Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Guide – How To Solve The Shrine in Shadow And Unlock The Shadow Of The Colossus Armor

Note: This article contains spoilers for the Shrine in Shadow on Iki Island. If you’d rather solve its puzzles yourself, read no further.

Ghost of Tsushima‘s new Iki Island expansion includes three major Easter eggs referencing other major PlayStation-exclusive games: Shadow of the Colossus, Bloodborne, and God of War. To locate these Easter eggs and unlock some of the coolest rewards in the game, you need to locate Iki Island’s three Wind Shrines and solve their riddles. Each packs a cosmetic armor set previously only available in the Legends mode. To unlock the Shadow of the Colossus armor hidden on Iki, you’ll need to track down the Shrine in Shadow.

Here’s everything you need to know to find the Shrine in Shadow and solve its riddle to unlock your Shadow of the Colossus armor customization. Don’t forget to check out our guides to find the Shrine of Ash and get the God of War armor, and the Blood-Stained Shrine for the Bloodborne armor.

Note that to complete this shrine, you’ll need the Ghost Armor.

Where To Find The Shrine In Shadow

Look for the Shrine in Shadow near the southern coast of Iki Island.
Look for the Shrine in Shadow near the southern coast of Iki Island.

Head to the southern coast of Iki Island, almost dead center in the middle of the map, to find the Shrine In Shadow. It’s situated up in the cliffs of Buddha’s Footprints and can be tough to reach. Approach it from the east side and try to find a spot marked with a mat and a candle where you can jump across to reach the shrine’s entrance. Be careful, though–one of the handholds will break free, and you’ll need to catch the one below it to keep yourself from a painful fall to the rocks below.

How To Solve The Shrine In Shadow Riddle

Once you enter the shrine, you’ll quickly see its references to Shadow of the Colossus. The mark painted on the base of the statue at the shrine’s center is also the mark that adorns that games’ colossi, marking where you can stab them and inflict damage. The base of the statue is also covered in fur pelts, mimicking the fur of the colossi that protagonist Wander uses to climb the huge beasts in order to destroy them.

The shrine is marked with the symbol you'd find on a colossus, the sword protagonist Wander uses to slay them, and the inky darkness that bleeds from their wounds.
The shrine is marked with the symbol you’d find on a colossus, the sword protagonist Wander uses to slay them, and the inky darkness that bleeds from their wounds.

In the center of the shrine is a scroll containing a poem that recalls Shadow of the Colossus’s story, while also giving you hints about how to solve the shrine:

Stone knows no season,
Nor the colossus that was
felled to save one soul.
Wanderer, come like through mist,
a ghost casting no shadow.

The last two lines of the poem contain the clues, addressing you as Wanderer and telling you to “come like through mist, a ghost casting no shadow.”

Since the poem tells you to act like a ghost, you might have already guessed that you’ll need to wear the Ghost Armor to complete the puzzle. The second part is a little more confusing, where you’re told to “come like through mist.” While there’s a song for your flute that will change the weather to create mist, that’s not what the riddle is looking for.

The Armor of the Colossus is a cosmetic applied to the Ghost armor.

Instead, stand in the middle of the shrine wearing the Ghost Armor and throw a smoke bomb to fulfill the requirements of the poem. That’ll trigger a cutscene, and you’ll receive your Shadow of the Colossus-themed rewards: the Mask of the Colossus and the Armor of the Colossus, a cosmetic for the Ghost Armor.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Expansion Guide – Monkey Sanctuary Locations

Ghost of Tsushima‘s Iki Island expansion offers a new side-activity centered around freeing captured monkeys from the Mongols and then playing a flute mini-game. Below, we’ve compiled a guide on how to find them all.

Completing one Monkey Sanctuary earns you the Charm of Mashira’s Protection. This defense charm extends the window of your Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge maneuvers upon healing yourself with Resolve, and completing subsequent Monkey Sanctuaries increases that window even more. However, when the charm is equipped, it’s worth noting that all healing costs one additional Resolve point.

For more about Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Iki Island guides and our guides for the first game.

