9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Ghost Of Tsushima

There’s a vast, beautiful island to explore and many battles to fight in Ghost of Tsushima, but even with its traditional open world trappings, you may need a bit more than the wind to guide you. From some basic habits that’ll give you the upper hand in combat to systems to be mindful of as you progress through the game, the video above outlines the things you need to know before starting Ghost of Tsushima.

When it comes to combat–one of the game’s strengths–it’s best that you keep a few things in mind: change your stance against corresponding enemies, take out archers first, snag the Mizu-no-Kami charm to making parrying easier, and use smoke bombs as an offensive tool for assassinations. When you’re out and about, put on your Traveler’s attire to uncover more of the map and reveal key locations more easily–you can also just consult our locations guides for hot springs (max health boost), bamboo strikes (max resolve increase), shinto shrines (new charms), and more.

These are just some of the basics to get you started on the right foot in the early goings of the PS4-exclusive Ghost of Tsushima. If you want to start chopping down enemies in fancier, more efficient style, you’ll definitely want to check out our Ghost of Tsushima advanced combat guide. We also compiled all of our other walkthroughs and guides for Ghost of Tsushima so you can find everything you need to know in one spot.