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Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started Playing

By birolay

Sheesh, this game does NOT tell you stuff. And after achieving platinum on my trash of a ps4, I noticed that man... Did I make some stupid decisions and failed to enjoy the game to its fullest. So I decided to give it another go here on Steam for a flawless, no nonsense playtrough.

These are my *30 things I wish I've known* for Ghost of Tsushima.

Award

Created by

birolay
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Category: Achievements, Characters, Classes, Crafting, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Maps or Levels, Multiplayer, Secrets, Story or Lore, Walkthroughs, Weapons

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Posted

Updated

16 May @ 8:58am

21 May @ 8:28pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Ultra-mega-blaster-important

Camera and Game Configs

Missions and Game Progression

Untold Combat Tips

Exploration Cheeses

Game Economy

Armor, Charms and Gear Tips

Combat Stances

Special Tactics and Techniques

Conclusion

Comments

Ultra-mega-blaster-important

If you're too lazy to read the rest, take note of AT LEAST the following:

Learn from enemy gear
Enemies’ gear is not just for cosmetics. It indicates their attack patterns. Before jumping into a battle, block and pay attention to your enemy's looks. Ragged dudes usually have stupider movesets, while pompous warriors can have a wider array of tactics at their disposal.
Pick the ugliest horse at the beginning
Are you familiar with Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy IV? No? Well, tough luck.
Uglier = better.
Just remember that when choosing your horse and thank me later.
Focus on the campaign until Act 2
If you're a completionist, rush that main quest until you get to Act 2. At some point you'll get a great exploration equipment and some stuff on the island will change.. It'll make clearing those icons out way simpler.
Get the Charm of Inari ASAP
This being the only exception to the tip above, make sure to get the Charm of Inari as early as possible. It f***ng DOUBLES LOOT (supplies), helping you upgrade gear sooner. Later on, you can swap it out for something more aggressive. To find the Shrine, get to Archer's Rise on the south part of the map, and follow the wooden gates to the peak of the mountain..
Observe Mongol leaders before fighting them
When approaching Mongol leaders, observe them first to earn double xp (stance points) compared to just defeating them. You can do this by infiltrating the base unseen and approaching them. There'll be an icon prompt.
Use fast travel for health recovering.
Jesus christ, this is a game-changer and I learned that way, way too late. Abuse this system.
Don't be afraid to pick the hardest difficulty for your 1st playthrough
This game has one of the best hard modes out there. It doesn't make enemies more spongy (they actually get more frail, as do you), nor it gives them more aggro. Nothing like that. They get more careful, they get smarter, and everyone is more realistically vulnerable. It's not meant exclusively for a 2nd playthrough or a hardcore player, just for someone willing to take the game seriously.

Camera and Game Configs

Auto-lock
At release, this game had no auto-lock, but it was later introduced in a later patch due to everyone losing their minds on twitter. It's off by default on PC. If you do choose to turn it on (options -> game -> target lock), know that the whole-ass game was not meant for it, and it may jank up your whole experience.
Increase camera speed
If you choose to keep auto-lock off, bump the camera speed in the settings a bit. The default setting looks great on trailers and cinematic ♥♥♥♥ from Sony, but gameplay-wise is trash. You'll be adjusting the camera A LOT during combat. So, yeah, bump that sensitivity up... That's the proper way to play it.
Enable loadouts for flexibility
I've no idea why this one isn't on by default. Make sure to enable loadouts in the options to switch armor between stealth and aggression effectively.

Missions and Game Progression

Clear outposts to reveal maps
Listen up. The game is *not* clear about this. There's no tower-climbing like Far Cry here, and there's no regional maps to be bought. Instead, clearing all enemy outposts in a section is what reveals the map for that area. Tons of people reach endgame clearing the fog of war solely on foot.
Interact with NPCs to reveal quest locations
You can talk to NPCs with dialogue bubbles to uncover quest locations without needing to explore.
Don’t skip blue storyteller missions
Don’t sleep on these, as they reward you with unique moves and weapons. As soon as one pops, do it.

Untold Combat Tips

Take your time in combat
This is not Sekiro. On Tsushima, hesitation isn't defeat (the game does not want you to be aggressive). Especially if you're new—staying defensive is perfectly fine.
Don't be afraid to try parrying!!!
Yes, this is another git gud game. But here a missed parry is way less punishing than you're used to. You have 2 time-windows: One for a perfect 1-hit-kill-parry, like most souls games, and another for deflection. If you miss the perfect one, you'll probably just deflect the attack. So, you're fine.
Stealth = moving
Archery and stealth goes hand in hand in this game, as long as you remember to relocate after shooting to remain undetected.
Cancel attack animations with block
Like it usually is, cancel animation is also OP here. Use the dodge, and specially the block button to cancel attack animations, and try out different attack combos.

