Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut gives PS5 and PS4 players even more of the open-world adventure that took the world by storm in 2020. Between a gorgeously realized world, addictive samurai gameplay, and the Iki island expansion that explores Jin's troubled family history, there's plenty on offer to keep players coming back for quite some time.
One of the key ways that Sucker Punch has enhanced the experience is through the inclusion of a host of Easter eggs hidden away in Iki island's landscape. What's particularly curious about these is the way that the studio continues a trend established by Insomniac Games earlier this year in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, in that each reference lovingly celebrates a different corner of the PlayStation universe at large.
Iki's PlayStation Armor Sets
Across Iki island, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut players can stumble across three ornate Wind Shrines that are decorated with references to some of PlayStation's biggest exclusive IPs. What makes this style of Easter egg special is the fact that these locations double up as interactable gesture based puzzles that reward players with unique armor sets if they can solve the referential poems that have been left at each altar. Anyone who's played the game's multiplayer Legends mode will recognize the armor rewards on offer as the special sets that Sucker Punch used to promote the mode's debut last year.
The first of these shrines, dubbed the Shrine of Ash, can be found on the island's eastern side. Surrounded by birch trees, this location pays homage to Santa Monica Studio's Norse themed God of War reboot. Beyond the Blades of Chaos inspired chain decorations, the poem at the centre of the shrine is appropriately themed around Kratos and Atreus' father-son dynamic as well. While solving this puzzle grants Jin access to a samurai armor set emblazoned with the Ghost of Sparta's iconic omega tattoo, players will want to take note of one tree in particular. On the outskirts of the area a glowing hand print and axe can be found embedded within a tree, inspired by Kratos' wife and her Leviathan Axe, lifted directly from the game's loading screen.
Found along Iki's west facing coastline, the second location known as the Blood-Strained Shrine is adorned with referential imagery in tribute to Bloodborne, one of the PS4's most acclaimed games. If the crows circling overhead don't immediately give the reference away, an orange moon taken directly from the sky's of Yarnham decorates the altar itself for good measure as well. These persistent feathered creatures played a recurring role in From Software's Lovecraftian Horror inspired title, which means it's no surprise to see the armor on offer also feature the birds heavily. Inspired by Eileen the Crow and her own iconic outfit, players can now wander Feudal Japan with their own walking Easter egg.
While Aloy's Horizon Zero Dawn themed armor from Ghost of Tsushima: Legends hasn't made the transition over to the single player experience, the Shadow of the Colossus themed Armor of the Colossus thankfully has. Taking inspiration from the ceremonial garb that Wander wears throughout the game, players can win the right to own the outfit if they best the shrine that's decorated with referential pelts. Reminiscent of the fluffy footholds that cover the colossi of the cult classic, the famous weak spot symbol that each of the tragic creatures sport can also be seen covering the front of the altar.
Sly Cooper Series Painting
Long before Sucker Punch gained fame with its historically inspired samurai epic, it earned fan admiration for its Sly Cooper series of platforming games. Unsurprisingly, the studio's PlayStation mascot and his gang of lovable thieves have since taken on Easter egg form, appearing in almost all of Sucker Punch's subsequent hits. One of the most memorable of these instances actually occurs during the base Ghost of Tsushima experience, where players can unlock a blue and yellow Sly inspired outfit for Jin whilst questing across the titular island.
Because of this, there can be little shock that the Iki expansion itself includes a couple of references to the franchise, too. Whilst players have stumbled across a traditional Japanese painting of a raccoon, a more blatant Sly Cooper Easter egg also awaits tucked behind a waterfall in the Buddha's Footprint region of the map. There, a cartoon depiction of a raccoon, a pink hypo, and a green turtle can be found scribbled on a cave wall as a clear tongue-in-cheek reference to the aforementioned mammal and his pals Bentley and Murray.
Infamous' Cole MacGrath Mural
Amongst the success of Ghost of Tsushima, and the ongoing rumors surrounding Sly's potential return, it's sometimes easy to forget about Sucker Punch's much-loved Infamous series. Having debuted on the PS3 in 2009, the superhero themed open-world franchise laid the groundwork within the PlayStation ecosystem for the studio's current chart topping sensation, in addition to the likes of Insomniac Games' take on Spider-Man.
It therefore feels like a fitting tribute that the franchise's original electricity powered star, Cole MacGrath, can be found in mural form along the path to the island's Saruiwa mountain. Dressed in period appropriate samurai inspired clothing, this painted version of the occasional hero and villain comes complete with his signature Amp weapon, alongside some moody lightning. Whilst exploring the mountain in its entirety, players can also stumble across two pieces of graffiti that pay tribute to the series' second protagonist, Delsin Rowe, for good measure.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is out now for the PS5 and PS4.