As a video game which takes inspiration from classic samurai movies, it’s not surprising that Ghost of Tsushima's story is separated into several acts. Each act progresses the player further in the main story campaign and unlocks new territory to explore in the game's open world.
Set in the thirteenth century, the game follows the adventures of Lord Jin Sakai, one of the last remaining samurai warriors on the island of Tsushima. Invading Mongol forces have taken hold of the small island, and with its leader Lord Shimura captured, it’s up to Jin and his allies to rescue the innocent.
Ghost of Tsushima's main story is split into three acts – Act I, Act II, and Act III. Each Act has its own specific goal that players will have to reach in order to progress the story. While it may be enticing to explore the open world right away, there’s an incentive to completing the main story in a timely fashion, given all players can unlock.
What Do Ghost of Tsushima's Acts Unlock?
All three of Ghost of Tsushima's Acts take place in different regions of Tsushima, and completing each one will unlock more land to explore. It’s meant to parallel the progress made in the main story campaign; as Jin frees the island of Tsushima from the Mongols, more of the territory becomes available since it is liberated. In Act I, the northern and mid-region of the island are unexplorable. By the time players begin Act II, they can explore the middle territory in Tsushima. Then, finally, once players reach Act III, they can roam the rest of the open world, signifying that Jin is close to freeing all of Tsushima from the clutches of Khotun Khan and his army.
How long it takes players to complete each act will depend on how committed they are to completing the main story campaign, which, with all that’s there to be discovered in the open world element, may take players some time. Each Act is roughly the same size when it comes to cutscenes and story mission combat, but if players choose to dawdle and prioritize the open world activities over the main story, it may seem like one Act takes longer to complete than another. Overall, without side content, Ghost of Tsushima still takes at least fifteen hours to beat.
There’s no right or wrong way to play the game, however, so long as players take their time and seize opportunities as they see them. Players will have a well-rounded gameplay experience if they try to divide their time between the story campaign and open world exploration somewhat equally, however. With three acts and an entire open world at the player’s disposal, there is surely not a lack of things to do and explore in Ghost of Tsushima.