Travel across the land of Ezo with Atsu as she embarks on a journey of revenge against the Yōtei Six. Ghost of Yotei’s non-linear nature really makes each playthrough a personal one, as what players discover and decide to do first may vary. Either way, danger isn’t too far behind, so you need to be prepared.

So, in the beginning moments of Ghost of Yotei, here are our beginner tips that will help you get ready for the fights ahead. The starting area, the Yōtei Grasslands, has more than enough opportunities to level you up.

Ghost of Yotei – Beginner Tips

Heavenly Slash

The moment you have complete control after visiting Atsu’s home, make your way to the Old Inn east of your location, but before you enter the establishment, we recommend visiting this nearby Monk’s Camp first. It’s a fast sidequest that will not only reward you with an Altar of Reflection to learn a Skill, but you also get your first monetary reward.

We recommend learning the Heavenly Slash Skill under Melee first, so that you have a powerful katana technique early. It’s also invincible on startup and lets you dash forward, making it ideal for repositioning or escaping a tight spot.

Perfect Parry

After your encounter with the monk, don’t go to the Old Inn yet. North of the Monk’s Camp, there’s actually another Altar of Reflection with a Hot Spring nearby, as indicated by the smoke rising and the yellow leaf tree. Increase your Maximum Health at the Hot Spring, but don’t forget to read the note first before taking a dip for some interesting effects.

For your next skill, under Atsu’s Onryō path, the Perfect Parry should increase your chances of earning Spirit to heal and/or use your Heavenly Slash.

Do Some Bounties

After your little side activities in Ghost of Yotei, visit the Old Inn. It’s a reasonably quick Main Quest that should be more manageable thanks to the Skills you’ve learned earlier. You’re also introduced to the Standoff and the Onryō’s Howl mechanics here.

When the fight is over, you’ve now liberated the Inn from Lord Saito’s men, and its facilities will be available to you. Not only will you meet Ran the Bowyer, who will sell you your first ranged weapons, but you will also run into Kojiro the Bounty Broker and Isaburo the Map Maker. Talk to Kojiro first to start accepting Bounty Hunts, and we recommend hunting down Crow Genzo as your first target.

Disarm Counter

Crow Genzo is a straightforward Bounty as he isn’t too hard to find at the location he’s in. Another benefit to doing this Bounty first is that on the way to Jade Grove, where he was last sighted, there is another Altar of Reflection, as revealed by one of Isaburo’s maps. For your next Skill, go for the Disarm Counter, which lets your Focus Attack disarm enemies when they attempt to do the same to you. It should be helpful against Crow Genzo.

Metsubushi and Roll

After your duel with Crow Genzo, deal with a few more ronin, and you’re not only rewarded with another Altar of Reflection but also the Metsubushi quickfire weapon that blinds enemies. For your next Skill, under the Onryō path, learn the Roll to help you cover some distance in a tight situation. At this point, you should be skilled and mobile enough during fights, so next let’s build up your stealth skills.

Killer’s Instinct and Brute Assassination

Northeast of the Jade Grove in Ghost of Yotei, where you fought Crow Genzo, are actually two Altars of Reflections, one hidden behind some bamboo and another at the Stone Spire Hideout. Both shouldn’t be too hard to find, with the one in Stone Spire Hideout reachable after a simple platforming puzzle. For your next Skill, under Assassination, first get Killer’s Instinct as it’s the starting path to better Skills.

Your next Skill we recommend is Brute Assassination to be able to take out quickly those larger foes you encounter during your Stealth Runs. Without it, you will merely deal a Critical Strike, which will force you into open combat, which risks alerting enemies to your location.

Slaughter Leader

Another one of Isaburo’s maps in Ghost of Yotei will reveal another Altar of Reflection just south of Atsu’s home. It’s hidden behind a waterfall but should be easily accessible. Once you do, right after the Brute Assassination Skill, learn the Slaughter Leader Skill to be able to dispatch an enemy group’s leader instead of just a Critical Strike. Doing so will also instantly fill up your Onryō’s Howl meter.

Bonus Tips

At this point, you should have enough Skills to cover both open combat and stealthy assassinations in Ghost of Yotei. Occasionally, you will run into Lord Saito’s men or ronin out for your head, which is ideal to test your skill in direct confrontations. Now, if you wish to test out your Assassination techniques, there are multiple opportunities to do so, and we have a few more Skills to suggest to make you even more effective.

Swift Assassination

Just north of the Old Inn is a Small Guarded Camp easily seen by the lit torches and another yellow tree, revealing another Altar of Reflection. Now you can go in guns blazing, but also don’t miss this chance to test out your stealth kills. Either way, after liberating the Camp, you’re free to pay your respects at the Altar, and we recommend the Swift Assassination to make your stealth kills less noisy.

Chain Assassination

As luck would have it, another one of Isaburo’s maps reveals that another Altar of Reflection lies just northeast of the Small Guarded Camp. Not only that, but this is also where the Three Terrors Bounty is located. Again, while open combat is an option take this opportunity to try assassinating your targets. The Three Terrors will be easily dealt with using the Slaughter Leader Skill.

For your next Skill in Ghost of Yotei, we recommend Chain Assassination, which lets you take out two enemies in succession. This makes it easier to clear camps. There’s also the Chain Assassination Mastery right below, which enables you to kill three enemies this time. Do consider it when you find your next Altar of Reflection.

The rest is up to you

From here on out, feel free to tackle the rest of the map of Ghost of Yotei as you see fit. You should have enough techniques to deal with your enemies out in the open or from the shadows. You should also have enough coins to buy your starting bows and other resources.

During your travels in Ghost of Yotei, let your curiosity be your guide. If you see anything interesting, stop and have a look. Also, take the time to camp out in the field, as you never know who might visit you. That’s all we’re going to say, as revealing any more may be a disservice, and we would want you to discover the rest for yourselves to enjoy Ghost of Yōtei even more.

Ghost of Yotei is now available on PS5.