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[Toots]

Wish there was a way to bring up a compass in the UI. Bounties will say "last seen west of" wherever so wind doesn't help and I have to keep bringing up the map to see which direction I'm pointing. Minor annoyance

If you find the location that is mentioned on your map, it will shine golden. You just click on the location name on the map, and the guiding wind will work. When you arrive at said location, the golden name on the map turns into a golden circle where the golden wind don't work anymore you just search inside of it.

 

[Dibils2k]

Miike mode on (more blood and mud), graphics mode should be Performance RT (It looks great) and I think you're good. Oh and don't forget to press R3 when you first ride the horse as this will remove cinematic black bars.

Tips for playing? Take your time and don't expect to see tons of markers on your map. Stop off and talk to people/fight robin as they can provide information on your objectives. Just play it how you want and enjoy it at your own pace. It's a really great game.

omg i was wondering if you can turn off the black bars when on horse, couldnt find any setting for it

 

[midnightAI]

Yeah the parry armour is way too useful, 3 guaranteed attacks after a perfect parry is way too over-tuned to use any other armour

It make even short work of duels with the big damage of the odachi, and i don't even have the parry pendant yet.

It should be like an endgame armour, not something you can get after a couple of hours

They probably made it kinda ugly on purpose so people are gonna be conflicted between utility and cosmetic drip...

What they have done is made it so that most armours in the game have a very specific purpose boosted by charms.

So the Bounty Master armour is for perfect parries and dodges
Robes of Sitturanyu is for exploration
Dragonfly armour is for ranged combat
Nine Tails is stealth
etc.

Now you want to make the game as hard as possible, so visit all the hot springs and run around in cloths, the only benefit of that 'armour' is for stealth, but what you are 'supposed' to do ideally to make the game easier is swap loadouts depending on situation so you can easily switch from exploration to ranged to melee almost as quickly as changing weapons. But again, you don't want the game easy so either just pick an armour and never upgrade it, again, maybe the Robes of Sitturanyu as that doesn't really have any combat benefits or, unlock all regions and go to all the hotsprings and run around semi-naked and just never attach any charms so zero boosts.

 

[GymWolf]

What they have done is made it so that most armours in the game have a very specific purpose boosted by charms.

So the Bounty Master armour is for perfect parries and dodges
Robes of Sitturanyu is for exploration
Dragonfly armour is for ranged combat
Nine Tails is stealth
etc.

Now you want to make the game as hard as possible, so visit all the hot springs and run around in cloths, the only benefit of that 'armour' is for stealth, but what you are 'supposed' to do ideally to make the game easier is swap loadouts depending on situation so you can easily switch from exploration to ranged to melee almost as quickly as changing weapons. But again, you don't want the game easy so either just pick an armour and never upgrade it, again, maybe the Robes of Sitturanyu as that doesn't really have any combat benefits or, unlock all regions and go to all the hotsprings and run around semi-naked and just never attach any charms so zero boosts.

I know that you have various sets for different uses but it's gonna take something really broken to beat the parry armour so all the offensive\melee armours in the game are gonna feel like a lesser version and not worth to be used since let's be honest, parrying is kinda the bread and butter of the combat system, nobody is gonna only fight with throwables and bow, it would be super lame and boring, so an armour that give a parry bonus kinda has the priority.
Also, something like the bow already feels lethal both in stealth and open combat to not require any additional skill, i got the ranged armour last night and when i read the effects i just thought that i was never gonna use it in any occasion, arrow are extremely easy to find everywhere and they already kill almost everything with an headshot, i don't really need any bonus for the bow that is gonna make me switch armour set.

And like i said in the past, i hate balancing the game myself because devs can't do it, if i have to use a shitty armour or ignore and not be excited to find new loot, the exploration lose all of its meaning so i hope that the game gets harder so that 3 guaranteed attacks are gonna feel like nothing and i'm still gonna be able to be excited when i find something new that can help.

And i hope to find armours with effects so good that i'm gonna question if the parry one is the best to use in combat, that should be the goal of good progressions and loot, having multiple good choices and not just a completely broken one, but the game challenge need to be on par to not make you feel too OP.

