in the vein of games such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls. For some, the challenge is bliss. For others, it’s an absolute nightmare.

But just where does Ghost of Tsushima sit on the spectrum of difficulty? We break that question down below.

Is Ghost of Tsushima hard?

Ghost of Tsushima has moments when it can be hard but there are different tiers of difficulty which can be adjusted to suit your preferred playing style or ability.

As a Samurai called Jin, you must fight off other enemies by learning different styles of combat and can use swords, a bow and stealth attacks to take foes down.

Regardless of the difficulty setting you choose, combat is methodical and needs to be carefully negotiated - simply put, you can’t wade in all swords blazing and expect an easy ride.

Are there difficulty-based trophies in Ghost of Tsushima?

Ghost of Tsushima has no difficulty-based trophies.

If you are a completionist and were worried that you’d need to complete the game on a high-difficulty setting to obtain those coveted trophies, then this will be music to your ears.

For those players who want more of a challenge, you can also feel free to choose a harder setting to play on without needing to track back and waltz through the game on a lower option.

What are the difficulty options in Ghost of Tsushima?

There are four different tiers of difficulty in Ghost of Tsushima to choose from. We’ve listed them all out below, along with the variations between each one.

Easy

This setting is best for players who want to experience the story and have the freedom to explore the stunning island of Tsushima without facing much trouble from enemies.

Jin’s health and damage resistance are both higher than his foe’s, while the time he has to parry or dodge incoming attacks is longer. Enemies die quicker too, which is helpful.

Medium

Moderately challenging experience with a mixture of storytelling and combat. This will likely be the basic tier for anyone who has some background playing adventure games.

Hard

Much more unforgiving than the previous two options, hard mode requires incoming attacks to be parried with perfect timing as the window for doing so is much shorter than the other two levels. Only three or four hits will kill Jin, so you’ll have to be on the ball here.

Lethal

“Death is always close at hand. A single sword strike is lethal” reads the in-game information for this option. Patched in after the game was initially released in 2020, Lethal mode is immensely challenging as Jin will die with one just blow. It is the closest to a full Samurai experience the game has to offer, designed for players who want an authentic experience.

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