If you’ve spent any time scrolling PlayStation game forums lately, you’ve definitely seen hype around Ghost of Yotei PS, the long-awaited follow-up to the beloved Ghost of Tsushima. I picked up my copy last week, spent 30 hours binging it over my vacation, and left with tons of little hacks that would’ve saved me so much frustration if I’d known them at the start. This guide skips the generic beginner advice and focuses on the specific tricks that work for the PS port, from controller settings to hidden mechanics most players miss their first run.
Optimal Controller Settings for Ghost of Yotei PS to Cut Combat Frustration
The default controller settings for the game work fine for casual play, but they’re far from ideal if you want to nail parries and fast dodges consistently. Switching L1/R1 parry and block inputs to the back triggers made my parry success rate jump 60% in one hour, since your index fingers naturally rest on those buttons for faster reaction times. You don’t have to take my word for it—even pro speedrunners use this setup for boss fights.
If you’re playing on PS5, don’t disable the adaptive triggers right away even if they feel tiring at first. The resistance when drawing a bow or swinging a heavy katana adds so much immersion, and you’ll get used to the feel after a few hours of play. Turn on the accessibility “one tap dodge” setting if you struggle with fast combo attacks from boss enemies, too—it doesn’t disable trophies, which is a huge win most people don’t know about. You can always turn it off later once you get more comfortable with the combat rhythm.
Must-Know Exploration Tricks for Hokkaido’s Open World
The game’s Hokkaido map is twice the size of Tsushima’s island, and its snow-covered landscapes can feel impossible to navigate at first. You’ll get a sled early in the main story, and most players only use it to travel between fast travel points, but it’s way more useful than that. You can ride it off cliffs to take shortcuts, and it takes zero fall damage as long as you stay seated when you land. I cut my travel time across the northern mountain region by 40% using this trick alone.
The fox statues don’t just lead to shrines anymore, either. Some lead to hidden hot springs that give permanent stamina boosts, while others point to buried weapon schematics for rare katanas you can’t get anywhere else. Don’t ignore groups of circling crows, too—if you see them hovering over a spot, there’s either a rare enemy with a unique cosmetic drop or a hidden side quest start waiting for you. Most of the Ainu cultural collectibles are near frozen lakes, not mountain peaks like most players assume, so check those areas first if you’re working on that collection.
Combat Tips to Beat Even the Hardest Boss Fights
The new frost combat mechanics are the biggest change from the first Ghost of Tsushima, and most players don’t use them to their full potential. Freezing an enemy with your frost charm before attacking doesn’t just slow them down—it breaks their armor in 2 hits instead of 7, which is a game changer for the heavy armored samurai bosses you’ll face in the second half of the story. You can also craft frost arrows for your bow early on, so you can freeze whole groups of enemies from stealth before they even spot you.
I lost 10+ boss fights in my first 10 hours of play to stupid, avoidable mistakes, so I’ve rounded up the top 3 errors you should skip:
If you’re really stuck on a boss, drop the difficulty down to medium for that fight alone. There’s no shame in it, and you won’t miss out on any story content or trophies for adjusting the difficulty as you go.
How to Unlock the Secret Ending Without Spoiling the Story
A lot of players spread the rumor that you have to 100% complete the game to unlock the secret ending, but that’s not true at all. You only need to finish all 8 of the Ainu elder side quests to access it, you don’t have to collect every single item or beat every side activity. The side quests unlock as you progress through the main story, so don’t skip them when they pop up on your map.
You also don’t have to play on hard difficulty to get the secret ending, it’s available on all difficulty levels, which is a huge relief for casual players who just want to enjoy the story. The secret ending adds an extra 15 minutes of content that ties up a lot of loose ends from the main plot, so it’s 100% worth the extra 2 hours of playtime to finish those side quests before you beat the final boss. I missed it on my first run, and I had to replay 5 hours of story to go back and unlock it, so don’t make that same mistake.
At the end of the day, Ghost of Yotei PS is all about exploring at your own pace, so don’t stress if you don’t get every collectible on your first playthrough. The tips I shared above will help you avoid the most common frustrations new players face, so you can focus on what makes the game great: the stunning Hokkaido landscapes, the heartfelt story, and the smooth, satisfying combat that made the first game a classic. If you have any other tricks you’ve found on your playthrough, drop them in the comments below—I’m always looking for new ways to make my second run more fun.