It's kinda the same with the odachi, right now it feels by far the strongest weapon so i hope that kurisarigama and spear are gonna be valid options that are gonna make me conflicted on what to use.

 

[Flabagast]

Been playing some hours now.

Game is not good, not bad, just mediocre. Nothing stands out or is particularly thrilling or innovative.

How can people call this game phenomenal ? It feels like a dozen other copy pasted ubi open words

 

[Toots]

Oh and don't forget to press R3 when you first ride the horse as this will remove cinematic black bars.

I never knew about that, i thought black bars only disappear when you change region (tho they still come back when you come back to beginning area...)

Been playing some hours now.

Game is not good, not bad, just mediocre. Nothing stands out or is particularly thrilling or innovative.

How can people call this game phenomenal ? It feels like a dozen other copy pasted ubi open words

Maybe try immersive mode, and just wander wherever you feel like ? You'll see there the world is much better made than ubi type open worlds. Don't follow the mission path linearly either just go wherever and do whatever, and the story will still advance, you'll meet new people, find new weapons, etc.
I don't understand how you can feel playing ubislop open world with this one, except if you always mark the next stuff you want to do on your map and never try to go somewhere just for the hell of it.

 

[PurePlatinum]

Not sure I agree with the reviews saying that the world design is the same - it feels much more natural and organic to me. Tsushima was an open-world like AC is open world...checklists....markers...etc. Yotei is "open-air" in the same way BoTW or Elden Ring is. It's like a hybrid between the two open world philosophies, and it's the single greatest achievement of the game.

It's also vastly improved over Tsushima in terms of story and character. Atsu is awesome.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Not sure I agree with the reviews saying that the world design is the same - it feels much more natural and organic to me. Tsushima was an open-world like AC is open world...checklists....markers...etc. Yotei is "open-air" in the same way BoTW or Elden Ring is. It's like a hybrid between the two open world philosophies, and it's the single greatest achievement of the game.

It's also vastly improved over Tsushima in terms of story and character. Atsu is awesome.

I agree. Tsushima is good but the open world is something we've seen so many times. Yotei is much more mysterious to me and it just leaves you to find stuff on your own or buy maps from the cartographer.

Oh and the story is fucking way more my kind of thing in Yotei. Avenging the death of your family and killing 6 massive pieces of shit? Yeah that's more interesting to me personally than telling the mongols to fuck off.

 

[GymWolf]

I think it's still more ubisoft formula than something like botw\elden\skyrim, but it is the perfected formula that does enough to feel different.

You still end up with a lot of icons on the map and you can still put a marker to reach a place and the activities are still open world ass activities, it just feel more organic to initially find a place and how you gain info on new places.

I think it's a masterfull work of smoke and mirrors, but still smoke and mirrors in the end.

P.s. i have nothing against ubisoft formula if well done.

 

[Slothbeingg]

The most random thing I've encountered in this game, feel just like Yakuza side misssion lol.
This is the location, go there and check this trunk with 3 candles will trigger some event and It's not even side quest at all.

 

[viveks86]

I think it's still more ubisoft formula than something like botw\elden\skyrim, but it is the perfected formula that does enough to feel different.

You still end up with a lot of icons on the map and you can still put a marker to reach a place and the activities are still open world ass activities, it just feel more organic to initially find a place and how you gain info on new places.

I think it's a masterfull work of smoke and mirrors, but still smoke and mirrors in the end.

P.s. i have nothing against ubisoft formula if well done.

Skyrim is certainly a different beast, but how is elden ring any different? It's the same masterful smoke and mirrors, just more focused on fighting than non-combat activities.

I think elden ring and GoY are comparable in terms of approach to open world design. Stuff masterfully hidden away that evoke a sense of discovery, but without the complex systems and consequences that Skyrim or even RDR 2 would have.

 

[GymWolf]

Skyrim is certainly a different beast, but how is elden ring any different? It's the same masterful smoke and mirrors, just more focused on fighting than non-combat activities.

