A complete guide on how to start playing Ghost of Yōtei, along with gameplay tips and tricks.
Sucker Punch Productions has always been known for combining stylish games with dramatic stories in a way that looks visually stunning. After the success of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020, it was only normal that people would have high hopes for any follow-up.
This game is the follow-up to Tsushima and builds on what made the first game so popular, while also taking some risks —some of which are brave and some of which are controversial.
This guide will show you how to fully understand every part of Ghost of Yōtei, and by the end, you’ll have mastered the game.
Camping Tips You Shouldn’t Ignore
After playing Ghost of Yōtei for over 50 hours, I discovered a few things that completely changed how I played the game. It’s easy to overlook many of these mechanics, especially those related to camping, but they are some of the most valuable for survival and exploration.
Camp is more than just a place to rest. While you sleep, you can change the time of day and even have very specific dreams. Simply call up your mount, stand next to it, and set up camp. This restores your health and spirit, creating a new fast journey point.
Even more interesting is that other people can join your camp. These are sometimes people you know from your wolf pack who let you buy or improve gear, and sometimes they even give you new tasks. Sometimes, random NPCs will show up and give you information about nearby places, which will open up new options on your map.
There’s even a unique Shamisen song that you can only get by camping. You can call certain NPCs to your camp using the wolf pack menu if you want to change how you play.
How to Cook For Major Buffs
Cooking at camp isn’t just a way to get food. You get an extra spirit ball every time you cook near a campfire. Foods like fish and mushrooms can give you brief buffs, but the buffs are chosen at random.
There is a way to get the one you want, though. Check the buff you get after setting up camp. If something isn’t right, leave the place and come back. Then, go to the settings menu and reload the last checkpoint. The camp starts over when you get back, so you can try for a different buff right away.
Major buffs are very useful because they improve all guns, while minor buffs only improve one. The only drawback to this trick is that it still eats your food. You can keep cycling for better buffs, though, if you have enough fish.
Do you need more fish? That can be done on a farm. Go to the location on the map marked ‘Fish jump out of the water’. If you time your hit with your yari spear just right, you can catch three fish in a run. If you quickly leave and then return, the fish will often spawn again. It’s worth the effort because you’ll need this for a prize as well.
Don’t Miss the Shamisen Songs
When you camp, you can unwind and cook. The Shamisen, on the other hand, is a powerful tool that looks simple. At first, it might seem like a role-playing function only, but playing songs in the open world can help you find hidden items.
If you play certain songs, the wind will lead you to nearby things to find or do. In the Kitsune area (Tesio Ridge), for example, you can learn a song that tells you about vanity items nearby. To use the wind direction, swipe left on the touchpad. It will lead you to the closest collectible.
If you follow the wind, you can find sword kits, caps, and other looks-good items that you might miss otherwise. You can also use this trick to find the IU items you need to improve your special armor. The weaver in Hushko Katan will let you improve your exploration outfit for every five things you find.
Easily Upgrade Special Armor and Unlock the Hood
Once you have 15 IU, you can fully improve your exploration outfit and obtain a cool hood. Go to the Ainu musician’s camp, finish their quest, and then meet them again in the Naora Wilds to finish your training. This will teach you the exploration song.
To obtain the exploration outfit, you must complete Hushi’s first side task after meeting her in Tesio Ridge. Check out the early game tips video or the story linked to it for a list of all the places where you can hear the Shamisen.
Changes You Want to Make in the Game
A few accessibility choices can significantly improve the game. Among them, the Wind Gust Camera is one of the most useful. When turned on, your camera will rotate in the direction of the wind after playing a song, making it easy to move around.
You might want to turn it off, though, during tasks where controlling the camera is very important. You may also want to enable Enhanced Wind Visibility to receive clearer visual cues.
Simplified Rapid Button Presses is another useful change that gives you more time during bamboo strike tasks, which is great if you’ve been having trouble with those parts. You can also turn off shortcuts to Photo Mode if you use them by chance while fighting.
Loot Dead Enemies
It’s easy to forget to loot dead enemies during intense fights. However, this could result in the loss of important materials that you need for upgrades. After the final kill, some tasks go into cutscenes automatically, so you can’t loot afterward.
If you don’t want to miss out, loot bodies while they’re still fighting. Although it may feel risky, the materials you obtain are crucial for creating new gear and enhancing existing ones.
Upgrade Your Charms To Improve Your Gameplay
Fox dens and shrines often dispense charms that can be enhanced. You don’t have to equip them right away; once you loot them, they’ll work in the background, and you can level them up by finishing challenges that are related to them.
Before you go into big fights or enemy camps, check to see which charms can help you with the way you play now. This makes sure that you keep leveling up as the game goes on, so you don’t end up stuck with low-level charms.
Tricks to Discovering More Areas
Another strategy that doesn’t get enough attention is talking to NPCs in towns. These locals can spread tales that can help you find new map markers. To get the most out of this function, talk to them, obtain map updates, quickly leave, and then return to do it all over again. A lot of NPCs can show you more than one place, which lets you fill up your map faster.
It’s also possible to mark interesting places in the open world with the Spy Glass tool, which makes exploring even faster.
Getting an Animal Companion for Life
You can have a loyal wolf that fights alongside you as a constant companion. Once she is called, she can fight enemies on her own or with your attacks. When you throw a weapon or a smoke bomb at your target, the wolf will go after them and usually kill them in seconds.
When you use the wolf, you can even do double attacks, like the beautiful Kusarigama combo. To get these skills, you need to finish the Wolf Dance tasks and learn the Wolf Song. If you want to get the wolf back, all you have to do is play the song at camp again.
Finally…
A campfire and the sound of the Shamisen play a big role in Ghost of Yōtei, but some of its best features are hidden away. When you get good at these little things, like cooking buffs and companion mechanics, the game goes from being a simple action-adventure to a trip full of strategy and discovery.
If you’ve only been fighting, it’s time to take a break, set up camp, and let the wind lead you to what you’ve been missing.
Also, check out our Ghost of Yōtei Review and other guides below:
