Last updated: 3 July 2026

Ghost of Yōtei Tips for Beginners What to Know Before You Play

Ghost of Yōtei is a 2025 open-world action-adventure developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, exclusive to PlayStation 5. You play as Atsu, a mercenary who survives a mortal wound inflicted by the Yōtei Six — the killers of her family sixteen years earlier — and returns to 1603 Ezo (present-day Hokkaido) as a feared spirit known as the onryō. This guide covers everything a first-time player needs: the five combat stances, stealth mechanics, skill tree priorities, the charm system, and tips for approaching the Yōtei Six fights.

01What Kind of Game Is Ghost of Yōtei?

Ghost of Yōtei is a third-person open-world action game set in a historical Japan with a supernatural vengeance storyline. It is a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima but tells a completely separate story — you do not need to have played Tsushima first. The game emphasises three playstyles that you can blend freely: direct combat using five weapon-linked stances, stealth assassination that lets you clear camps without detection, and a mid-ground approach that opens with a Standoff to eliminate one or two enemies before melee combat begins.

The world of Ezo spans snowy forests, volcanic plains, coastal fishing villages, and mountain passes around the iconic peak of Mount Yōtei. The map is large and exploration is rewarded with new techniques, charms, weapons, and side missions tied to the families and factions of the region. A companion wolf joins Atsu during her journey and can be directed in combat.

Ghost of Yōtei: Legends, a free co-op multiplayer mode, was added via patch 1.5 on March 10, 2026. It is entirely separate from the main story and offers four distinct classes. See our dedicated Legends co-op guide for details.

02The Five Combat Stances

Combat revolves around five melee weapons, each optimised against certain enemy types via a weapon alignment system. Switching weapon mid-fight to match what the enemy is carrying is one of the most important habits to build early.

• Katana (default weapon): Your starting weapon. Fast and mobile, with circular slashing arcs — aligned against enemies wielding swords and katanas. A solid all-purpose choice in mixed encounters.
• Dual Katana: Introduces iai draw attacks — explosive, lightning-fast strikes that are specifically aligned against polearm-wielding enemies such as those carrying naginatas or yaris. The Dual Katana is the correct weapon to switch to whenever you face spear users.
• Ōdachi: Heavy and powerful, built to overwhelm large brute-type enemies — the weapon alignment bonus applies against brutes. The Ōdachi's slow, powerful swings break through armoured brutes far more efficiently than lighter weapons.
• Yari (Spear): Features wide sweeping attacks with extended reach that can hit multiple enemies simultaneously, and is aligned against sickle-wielding enemies (kusarigama, dual kama users). Useful both for its crowd-clearing arcs and for its alignment bonus against sickle fighters.
• Kusarigama (chain-sickle): Enables silent takedowns that restore a portion of Resolve on each kill — the weapon with the most natural overlap with the stealth playstyle. Kusarigama is also the weapon aligned against shield-bearing enemies; its chain attacks strip shields far faster than other weapons.

You do not unlock all five weapons immediately — Dual Katana, Ōdachi, Yari, and Kusarigama must be found or earned through early story progression. Prioritise whichever weapon is aligned against the enemy types most common in the area you are exploring.

03Blocking, Parrying, and Dodging

Atsu is not a tank. She dies quickly even on normal difficulty, so defensive mechanics are not optional — they are the foundation of every fight.

• Blocking (L1): Holds most standard attacks. Reduces incoming damage but does not negate it entirely. Blocking too many hits in succession staggers Atsu.
• Parrying (L1 at the last moment): A timed block that slows time briefly and opens the attacker to a powerful counterattack. The Perfect Parry technique, available early in the Core skill tree, makes this window slightly more forgiving and is among the first things worth purchasing.
• Unblockable attacks (blue glint): Some enemy attacks glow blue — these cannot be blocked and must be dodged or parried with a specific technique. Failing to react to a blue-glint attack is the most common cause of early deaths.
• Dodging (Circle): A fast backstep that creates distance. Certain equipped skills change the dodge into an evasive forward roll, which repositions rather than retreats.

Against boss-level enemies (the Yōtei Six), the pattern of blue-glint attacks is specific to each boss. Learning their tell for unblockable moves is the single most effective way to reduce the number of attempts needed.