Exploration Cheeses

Explore freely and follow guide animals
Explore as much as you can before diving into main missions, and don't hesitate to follow foxes or birds — they lead to collectibles.
Use focused hearing for tracking
If you lose track of guide animals or need to spot hidden eagles, use the "focused hearing" mode to easily find them again.
Get "Safe Landing" to reduce fall damage
Fall damage is tough in this game, so unlock the "Safe Landing" Ghost Technique early if you like exploring like a reckless dummy.
Use your horse to mitigate fall damage
This is a big one! Hear me up... We're used to games like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 where your horse is frail and will die on the smallest stumble. But on GoT your horse is actually pretty sturdy. So, you can use him literally as a cushion to absorb fall damage from high cliffs. It looks a bit rough on him, the poor guy, but it's effective. He's not invincible, of course, but if you remember this it can change your traversal experience. Also, if he refuses to go down, try getting some momentum and galloping.
Horse jump attack
After you jump from him, you can launch an air strike with a light attack.

Game Economy

Know what to spend and what to hoard:

Supplies: Plentiful*, spend away.
Cloth: Moderate, spend mindfully.
Woods: Moderate, spend mindfully.
Flowers: Moderate, spend mindfully.
Metals: Scarce, spend only when necessary.
Skill Points: Very scarce, ***do not*** spend as soon as you earn them. Plan ahead, as some skills cost more than a single point, and you might unlock new skill trees sooner than you think.

* - (considering you have the Charm of Inari)

Armor, Charms and Gear Tips

Equip Charm of Okuninushi
Equip the Charm of Okuninushi early on for health recovery outside combat. It's really helpful and it's located southeast of Castle Kanada.
Regenerate health with charm
There’s also the Charm of Amaterasu - southeast of the Golden Temple that regenerates health when you defeat enemies.
Hoard resources for upgrades
Stock up on resources constantly—they’re crucial for upgrading your sword and armor, especially the Sakai clan armor, which is tied to trophies.
Maintain armor appearance
Remember, you can maintain the original look of upgraded armor via a button in the cosmetic screen.
Change gear as needed for different advantages
Swap outfits as you go; each has specific advantages. Consider upgrading the Traveler’s outfit for exploration benefits.

Combat Stances

Match stances to enemy types
Listen up. There are way, WAAAAAAY too many of us out there who're like "eh, why bother switching stances if the fight's gonna take 10 seconds anyway". LOL we couldn't be more wrong, bud. Always use the right stance for each enemy type. This just might be ***the*** most important thing in this game. Bolting through the game spamming attack mode is the equivalent of playing minesweeper clicking willy nilly hoping you won't hit any mines.
Prioritize Stone Stance upgrade
As one might presume, the Stone Stance (X) (probably) will be your main stance during the game, as it's vital for duels with swordsmen. Thus, upgrade it as early as possible.
Light attacks will never break guards
Light attacks look different across stances but function similarly and can't, ever, break guards.
Master Water Stance combos
With the Water Stance, hold and mash triangle for effective combos.
Mental tricks
If this is your first time, you probably will have some trouble memorizing the stances.

Here’s a couple of tricks. If you're using the playstation controller layout:
- Stone Stance looks like crossed swords for swordsmen (X),
- Water Stance is shaped like a buckler for shieldmen (O),
- Wind Stance points like a spear tip for spearmen (△),
- and Moon Stance resembles a wall for the big chungus (▢).
If you're playing on an Xbox Controller, create your own mental trick, like:
- A for Attack (swordsmen)
- B for Break (shields)
- Y for Yank (the spear outta those spearmen)
- X for eXterminate (those big chunguses)
This is useful mostly for early game. After a few dozen hours, you'll have 'em on your muscle memory and won't even think about it.

