Ghost of Tsushima: How to Turn Kurosawa Mode On and Off

You can play through Ghost of Tsushima as normal, or in Kurosawa mode, a special filter designed to evoke the classic samurai movies of Akira Kurosawa. We'll show you how to turn Kurosawa Mode on and off again, as well as what benefits or penalties might be incurred from having it.

On this page:

• How to Turn Kurosawa Mode On and Off in Ghost of Tsushima
• What is Kurosawa Mode?
• Is Kurosawa Mode Better?

How to Turn Kurosawa Mode On and Off in Ghost of Tsushima

You can turn Kurosawa Mode on and off in Ghost of Tsushima in two ways: either in the beginning when starting a new game, or while playing through the pause menu. At any time during gameplay, just do the following:

• Pause the game with the "Options" button.
• Go to the tab in the pause menu also called "Options."
• Select "Display."
• Turning Kurosawa Mode on and off will be one of the options here.

If you want all the guides you'd ever need on Ghost of Tsushima, why not check out our full Guides Hub here? Whether it's bosses, collectibles or getting the best armor and weapons, we've got everything you'll need to liberate Tsushima here.

What is Kurosawa Mode?

Kurosawa Mode is designed to evoke samurai moves of the fifties and sixties, and thus makes the game black and white with a stylized film grain overlay across the screen. This also applies to the map and icons within the game, such as your health and resolve meter.

Is Kurosawa Mode Better?

We've tried both normal and Kurosawa Mode extensively, and while no specific gameplay elements are changed, Kurosawa Mode can be a little bit tricker, as the grainy effect and loss of color can make certain items or icons harder to notice, especially those marked by color distinction or certain kinds of light. It also makes it a little less obvious when you're at low health or resolve, as these icons don't stand out as much.

However, it can sometimes be worth it purely for how cool it can be. The problems are much less impactful in combat than they are in stealth, as combat is marked by drastic, obvious motions and stealth is about noticing small details. Not to mention that everybody should try at least one sword fight that looks… well, like a Kurosawa movie, even if you put it back to normal straight afterwards.

Now that's all been put in black and white, there's a whole lot more Tsushima content to explore here at USG. Mike's review of the game can be found here, or check out our interview with Daisuke Tsuji, voice of Jin Sakai, to hear about the challenges around Asian-American representation in games and how things could be improved.