I think elden ring and GoY are comparable in terms of approach to open world design. Stuff masterfully hidden away that evoke a sense of discovery, but without the complex systems and consequences that Skyrim or even RDR 2 would have.

Elden is very basic, you only fight in that game so it's kinda of a genre on its own.

Even the way they tell the story is completely different from ac and yotei.

It never felt remotely as ubisoft-ish as yotei.

For once elden doesn't have points of interest carefully placed every 2 min so you always have something to do and see, it has larger spaces with nothing other than enemies, in yotei i feel like i'm interrupted by sidestuff constantly because they place characters and points of interest in a way that when you finish one, you already have another 2 option close to you.

Also, elden doesn't really have classic open world activities like basically every ubisoft type of open world, no haiku or draws to do with a motion sensor nor wolf caves nor enemy camps, the closest things are small dungeons but they don't feel like bandit camps to free.

P.s. before you get a wrong impression, i'm not really a huge elden fanboy so it's not like i'm praising their way to do things, i just notice the different method.

 

[WellSheet]

I think Yotei strikes a fairly balance between natural exploration and discovery while not making the game obtuse or overly esoteric.

I could see how someone else's perspective on its design choice could feel like it's trying to sit on the fence too much, but I think the way Sucker Punch blended the more video-gamey-ness of things with a more let-curiosity-guide-you approach appeals to both sides.

Personally, I'd have liked a more hardline approach; make me have to fill out my map, make me have to find everything (mostly). Make everything completely based on my own ability to explore without map makers, and icons placed for etc…you can get close to playing that way if you'd like, but I think they could have been "risky" and made it more akin to Elden Ring

 

[Auto_aim1]

Is there any trick to perfect parries or any charms? I die a lot using that bounty armor.

 

[Karim]

Anyone ended it? Please tell me we can skip cutscene and dialogue replaying it

 

[GymWolf]

Still about the parry armour, i don't understand one thing, in theory i should not be able to do normal parries, only perfect ones, but i can still do bad parries without getting damaged...or maybe those are blocks...it doesn't seems like the malus is really a big malus at all...

 

[semiconscious]

Not sure I agree with the reviews saying that the world design is the same - it feels much more natural and organic to me. Tsushima was an open-world like AC is open world...checklists....markers...etc. Yotei is "open-air" in the same way BoTW or Elden Ring is. It's like a hybrid between the two open world philosophies, and it's the single greatest achievement of the game.

It's also vastly improved over Tsushima in terms of story and character. Atsu is awesome.

jin greatly reminded me of bayek (assassin's creed origins): good, decent, & no personality whatsoever...

 

[midnightAI]

Still about the parry armour, i don't understand one thing, in theory i should not be able to do normal parries, only perfect ones, but i can still do bad parries without getting damaged...or maybe those are blocks...it doesn't seems like the malus is really a big malus at all...

yeh, its either perfect parry or block mostly (or, well, completely miss both and get hit)

 

[Kamina]

Is there any trick to perfect parries or any charms? I die a lot using that bounty armor.

Turn the difficulty to custom and set only the parry window to a lower difficulty.
I played on Normal and found the parry window time to be a little bit too frustrating, so i've set that to easy while raising other settings to balance it.

 

[J3nga]

Is there any more of the grindy open world gameplay after you're done with Teshio Ridge region? Having previous regions pretty much cleared I don't have much desire to do anymore of that.

 

[adamsapple]

Anyone ended it? Please tell me we can skip cutscene and dialogue replaying it

You can skip cut-scenes on the first time as well.

 

[Karim]

You can skip cut-scenes on the first time as well.

But not the dialogues I guess ....

 

[Hugare]

I love Skill Up reviews but there are a few times where I feel like we played a different game. Saying the open world structure hasn't evolved in Yotei or that TLOU II combat is the same as the first are two of those instances.

My feelings exactly about his reviews

I enjoy his takes most of the time. But sometimes he comes up with something wild

I'm just finishing the Kitsune quest right now, and I think it was a bit longer than it could have been, but it has been great. Saying Tsushima story was better is crazy, imo. Tsushima was only "Jin struggles to keep his honor while trying to save his uncle" all the time. Kitsune storyline alone is way more interesting.