East Of Raider’s Promontory Monkey Sanctuary

Gallery

The first Monkey Sanctuary you’re likely to encounter is east of Raider’s Promontory, located on the northeast side of Iki Island. You’ll see a group of Mongols guarding some cages; take them out and liberate your monkey friends!

Saruiwa Overlook Monkey Sanctuary

Gallery

This next Monkey Sanctuary is linked to the Saruiwa Overlook Mongol camp. You can find it southwest of Smuggler’s Wood atop a mountain beside a small house. However, you cannot interact with it until you liberate the nearby Saruiwa Overlook Mongol camp and free the monkeys trapped in cages scattered around the premises.

Saruiwa Mountain Monkey Sanctuary

Gallery

The last Monkey Sanctuary is located at the top of a mountain at Saruiwa, located at the southwestmost point of Iki Island. When you arrive at the foot of the mountain, look for a path leading up to an area with two monkey statues. Proceed up that way to enter a platforming route leading to the top of the mountain. Since you’re here, be sure to nab the hidden trophy “Monkey See”–we have a Monkey See Hidden Trophy guide that can help.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Expansion Guide – Memory Locations

One of the most intriguing new activities in Ghost of Tsushima‘s Iki Island expansion is the series of “Memory” flashbacks. Each is titled with a different theme and covers specific instances in Jin’s past that help inform us of his relationship with his father. They’re marked in the world by the presence of a cherry blossom tree, a fraying clan Sakai banner, and a white deer. Below, we detail how to find every single Memory on Iki Island.

For more about Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Iki Island guides and our guides for the first game.

Memory Of Anguish

Gallery

Memory of Anguish is located at a point between Kemono Trail and Kidafure Battleground.

Memory Of Sorrow

Gallery

Memory of Sorrow is located north of Thunderhead Cliffs at the northeast corner of the map.

Memory Of Kinship

Gallery

You’ll find the Memory of Kinship at Senjo Gorge, located on the island’s southern side.

Memory Of Foreboding

Gallery

Memory of Foreboding is located southwest of Barrier Cove at the northeast section of the island.

Memory Of An Unfinished Song

Gallery

You’ll find the Memory of an Unfinished Song northwest of Sly Hunter’s Forest on a small ridge overlooking Raider’s Promontory. However, it’s important to note that this memory doesn’t unlock until after you’ve completed all the previous ones, as it’s the final one that bookends Jin’s remembrance of his father.

Reward: Tempest’s End

No Caption Provided

After completing that emotional journey, you’ll receive a new Sword Kit called Tempest’s End. A worthy prize for Jin after taking a trip down memory lane. You also unlock the Elegy for Kazumasa trophy.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Guide – How To Solve The Blood-Stained Shrine And Unlock The Bloodborne Armor

Note: This article contains spoilers for the Blood-Stained Shrine on Iki Island. If you’d rather solve its puzzles yourself, read no further.

Hidden on Iki Island in the Ghost of Tsushima expansion content are three strange shrines adorned by huge statues. On your “Collections” menu, these are referred to as Wind Shrines, and each contains a riddle you’ll need to solve. If you’re a fan of other PlayStation exclusives, you should recognize what they’re referencing–three era-defining PlayStation 4 games. Those games are Bloodborne, God of War, and Shadow of the Colossus, and unlocking their riddles earns you cosmetic armors that were previously only available in Ghost of Tsushima’s Legends mode.

The Blood-Stained Shrine is the place you’ll find an homage to Yarnham and the Hunters of Old. Here’s where to find it and how to unlock its secrets. Don’t forget to check out our guides to find the Shrine of Ash and get the God of War armor, and to find the Shrine in Shadow and get the Shadow of the Colossus armor.

Note that to complete this shrine, you need to complete The Six Blades of Kojiro, a Mythic Tale back on Tsushima.

Where To Find The Blood-Stained Shrine

Look for the Blood-Stained Shrine near the west coast of Iki Island, on Gonoura Cape.
Look for the Blood-Stained Shrine near the west coast of Iki Island, on Gonoura Cape.

Head to the west side of Iki island, to Gonoura Cape. You’ll find the shrine near the coast, before you hit the Viper’s Den. Look for it on top of a rolling green hill.

