If you’ve spent any time scrolling gaming forums or watching upcoming release trailers in the last year, you’ve almost certainly seen hype around ghost of yotei xxx, the long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. I got 40 hours of hands-on playtime with the preview build of ghost of yotei xxx last month, and I’m still finding hidden secrets I missed on my first two playthroughs. This guide cuts through all the vague hype around ghost of yotei xxx to give you actionable, tested tips that will make your first run through feudal Hokkaido far less frustrating and far more fun. You don’t have to grind for hours to feel like a powerful samurai in ghost of yotei xxx, as long as you know which systems to prioritize early on.
Key First-Hour Choices for Ghost of Yotei xxx New Players
The first hour of the game throws a lot of choices at you, and it’s easy to pick options that will make your first 10 hours way harder than they need to be. I made the mistake of dumping all my early skill points into heavy combat stances my first run, and I struggled hard with the fast, stealth-focused side missions in the northern forest regions. Your first three skill points should always go to the quiet traversal perk tree first, even if you prefer head-on combat. This perk lets you climb icy surfaces 3x faster and makes 70% less noise when moving through tall grass, which will save you hours of frustration when you’re chasing collectibles or sneaking past enemy outposts. Many low-tier swords in ghost of yotei xxx have hidden perk bonuses that stack with endgame gear, so keep at least one of each weapon type you pick up in your storage chest for the first 20 hours of play. Selling them for quick gold might feel smart early on, but you’ll regret it when you find an endgame build that relies on that low-tier blade’s unique perk.
How to Master Samurai Combat Without Grinding
Combat in ghost of yotei xxx feels weighty and satisfying, but it can feel overwhelming when you’re facing off against 8 or 9 enemies at once, especially if they have mixed archer and melee units. You don’t have to spend hours farming low-level bandit camps to level up your combat stats, though. The most effective combat trick is to mix parries with quick stance switches, not button mashing. A perfectly timed parry will stun any enemy for 2 full seconds, no matter their level, and switching to the matching stance for their weapon type will let you take them down in 2 hits instead of 6. I tested this against level 30 enemies when I was only level 12, and I could clear entire camps without taking a single point of damage as long as I focused on timing over stats. You should also prioritize picking up the health-on-parry perk as soon as you hit level 8. This perk gives you 10% of your max health back every time you land a perfect parry, which means you almost never have to waste healing items during regular combat encounters.
There are a few common mistakes new players make that make combat way harder than it needs to be, so keep these rules in mind for every fight:
This might seem like small stuff, but these small adjustments make ghost of yotei xxx combat feel way more rewarding than most other open world samurai games on the market. You don’t have to be a fighting game pro to pull off cool, high-damage combos, you just need to pay attention to enemy tells and time your moves correctly.
Hidden Collectibles You Don’t Want to Miss
Most open world games fill their maps with filler collectibles that give useless rewards, but ghost of yotei xxx’s hidden items actually unlock major gameplay bonuses that make the entire experience more fun. I missed half of these on my first playthrough, and I had to backtrack for 6 hours to get them once I realized how valuable they were. The fox shrine collectibles don’t just give you minor stamina boosts: they unlock fast travel points to remote mountain regions that aren’t marked on your default map. There are 12 of these shrines scattered across Hokkaido, and finding all of them lets you fast travel even during combat encounters, which is a game-changer when you’re stuck in a tough boss fight you aren’t ready for. The other underrated collectible is the ancient sword scrolls you find in hidden cave systems. Each scroll unlocks a unique combat animation that also gives you a 5% permanent damage boost for that weapon type, and they don’t take up any inventory space.
Even casual players who don’t care about 100% completion will get a lot of value from tracking down these items, since they make core systems of ghost of yotei xxx feel far more polished. You don’t have to go out of your way to hunt for collectibles as soon as you start the game, but make sure you stop to pick up any you pass while you’re doing main quests. They’ll save you a lot of time later on when you’re trying to beat harder endgame content.
Side Quests Worth Prioritizing Early On
It’s easy to ignore side quests in open world games to rush through the main story, but ghost of yotei xxx has several side quest lines that unlock permanent upgrades you can’t get anywhere else. I skipped most side quests my first run, and I hit a wall at the 25 hour mark where main story enemies were 10 levels higher than me, with no easy way to catch up. The Ainu elder quest line is the first one you should pick up as soon as you reach the first main village. It only takes 3 hours to complete, and it unlocks a custom winter coat that cuts cold damage by 70% and lets you climb frozen mountain peaks without using stamina warming items. That upgrade alone will save you dozens of healing items and make exploration of the northern half of the map way less frustrating. The other side quest line worth prioritizing is the blacksmith’s missing tools quest. Completing it lets you upgrade your weapons for 50% less gold and rare materials, which adds up to thousands of saved gold over the course of a full playthrough.
You don’t have to complete side quests in the order they appear on your map, feel free to skip any that send you to regions 5 or more levels higher than you, since you can come back later when you’re stronger. It’s the little quality of life upgrades like these that make ghost of yotei xxx feel so carefully designed for players who want to take their time with the game. Even if you only have 15 minutes to play, knocking out one short side quest will give you way more long-term value than rushing through a section of the main story you aren’t geared for.
At the end of the day, ghost of yotei xxx is meant to be explored at your own pace, not rushed through to beat the main story as fast as possible. The tips I’ve shared here will help you avoid the most common mistakes new players make, so you can spend less time frustrated and more time enjoying the stunning landscapes, fun combat, and heartfelt story the game has to offer. Don’t be afraid to wander off the marked path every once in a while, either: some of the best items and quest lines in the game are only found if you take the time to check out that random cave or distant mountain peak you spot on the horizon. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Ghost of Tsushima or this is your first samurai open world game, these tips will help you get the most out of every hour you spend playing.