It may be obvious, but make sure you do that, since you need lots of those things to upgrade your various weapons and gear. The world is full of stuff you can grab, like flowers, metal, cloth, and more. You unlock new atmosphere-altering songs by collecting crickets (usually found in graveyards), and you select which one Jin will play from the accessories menu. That’s simple enough, but what the game doesn’t explain is that your flute can magically change the weather, like calling a storm or clearing the skies. By swiping left on the touch pad, you can play your flute. This feature is sort of buried, so it’s easy to miss it. Bottom line: Don’t get too attached to one specific look. Or, if you’d rather explore than fight, you can wear the clothes that help you find artifacts and improve your ability to clear fog from the map. Get in the habit of switching your armor to fit the mission you can wear stealthy clothes as your approach an occupied farmstead, and if you alert the guards, switch to the suit that provides damage reduction. One might make it easier to sneak up on enemies, while another reduces the damage you take. Most suits of armor have special properties suited to specific tasks. You find different gear that you can equip and upgrade, and it isn’t all simply cosmetic. As for the more general tales, you can go back and clean those up if/when the mood strikes you. But before completing the big, climactic story mission for a region (you’ll know), you should also finish the available ally quests, since they are cool stories and help you get to know the people who will be fighting at your side in pivotal moments. The main story is an obvious priority it helps you reach new parts of the island and gives you a few automatic new tools and abilities. You should concentrate your efforts on the first two. Quests (or “tales”) are divided into three types: the first is the game’s main story, the second is focused on arcs for your allies, and the third is all about completing tasks for regular folks. You’ll get two points toward your next stance that way – one for the observation, and one for the kill. But don’t just settle for killing leaders! In some cases, clearing an area includes an objective that encourages you observe or kill them – but you can (and should) do both. That is very good, because stances open up better options for dealing with specific enemy types they are crucial, and give you maximum flexibility in encounters.

They are typically my “use in case of emergency” options, but you can make them a regular part of your arsenal if you don’t mind buying more ammo when you run low.ĭouble up on leaders to unlock stances faster.Įach leader you defeat in Mongol-occupied area rewards with you with one point toward learning your next stance. I won’t ruin the surprise for what they all are or how they work, but they can help you stagger enemies, deal damage, and escape when you’re outnumbered. If you feel overwhelmed in an encounter, remember that you have a limited supply of quick-throw items mapped to R1. You can always make it more challenging once you get your bearings.

If that isn’t you, setting the game to easy can help you gradually get a better understanding for how battles work, and allow you to obtain the tools and techniques that let you make the most of combat. Some people have a whole pride thing that prevents them from playing games on easier difficulties, which is fine. This doesn’t mean combat is only about holding block and waiting for something to happen you have plenty of offensive options and ways to throw enemies off, but being defensive and deliberate is almost always a good place to start.īefore you gain your full suite of skills, items, and stances, combat encounters can feel punishing at times. So, when you’re surrounded by a group of enemies wielding different weapons, you might be better off countering their attacks rather than launching into a flurry of slashes. Combat in Ghost of Tsushima leans heavily on defensive moves, emphasizing dodging and parrying to create lethal opportunities to strike. Even if the story makes it seems like you’re doing something evil, don’t worry about it.ĭon’t expect to button-mash your way to victory in battle. Perform sneaky assassinations or participate in noble standoffs all you want. In other words, just do what seems fun to you.

You don’t have a morality meter that tracks your actions, and the game expects you to formulate a playstyle that blends elements of both “samurai” moves and “ghost” ones. However, Ghost of Tsushima has no systems that make meaningful distinctions between the two approaches. The narrative frames straightforward confrontation as honorable, and stealthy tactics as dishonorable.

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