Although I would probably finish writing a wonderful article about Ghost of Tsushima (quick trick: going through the doors instead of opening them with this horrible animation), today I just need to focus on one thing and one thing, the fight, and how my vision replaced the game.
I heard someone say that Ghost of Tsushima is another “parade” game, which is technically true for a while. Many games aimed at hand-to-hand combat seem to be completely parade-oriented and evade as the center of the fight, whether it’s a less difficult fare like Jedi Fallen Order or Assassin’s Creed, or more difficult games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.
For a while, Ghost of Tsushima is like that too. Your two main war trees are aimed at other parade and dodge skills, and the way to get through maximum encounters turns out to be a bunch of the best parades and dodge shots. You can do it well this way at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game if you wish.
And yet I took a different path. And I think it’s a lot more fun, so I think I’d share it with you.
The game’s combat becomes infinitely more attractive once you start unlocking positions. Largely, I ignored them during the first 15 hours of the game, even once I unlocked them all killing enough leaders (I think there are between 20 and 30 heads to unlock all 4 positions). But once I started using them, making problems with their upgrades and using armor that benefited from them, the game was completely replaced.
There are 4 positions, to fight another type of enemy.
Stone – swordsmen
Water – Shields
Wind – Spears / Antler Weapons
Moon – Brutes / Chonky Boys
The way it works is that you replace between the 4 in the middle of each battle. Literally replace from enemy to enemy due to the way you can slow down time with R2 and memorize the right button for the enemy you’re facing. And you can replace mid-flight, half swing, when, really.
How does this replace parade/elusive dynamics? Well, you hardly ever have to do either thing again, on rare occasions. Stepped damage, which is greater in those positions, is what you deal to an enemy guard with Triangle. Once you break this guard, they are simple meat and can probably be killed in a combo, apart from duels.
Staggered attacks interrupt almost anything like what it is, even non-blocking attacks most of the time, so you’re essentially playing defense through the attack. Enemies can’t hit you because you constantly hit them with hard breakage blows. Think of it as a guy who fits into a game like Pokémon or Destiny. If you decide to “good,” you do a lot of damage to the right enemy in the right position.
This can be expanded later in the game to create crazy constructions. I use Gosaku armor, a mythical set that you get once you succeed when you leave the map and complete a quest, which not only massively amplifies the tiered damage, but also gives you 20% health in case you kill enemies. changed when they’re at their best. Combine this with some applicable charms and you will cause great damage and you will be immortal. I may do a full edition later, let me know if you wish.
The fact is that once you perceive the positions and how to use them in each fight, they are too hot not to be used and the consistent parade and dodge will feel obsolete. Some of the tree’s innovations are also good, such as the Lancer Tree which automatically parade all spear attacks in this position and knocks out enemies for instant execution while using the triangle’s rotation kick motion. It would arrive at least the moment of each of the positions, which increases staggered pain as a priority. I think all those trees are more effective than making an investment in ghost weapons, personally. Or actually, many trees parade and dodge the “normal” too, frankly.
Play with the positions, tell me how you’re doing. I hope I feel as unstoppable as I am.
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I write about video games, television and the Internet.