Special Tactics and Techniques

Start standoffs near strong foes
Get a load of this. During a standoff, you have the opportunity to defeat enemies in one hit if you time your attacks correctly. It's an in-game-event-mini-game of sorts. So, If you start a standoff near a boss, those dumbasses will often join in, and can be killed in one hit. It's beautiful.
Locate tool ammunition in Act 2
As soon as you get to Act 2, ammo for a specific tool will start to appear on the ground. It works similar to collecting flowers. Pay attention to it.
Get spearman deflection perk early
For those traumatized familiar with the Skeleton Wheels from Dark Souls, in Ghost of Tsushima we have SPEARMEN. Jesus Christ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, I hate, absolutely ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hate these ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ from ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥'s ♥♥♥ good for nothing ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. So, yeah, get this perk early, as it's useful against them.
Hide the bow with a decoy
Dislike the bow visual? Equip a wind chime decoy to hide it.
Helmeted enemies
You can't headshot helmeted enemies, but a face shot will still work. Longbows can penetrate helmets.
Restore missing mission objectives
If mission objectives disappear in Mongol areas, swipe up to bring them back.
Search for supplies in hidden places
Look for supplies under houses and on upper floors.
Jumping during duels
Jumping during a duel can look silly but effective.
Focus on enemy legs in standoffs
In standoffs, watch the enemy's legs for genuine movement to counter fake outs effectively.
Wrong horse?
Switching horses may cause you to summon the new one instead of your original; to get your usual horse back, you might need to reload or distance yourself before whistling.
Rolling extinguishes fire
Rolling helps put out fires.
Unlock stances early by observing leaders
You can unlock all stances early by observing leaders before defeating them. Climb steep roofs by moving forward, and find singing crickets mostly in cemeteries; they unlock new flute songs.
NPC behavior in buildings
When following NPCs into buildings, doors might close on you, adding a humorous touch. From horseback, you can launch surprise chain assassinations or use the shoulder bash to burst through doors.
Don't panic when detected +
HEAR ME OUT, this is a big one. Loose that Metal Gear Solid habit. Being spotted won't always magically alert the entire camp unless guards sounds the alert (horn). And he'll usually do that after if he loses you, not immediately. So, if someone (or even a group) detects you, lure him away and finish him off before the blows that horn.
Use smoke bombs in crowded fights
Another OP skill, unlock it ASAP. In crowded fights, you can use smoke bombs to chain assassinate.

Conclusion

Did I miss something? Was something written here patched on the PC version?

Let me know so we can make the *definitive* guide for newbies hopping in GoT (not game of thrones dummy, ghost of tsushima)

And if this was of any help at all, SMAAAAAAAASH THAT LIKE BUTTON, BUY MY LATEST ALBUM, HMU ON MY MERCH SHOP, JOIN MY PATREON and I'll see you ON THE NEXT ONE :)

47 Comments

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Neyvin 7 Jun @ 1:23pm

Feels like it needs to be said but hasn't been. If you want to move faster while being stealth, just crouch and roll around - it is considered to be in stealth.

Octy 27 May @ 4:06pm

you can turn off bow visuals in settings u don't need to equip the chime decoy whatever

Apollyon 25 May @ 3:52am

Whats the point of rushing to act 2? I did it and I have 0 clue how it helped lol

Karlack 24 May @ 6:37am

"why would you not play this on mouse & KB" = Because is more comfortable and dual Sense is a different experience, not everything must be 1000% optimized. Controller ✓

Slackaveli999 23 May @ 10:13pm

@Revolutionaires BC rumble on DS5 Controller is GOAT'D and aiming on controller is harder and thus more satisfying for headies...

Trivixni 21 May @ 7:55pm

"Get the Charm of Inari ASAP"
this broke me, im almost finishing the campaign and i dont have this, how easier it would have been T_T

Vidocq 21 May @ 1:07am

Good tip is: Turn on the Armour loadouts to have one for every occasion, there is no penalty for switching them even in middle of the battle...

IrregularJoe 20 May @ 11:55pm

@Revolutionaries bro probably plays dark souls on m&k too

Furyton 20 May @ 8:02pm

Why on GODs Green earth would you not play this on mouse & KB as it is far superior than controller as I had this game for ps4 & 5 and never understand siince you also had it for them and now play iy on PC you arent using the best controls for this game and Nixxes always kills the pc port esp. for M & kb ... Now I understand some of your choices like auto targets... I would never ever want that with mouse & kb as the aim you have is so fast.
I guess you younger crowd are not long off from being console only guys... hey enjoy it how you want just give the KB & mouse a try ... I am 51 yrs old and I see all these ppl on PC playing spiderman with controller and I am like WHY?? IT IS 100TIMES MORE FUN & LETHAL ON MOUSE...
CHEERS AND GOOD QUESTIONS

YourMotherxxxx192 20 May @ 12:32pm

When the game is actually installed i'll be definitely be using the stone stance upgrade tip. I hate those swordsman bosses man the shield bosses are so much easier.

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