Summary
- Haiku choices in Ghost of Tsushima don't impact the story or rewards, but reflect Jin's character and values.
- Haiku locations in the game offer players a creative element without major game implications.
- Haiku options reveal Jin's mental state and historical context, and are part of an immersive, meditative experience.
Sucker Punch’s story of Ghost of Tsushima, or if one haiku option is better than another. Haiku is a type of short poetry that originated in Japan, so it’s unsurprising that the game chose to incorporate this element. In somewhat of an anachronistic twist, these poems weren't called "haiku" until the end of the 19th century - roughly 600 years after Ghost of Tsushima takes place.
These forms of poems follow a syllable pattern, where the first line contains five syllables, the second seven, and the final one is back to five syllables again. But apart from being an important product of Japanese culture, haiku are important for a different reason in Ghost of Tsushima - rewards. Namely, players can earn new headbands to change Jin’s appearance upon creating a new haiku. These headbands are only aesthetic, however, and do not bestow certain advantages on Jin, unlike the different sets of armor in Ghost of Tsushima that can reduce damage or improve stealth.
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Haiku Options Don't Matter In Ghost Of Tsushima
Different Haiku Choices Don't Change Story Or Rewards
In short, the answer is no - the choices players make with their Ghost of Tsushima haiku do not drastically change the course of the story, nor do they affect the rewards received after the fact. Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t even force players to count out the syllables in order to make sure the haiku makes sense, as the predetermined choices will flow regardless of what players choose. It's like a multiple-choice quiz where every answer is right.
Headbands rewarded for completing haiku don't vary based on the lines chosen, either; each one is tied to the location where the haiku is written.
Of course, certain options make more coherent sense when put together. So, while players can choose to quickly get through the haiku by choosing randomly, which will inevitably help them earn rewards in a quicker fashion, the haiku they create likely won’t mean much to anyone. Part of experiencing Ghost of Tsushima in its entirety involves slowing down and focusing on the little details, like lines of a haiku. Players may as well read the haiku options and choose the ones that resonate with them the most to create a poem that has some significance, or at least enjoy the meditative moment.
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Why Haiku Matters To Ghost Of Tsushima's Story & Player Experience
Jin As A Warrior-Poet
Although haiku may not have any tangible effect on the story or rewards, Ghost of Tsushima players may instead choose to see haiku writing as a method of characterization. The choices reflect not only the physical environment of where they're written, but also Jin's mental state, his background, and his values. Players may choose to explore these topics through their haiku choices. Does Jin use these moments of calm to think about his quest for revenge, or to relax and be mindful of his surroundings? He may compare his overall internal state to a rushing river, or a placid pond.
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And while Ghost of Tsushima's setting predates haiku as a documented, prescriptive form of poetry, there is plenty of historical evidence of samurai writing haiku. Samurai were the upper echelon of the feudal Japanese warrior class. They were generally well-educated and literate, and many of them used the haiku form in writing their death poems, pieces composed in their final moments to commemorate their lives. While haiku may not have become widespread in Japan until well after Ghost of Tsushima's events, it's an interesting detail that helps put Jin in a greater historical context.
There are 19 haiku locations in Ghost of Tsushima dispersed throughout the main island, and an additional three on Iki Island. Once Jin unlocks a new one, players must press R2 on a controller or E on a keyboard to begin the haiku composition process. 16 of the haiku can be found throughout the open world (a guiding wind upgrade can make them easier to find). Three of the haiku are incorporated into the main story campaign during the final two acts. These haiku do not bring about a reward, unlike the others that can be found in open-world locations. Even though the choices made when composing haiku in Ghost of Tsushima don’t impact the overall game, they’re still a fun, creative element that makes its immersion all the better.
Ghost of Tsushima
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- Top Critic Avg: 84/100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- July 17, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
The creators of the Sly Cooper franchise and Infamous shift gears with Ghost of Tsushima, an open-world action-adventure game. Set on the island of Tsushima, the invading Mongul armies arrive to begin their conquest of Japan. As Samurai fall in the wake of dishonorable war tactics, Jin Sakai learns that the only way to fight back will be to break expectations and walk the path of shadow. Jin will choose between the Samurai's righteous path and the Ghost's dark path. Players will traverse the sprawling island as they free citizens from invading rule and engage in fast-paced swordplay - or devastating stealth combat.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
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