You can grab the platinum in a single playthrough. ngl, that alone makes this game a solid pick for trophy hunters.
Hey everyone, it’s Jipi the Platinum Hunter! I just grabbed the platinum trophy in Ghost of Yōtei, so I’m dropping my full record + strategy notes here. Fair warning: this guide covers platinum only — the full completion (100%) requires a 2nd playthrough and the DLC. I’m writing this focused on the stuff I wish I’d known earlier. Hopefully this helps you on your trophy hunt!
📊 My Playtime Record
- Story clear: ~32 hours
- Platinum earned: ~38 hours (6 extra hours post-game)
The general estimate floating around is 50–70 hours, so I’d say I finished on the faster end. My playstyle is basically: go in blind on the first run, vibe with the world, and do side content whenever it catches my interest. For an open-world game, this one actually felt pretty compact to complete. Also — difficulty has zero impact on the platinum, so feel free to crank it down to the easiest setting (“Mercy”). No shame in it whatsoever, action-avoiders!
📚 More Platinum Guides You Might Like
👉 RoboCop Rogue City Trophy Guide — Action open world
👉 Dragon Age Veilguard Trophy Guide — Story-driven open world RPG
👉 RE9 Requiem Trophy Guide — Action adventure horror
💡 Trophy Tips & Useful Cheese Strats
1. Use the Scouting System from the Very Start
- Telescope marking is OP: You can use the telescope (D-pad up) to mark enemies and locations directly on your map. I somehow didn’t figure this out until hour 30. Please use this from the start — it’s a game changer.
- Best scouting loadout: “Unerring Magatama” + “Longbow” combo is straight-up broken for stealth runs. Way more intuitive than “Keen Ear” (which unlocks later), and you’ll play much safer with it.
- Don’t sleep on buying maps early: It feels like spending resources upfront, but it’ll save you way more time in the long run.
2. Be Selective About What You Collect
Strumming the shamisen will guide you toward exploration points, so it’s genuinely useful for collectible hunting. That said, you only need to track the stuff the shamisen can’t lead you to.
- Skip these: “Ainu Artifacts” and “Swords” are NOT required for platinum. If you’re just trophy hunting, ignore them guilt-free.
- Track these carefully: “Puzzle Boxes” — you WILL lose track of where you picked them up. I strongly recommend jotting down locations on your phone as you go.
- Ink Paintings: I only had about half at story clear, but you can freely mop these up post-game. Still, keeping notes on locations doesn’t hurt.
3. Watch Out for These Specific Trophies
- The Musashi fight: Ngl, this guy hits harder than the final boss. It’s basically a war of attrition — equip “Taro’s Hakama” so you can revive when needed, dodge the red attacks, and hit once (hit-and-run). You fully recover HP when you revive, so don’t panic.
“Watch the gameplay video below to see the timing and positioning. Even if you don’t understand Japanese, the visual cues will help you master the fight!”
- “Guardian of the Inari”: The shrine song works on foxes too, but if the trophy isn’t triggering, head to Chinjuu no Mori. Clear every fox den first, then enter the Chinjuu no Mori area — an event will fire and unlock it. Easy to miss, so flag it early.
- Catching fish: Go to the Ishikari River in the Ishikarigahara area. Find a spot where fish are visibly jumping. That’s where the magic happens.
- Mercy Tombstones: Easy to miss while exploring. If you spot one, clear it immediately rather than leaving it for later.
🎮 My Honest Impressions
The scenery is absolutely stunning. Snowy mountains, marshlands, dense forests — everywhere you go, you’ll want to hit the screenshot button. I loved Ghost of Tsushima too, but Yōtei’s natural landscapes hold their own, easily. The photo mode seasons system? GOAT-tier feature.
Story-wise, you play as Atsu — a protagonist seeking revenge after losing their family to a brutal enemy in childhood, journeying across Ezo (Hokkaido). Compared to Ghost of Tsushima, this one digs deeper into the main character’s inner world, and it genuinely hit different for me. Some of the mini-games repeat a bit, but they’re easy enough that you can treat them as casual breaks between the main story beats.
📝 TL;DR Summary
Two things that’ll make or break your run: use the telescope marking from the very start, and don’t bother collecting Ainu Artifacts or Swords. Knowing those two things changes everything.
The general estimate is 50–70 hours, but if you know what you’re doing, you can realistically aim for around 40 hours. Since difficulty is completely free choice, just set your own pace, enjoy the wilds of Ezo, and go get that plat. You’ve got this!
If this guide helped you out at all, dropping a like or follow really keeps me going. Thanks for reading! 🏆
🎧 Recommended Gear
Ghost of Yōtei’s world is breathtaking — and having the right gear makes those 40-70 hours even more immersive:
🎧 PlayStation PULSE Elite Wireless Headset — The ambient sounds of Ezo — wind through the pines, distant thunder, the crunch of snow — sound incredible through planar magnetic drivers. 3D Audio turns this game into a sensory experience. 30-hour battery easily lasts a full weekend.
🔊 Sony SRS-NS7 Wireless Neckband Speaker — Perfect for long open-world exploration sessions. You get immersive 360 audio without the ear fatigue of a headset. IPX4 splash-proof too, so late-night snack runs are no problem.
🕹️ PlayStation DualSense Edge Wireless Controller — The adaptive triggers add so much to archery and combat in Yōtei. Custom stick dead zones helped me nail headshots consistently. A real upgrade for precision-heavy games like this.
* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
🎮 Must-Have Gear: How I Saved on a PS5 Controller
During my hardcore Platinum Trophy grinds, the rubber on my PS5 thumbsticks finally tore off. I was dreading spending another $70 on a brand new DualSense… but then I tried these thumbstick caps as a last resort.
Surprisingly, they fit perfectly right over the torn rubber! I saved the replacement cost and used that money to buy another new game instead (lol).
If your thumbsticks are starting to peel or fall apart, I highly recommend this cheap fix to extend your controller’s life before you buy a new one!
Leave a Comment