04Stealth Basics

Ghost of Yōtei offers a fully supported stealth system. Crouching reduces detection radius significantly, and moving through tall grass or behind cover extends the window before enemies notice Atsu. A detection meter fills as enemies spot you — if it fills completely, combat begins.

• Chain Assassination (R1 after a stealth kill): Immediately rush a nearby enemy for a second silent kill if they have not yet entered combat alert. Unlocking Chain Assassination early in the Onryo Assassination tree is strongly recommended.
• Kunai (quickfire): Thrown kunai into walls create a noise ping that draws guards to the impact point for a few seconds — long enough to clear a path or reposition for an assassination.
• Wind chimes: Tossing a wind chime draws a single guard away from their post without raising a full alarm, ideal for isolating targets before assassinating them.
• Smoke bombs: Deployed at your feet when detected, smoke bombs temporarily break line of sight and allow Atsu to disengage from combat and return to stealth.
• Shadow Stance bonus: Entering Shadow Stance mid-camp gives silent takedowns that refill Resolve, letting you sustain the stealth kill chain with enough preparation.

Stealth is especially powerful against large camps before combat begins. Eliminating two or three enemies silently before the alarm sounds can turn a six-enemy encounter into a manageable two-on-one.

05The Skill Tree — What to Prioritise

Ghost of Yōtei has no skill respec option. Every technique you unlock is a permanent choice, so spending points thoughtfully early matters more than in many open-world games.

• Perfect Parry (Core / Survival): Makes the parry window slightly more generous and deals a significant counterattack on success. The single most impactful early unlock for survival.
• Onryo's Will (Onryo / Survival): Allows Atsu to revive herself once in combat using stored Resolve. A safety net that pays for itself in difficult fights.
• Chain Assassination (Onryo / Assassination): Enables a second stealth kill immediately after the first. Essential for a stealth-leaning playstyle and useful for everyone in multi-enemy camps.
• Heavenly Slash (Onryo / Attacks): Consumes one Spirit to strike through an enemy's guard — a reliable way to break the defense of enemies who block continuously.
• Concentration (Onryo / Ranged): Slows time briefly while aiming ranged weapons, dramatically improving the reliability of bow and gun fire in combat.

Avoid spreading points across every tree early. Pick one or two playstyle directions — combat and survival, or stealth and assassination — and go deep before branching out. You will earn enough skill points through normal exploration to cover all trees eventually.

06Charms and Equipment

Charms are passive ability items slotted into Atsu's loadout to grant ongoing bonuses across seven stat categories: Onryo, Melee, Ranged, Defense, Utility, Stealth, and others. Finding and upgrading charms is one of the most impactful forms of progression outside the skill tree.

Most charms are found by following foxes to hidden Inari Shrines — the same mechanic as Ghost of Tsushima. Foxes appear briefly near certain locations, run toward a shrine, and completing the shrine puzzle rewards a charm. Charms can be upgraded multiple levels by spending resources collected during exploration.

Equip any charm as early as possible and keep it equipped while upgrading resources accumulate — the upgrade progress carries over regardless of when you start. See our dedicated Best Charms guide for top picks and locations.

07General Tips for New Players

• Explore the Altars of Reflection early. These shrines are scattered across Ezo and unlock new techniques and progression upgrades for Atsu. They are not marked prominently, but completing them early gives access to skills that make subsequent fights significantly easier.
• Always use a Standoff before entering a large camp. Standoffs (facing enemies head-on before combat begins) let Atsu kill one or two enemies instantly if you draw your weapon quickly when prompted. This reduces the number of active opponents before the fight properly starts.
• Your wolf companion is a free distraction. Directing the wolf at an enemy forces them to break from their patrol to engage it, creating an opening for an assassination or repositioning. The wolf can be called and dismissed on demand once unlocked.
• Upgrade your armour sets. Five distinct armour sets serve different playstyles (melee, stealth, ranged, duelling, quickfire). Each set provides increasing bonuses at higher upgrade levels. Focusing resources on one set until it is fully upgraded is more effective than spreading materials across several.
• Check the patch notes for Legends changes. Ghost of Yōtei: Legends (added March 2026) receives its own balance patches. If you plan to play Legends classes, verify the current state of each class's abilities — balance has shifted between patches.