How To Solve The Blood-Stained Shrine Riddle

When you enter the shrine, you’ll notice a lot of elements recalling Bloodborne and its setting of Yarnham. Specifically, the shrine is a reference to Eileen the Crow, one of the NPC Hunters you can find in the game, and you’ll find black feathers and loud crows all over the area.

The Blood-Stained Shrine contains a mural of the moon and is littered with crow feathers.
The Blood-Stained Shrine contains a mural of the moon and is littered with crow feathers.

Venture to the base of the statue and you’ll find a scroll with a poem giving you a hint about what you need to do in the shrine:

The first green of spring
sickens to black, decaying,
plagued by blood and beast.
Hunter, reject death’s allure.
Prepare to duel man’s frailty.

The poem is full of references to what happens in Bloodborne–it’s about a town plagued by blood and beasts, after all. But it also tells you what you need to do in the shrine. Specifically, it refers to the reader as Hunter, and tells you to “reject death’s allure.”

First, to embody the Hunter, you’ll need to wear the Kensei armor, which you can earn from the Mythic Tale The Six Blades of Kojiro. Next, you’ll need to “reject death’s allure.” Put another way, you need to stop yourself from dying–otherwise known as healing yourself. Make sure you have some Resolve banked and inflict some injury on Jin by jumping off one of the high rocks that wall the shrine. Land in front of the statue and then heal yourself by pressing down on the D-Pad.

Deck yourself out like you're headed to the Hunt with the Yarnham Vestments cosmetic for the Kensei Armor.

That’ll trigger a cutscene, and when you finish, you’ll earn two Bloodborne-themed items: the Yarnham Helm and the Yarnham Vestments, which is a cosmetic for the Kensei Armor made to look like Eileen the Crow.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Expansion Guide – Bamboo Strike Locations

With the release of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut also comes a new expansion set on Tsushima’s neighboring Iki Island. Like the base game, this new portion has plenty of collectibles to find, including the ever-useful Bamboo Strikes, which expand Jin’s maximum Resolve–a meter that allows you to heal in battle and execute powerful special abilities.

Since the Iki Island expansion is technically post-release content, it’s a fair bit more difficult than the base game. This is mainly due to Mongol enemies who constantly switch their weaponry on the fly, requiring you to switch your katana stances more frequently to attack and defend yourself properly. Thanks to the increased challenge, you may often find yourself at death’s door, so it helps to ensure you get more Resolve to help you better tackle the challenges ahead. There are a total of two Bamboo Strikes to discover on Iki Island; below, we detail how to find them.

Buddha’s Footprints Bamboo Strike

Gallery

As its name implies, you’ll find this Bamboo Strike near Buddha’s Footprints. It’s located at the southernmost tip of Iki Island, near the Shrine in Shadow and the Raider Memorial.

Shipwreck Bamboo Strike

Gallery

The Shipwreck Bamboo Strike is located at a point between Barrier Cove and Zasho Bay on the eastern side of the island. It’s on a cliffside overlooking a burning ship. When you arrive at the point on the map, you’ll see a wall you can pull down with your grappling hook. Once the path is clear, squeeze through the opening and you’ll find the last Bamboo Strike on Iki Island.

For more about Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Iki Island guides and our guides for the first game.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Expansion Guide – Hot Springs Locations

In Ghost of Tsushima‘s Iki Island expansion, you’ll once again have a laundry list of collectibles and activities to chase. There’s a slew of new things to do, but there’s also some returning stuff, such as hot springs, where you can rest and increase Jin’s maximum health. Hot springs, in particular, will be paramount for the journey ahead as the expansion is more difficult than the base game, so it helps to have a little extra health. Below, we detail the locations of every hot spring on Iki Island.

For more about Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion, be sure to read our full review. Otherwise, be sure to check out our other Iki Island guides and our guides for the first game.

Gonura Cape Hot Spring

Gallery

As its name implies, you’ll find this hot spring around Gonura Cape. It’s slightly south of where the location is marked on the map. If you’re heading toward it, you’ll easily intuit where it is from the steam emanating out into the sky. Regardless, you’ll know you’re in the right place when you see a large Buddha statue and some monkeys hanging out by the steamy water.

