Ghost of Tsushima - Essential Techniques
Sucker Punch's Japanese epic is a chunky game and there’s plenty Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t tell you as you explore its world. So we’ve got some crucial information to help you survive, honourably or otherwise, and a bunch of stuff you might not know about.
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00You're going to be all right
00:06Bless you, Lord Sakai. You're safe now
00:09Sucker Punch's Japanese epic is a chunky game and there's plenty Ghost of Tsushima doesn't tell you as you explore its world
00:16You'll have to master a range of combat tactics stealth gadgets and plenty more
00:20So here's our Ghost of Tsushima tips to help you take the sting out of everything you have to learn
00:24Hold block while you learn parry timings
00:26Parrying is basically the entire point of Ghost of Tsushima
00:31Tapping L1 lets you deflect incoming sword strikes
00:34Open up an enemy's defense and with perfect timing you can stun opponents for single hit kills
00:39Getting the timings down can take a little practice as can learning the different rhythms of various enemies
00:45Because of that hold L1 to block as you fight and then release it quickly to tap for a parry
00:50That way if you don't get it right you should still be able to get a block and avoid taking damage
00:54Do the first couple of story missions first or you'll miss out on crucial tools
00:58It's tempting to rush off into Tsushima's open world as soon as you can
01:02However, there are a couple of important things you need that are locked behind the first two story missions
01:07Namely a bow and an enemy detecting listening sense
01:10Without them you'll lack a ranged attack or the ability to locate enemies which makes everything a lot harder
01:15So clear those first two missions before anything else
01:18It's also worth working through Ishikawa the archer's missions when you first meet him
01:22As his fifth mission will unlock flaming arrows
01:28Take out the archers in a fight first so you don't have to worry about dodging arrows
01:33Even basic battles in Tsushima involve balancing multiple threats from all angles
01:38And archers only make that harder by firing arrows from a distance
01:41You can dodge them and later unlock the ability to block them entirely
01:45But why not make life easier by killing all the bowmen first
01:48Some of the bigger fights can see you dealing with a lot of enemies
01:51And taking out the archers first simply levels the playing field in your favour
01:54Master combat by always using stances and not hammering the dodge button
01:58Using stances is key to combat in Tsushima
02:01So be rigid about using them and switching between the options according to enemy type
02:05You'll unlock four stances eventually
02:07One each for swordsmen, shieldsmen, spearmen and brutes
02:10Using the correct one against an enemy will see your heavy attacks break their block in a couple of blows
02:15Making fights much easier
02:17Taking out enemies also requires staying close
02:19But it's easy to double tap the dodge button on circle and roll away
02:23It will get you out of danger but often leave you too far away to attack back
02:26So make sure you stick to tapping dodge once to sidestep instead
02:30To stay in sword range and only roll when you know you have to
02:33Use your kunai throwing knives to regain control if a fight is overwhelming
02:41You'll unlock kunai early on
02:43And these little throwable spikes are extremely useful in a fight if you have them equipped
02:47Throwing them at enemies will stagger them and break their guard
02:50That makes them incredibly useful to clear space when you're surrounded
02:53As well as open up opponents for an easy follow-up kill
02:56Always remember to check the bodies for ammo and supplies
02:59And sell anything you don't need
03:01As Tsushima progresses you'll end up with a wealth of consumables and ammo types to top up
03:05Arrows, throwing knives, bombs and so on
03:07Defeated enemies will often have things you can pick up
03:09So remember to search the bodies after a fight
03:12That said, even if you collect everything in sight
03:14You still probably won't have enough supplies
03:16Which you need to buy upgrades
03:18So sell anything you might not need
03:20Like cloth and wood to the trappers you find at bases and camps
03:23To make sure you have enough
03:24Standoffs look cool but use stealth to charge the ghost meter instead
03:28To take out more enemies
03:29Standoffs let you face opponents head-on in one-to-one quickdraw sword battles
03:33They look amazingly cool but blow all pretenses of stealth
03:36As the game progresses you'll unlock a ghost meter you can charge up for one-hit kills
03:40That terrorise enemies into submission
03:42It can only be charged by stacking kills without taking any damage though
03:46Which is almost impossible in open combat
03:48So once you have it, use stealth kills to charge the ghost power-up
03:52And then unleash it for a big kill count
03:54That will make it easier to clear large groups of enemies
03:56You can change armour whenever you want
03:58So swap it as you need it
04:00There's a lot of different armours in Tsushima
04:02All of which come with different benefits
04:04Like boosting health, damage, stealth, archery and so on
04:07You can actually pause a game and switch between them at any time
04:10So use whatever you need whenever you need it
04:13Sneaky armour to slip into a camp
04:14Fighty armour when it all kicks off and so on
04:16Because each option has such specific benefits
04:18You'll get the best use by rigidly alternating as your needs change
04:22So those are some of the most important things that Ghost of Tsushima doesn't tell you
04:26And are essential tips
04:27For more on this and plenty of other games
04:29Don't forget to subscribe to GamesRadar
04:31And make sure you never miss out
04:33Let's get a closer look
04:35See what we're up against