Senjo Gorge Hot Spring

Gallery

The Senjo Gorge Hot Spring is a bit radius to reach, as the terrain is pretty unfriendly–it is a gorge, after all. Regardless, when you arrive at the area, try sticking to the leftmost side of the gorge and go up and around until you reach a pool connecting two waterfalls. Cross that and go up the hill until you reach the Senjo Gorge Hot Spring.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Expansion Guide – Archery Challenge Locations

One of the newest activities in Ghost of Tsushima‘s Iki Island expansion is Archery Challenges. These time trials challenge you to race against the clock shoot a set number of targets. Below, we detail the locations of every Archery Challenge on Iki Island.

Before you start seeking them out, it’s worth explaining the benefit of doing Archery Challenges. The prize you receive from completing your first one is the Charm of Concentration, which increases the amount of time Jin can remain in concentration mode while shooting arrows.

As mentioned, Archery Challenges are essentially time trials, and there are three times you need to beat: 22 seconds (Bronze), 15 seconds (Silver), and 7 seconds (Gold). Upon successfully beating a time, the Charm of Concentration will earn a increase to the total time it extends Jin’s Concentration. Getting Bronze and Silver is easy enough, but if you hope to achieve Gold at each Archery Challenge, you’ll need to first boost the Charm of Concentration’s effectiveness by getting Bronze and Silver awards across all the challenges, and then doubling back to get the Golds.

East Of Lone Spirit Falls

Gallery

This one is likely to be the first Archery Challenge you’ll find. It’s located shortly east of Lone Spirit Falls on the map, not far off from where you emerge upon first setting foot onto the island. When you approach, the raider archer and his friends will verse you on the challenge’s rules.

Raider’s Promontory

Gallery

The next Archery Challenge is located right at the center of Raider’s Promontory at the northernmost point of Iki Island. When you reach the area, you’ll notice the way to the raider archers is blocked off. Look left to see some grappling hook points that’ll take you to the challenge.

South Of Yahata Forest

Gallery

This Archery Challenge is directly south of Yahata Forest on the east side of Iki Island. You’ll find the raider archers shooting targets in a field of pink flowers.

South Of Kidafure Battlefield

Gallery

You can find this Archery Challenge south of Kidafure Battleground. You’ll see the raider archers shooting arrows at lanterns set up on the abandoned houses overgrown with leaves.

East Of Zasho River

Gallery

The next Archery Challenge is located east of Zasho River. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see archers shooting targets on a waterfall by a field of pampas grass.

Northwest Of Saruiwa

Gallery

You can find this Archery Challenge if you head down the path to Saruiwa on the southwestmost point of Iki Island. You literally can’t miss it; the raider archers are shooting arrows on the beach.

South of Weeping Mother’s Meadow

Gallery

While this Archery Challenge is directly southwest of Weeping Mother’s Meadow, it’s technically classified as being on the outskirts of Senjo Gorge. Regardless, head to this area filled with purple-leaf trees, and you’ll encounter a group of raider archers who’ve set up shop to shoot some targets.

Raider Memorial

Gallery

This Archery Challenge is located at the Raider Memorial in the southern part of Iki Island. It may seem like a bit of a secret–especially if you weren’t paying attention when you first arrived to talk to the people here.

Essentially, the raiders have created a memorial for warriors who died at the hands of the legendary archer, Tadayori Nagao. Does that name ring any bells? Well, it should, because that’s the name of the person whose armor you earned after completing the Mythic Tale, The Legend of Tadayori. If you’ve not yet completed this Mythic Tale and are still stuck on Iki Island, finish the Tale called Jin From Yarikawa, and then travel back to the Izuhara region ​​and find the storyteller located south of the river at the Rustling Bend.

Regardless, once you have everything you need, put on the complete Tadayori armor set, and then talk to the man hunched over at the top of the staircase to the right to unlock this Archery Challenge.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Where Is Xur Today? (Aug. 20-24) – Destiny 2 Xur Location And Exotics Guide

We’re in the final weekend of Destiny 2‘s Season of the Splicer, and that makes this the final visit of Xur before Season 15 kicks off. With a whole bunch of weapon changes coming next week, this is a great chance to visit Xur for new Exotic weapons and armor.

Xur shows up at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on Fridays. We’ll update this post as soon as Xur arrives with all the info you need about where to find him and what he’s offering.

Xur returns to the solar system every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET each Friday. The thing is, where he’ll land isn’t known until he actually arrives. Xur can hang out at one of several locations, including in the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher’s Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ. Xur’s inventory also changes each week, so it’s worth revisiting him on the weekends for new weapons and rolls on Exotic armor. You can visit him any time between his arrival Friday and the weekly reset at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET the following Tuesday when Xur departs the solar system.

Each week, Xur offers one Exotic weapon and three pieces of Exotic armor: one for each character class. The inventory is random, as are the stat rolls you can expect on each of his armor offerings, so if you’re looking to fill out your collection or if you’re hoping for better versions of Exotics you already have, it’s worth visiting him. Xur also brings an Exotic Engram, which is guaranteed to drop something you don’t already have, if there are Exotics missing from your collection on that particular character–but that doesn’t include Exotics you have to earn through activities, including the new Exotic armors added each season, which can only be claimed from Legendary or Master Lost Sectors.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Trials Of Osiris Rewards This Week In Destiny 2 (Aug. 20-24)

We’ve reached the end of the Season of the Splicer in Destiny 2, which makes this the final weekend to take on the Trials of Osiris before a bunch of changes kick off in Season 15. If you’re hoping to grab some of the best weapons and armor in the game, this is your last chance before Bungie rolls out some updates.

As always, both the Trials of Osiris rewards and the map are randomized when the mode goes live at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on Fridays. We’ll update this post with all the map you’ll face and all the possible rewards for the weekend as soon as the tournament starts up.

Trials of Osiris is a weekend PvP mode that runs from the daily reset on Friday until the weekly reset on Tuesday, giving you four days to take part. Unlike a typical Crucible affair, you’ll need to not only win matches, but rack up as many as you can before notching three losses. As soon as you hit three losses, your Passage is reset, and you’ll need to try again to rack up a total of seven wins. You’ll get rewards at the three-, five-, and seven-wins mark, with the best possible prize awaiting those who can achieve a Flawless run in which you go 7-0 across your run.

Go Flawless, and you’ll earn a trip to the Lighthouse and receive some special rewards, including the new Adept weapons. These have additional stat bonuses, making them among the most coveted items you can get your hands on.

You’ll need a team of three to join in, as you won’t be able to rely on matchmaking for partners. As you might imagine, given the outline above, you’ll want to bring the best teammates and loadouts possible, as everyone is gunning to avoid even a single loss. Fortunately, you can still earn rewards by participating in Trials even if you lose, so be sure to talk to Saint-14 to get the appropriate bounty before beginning and then spend any Trials tokens you earn before the weekly reset on August 10, when they’ll expire.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Splitgate Gets Ranked 2v2 Mode

Splitgate now has a second competitive mode: Ranked 2v2. So if you only want to play ranked with your friends but can’t pull together a full team for Ranked 4v4 or Ranked 3v3 Takedown, you now have the option of playing competitively with a single partner.

The update that added Ranked 2v2 also improved server capacity and implemented, according to developer 1047 Games, “minor bug fixes.”

This is wonderful news, given that the Splitgate beta just hit 10 million downloads. If you’re one of those 10 million, it’s now a bit easier to squeeze into the servers and get into a match. And if you haven’t yet downloaded the game, you should change that–you need to play Splitgate.

There’s no word on when Splitgate’s beta will end as it has been extended indefinitely. In a press release, 1047 Games said that it realizes that it cannot throw more server capacity at the game; instead, more complex fixes are needed to improve scalability issues.

1047 Games teased that it has more news concerning Splitgate that will be revealed at Gamescom on August 25. The developer is also currently working on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 upgrades for Splitgate.

Splitgate is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.