Just discovered the hideout with the bear and other animals. So cool.

This game always have an interesting spin on mundane sidequests. You think you will have to deal with another enemy hideout, then you find out enemies are already dead, and you have to investigate why.

Cool stuff to keep things engaging

 

[ecosse_011172]

I was talking to a Japanese acquaintance tonight, I know he loved Ghost of Tsushima so asked about GoY, he said he was mega impressed in the first few hours and told me that the Japanese was like "old Japanese" and quite different so clearly some proper effort has been made.

 

[Slothbeingg]

Famitsu Sales: 9/29/25 – 10/5/25 [Update]

Famitsu has published its estimated physical game software data for Japan for week of September 29, 2025 to October 5, 2025.

www.gematsu.com

Famitsu Sales: 9/29/25 – 10/5/25 Ghost of Yotei was the highest selling new release this week, opening at 120,196 retail copies sold

 

[Beretta]

What an adventure that was, great game.

SS from my PlayStation app, that's why the X is there, for anyone wondering.

Last bounty drove me nuts to discover.

 

[cripterion]

I finished the game yesterday, clocked in 53 hours and loved every minute of it.
Atsu's definitely better written than Jin, although I appreciate both stories and what the devs were going for.

Got like 8 more trophies to get, I usually don't go for plat but I did for GoT and probably will for this one as well. At the same time still have to continue my KCD2 playthrough. This was a good year for gaming!

 

[DeaconOfTheDank]

I'm really enjoying this game and the world. I'm a little over 20 hours in and still haven't fought a mainline boss. I'm only roaming the countryside just doing random quests and itching for any combat encounter. Gotta say, the parry timing feels a bit strict (playing on Hard) - I don't remember Tsushima being as precise with the timing.

One missed opportunity I see is that I don't have the choice to spare or kill people after interrogation. Seems like it would have been any easy way to implement a morality system that could have led to a more reactive world (higher frequency of bounty hunters, greater chance to inflict terror, change in villager demeanor, etc).

 

[RyanEvans21]

Only finished two bosses! And Battlefield 6 coming out tomorrow.

 

[decisions]

Um Lethal Mode is not the same as it was in GoT right? Or am I crazy?

Seems like I die in 1-2 hits but enemies have normal health. I chip away at bosses health whereas I am always on death's door. In GoT I remember boss fights ending very quickly on lethal. Seems like GoT Lethal was Heaven or Hell and GoY is Hell or Hell? Is this intentional?

 

[The Cockatrice]

I think it's still more ubisoft formula than something like botw\elden\skyrim, but it is the perfected formula that does enough to feel different.

You still end up with a lot of icons on the map and you can still put a marker to reach a place and the activities are still open world ass activities, it just feel more organic to initially find a place and how you gain info on new places.

I think it's a masterfull work of smoke and mirrors, but still smoke and mirrors in the end.

P.s. i have nothing against ubisoft formula if well done.

Give me a preliminary rating my guy. 7? 8? Wait for sale?

 

[Cyborg]

33h in and I think I have only beaten the first boss (snake) hahah. I am way into side quests and upgrading.

 

[GymWolf]

Give me a preliminary rating my guy. 7? 8? Wait for sale?

I'm gonna pm you when i have a score, i barely did anything of the main story yet.

 

[GymWolf]

Um Lethal Mode is not the same as it was in GoT right? Or am I crazy?

Seems like I die in 1-2 hits but enemies have normal health. I chip away at bosses health whereas I am always on death's door. In GoT I remember boss fights ending very quickly on lethal. Seems like GoT Lethal was Heaven or Hell and GoY is Hell or Hell? Is this intentional?

Use the kodachi and the parry armour and duels end pretty quickly.

But it was the same in tsushi, duels enemies have more health than normal grunts.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

OnlyFox

 

[cripterion]

I'm really enjoying this game and the world. I'm a little over 20 hours in and still haven't fought a mainline boss. I'm only roaming the countryside just doing random quests and itching for any combat encounter. Gotta say, the parry timing feels a bit strict (playing on Hard) - I don't remember Tsushima being as precise with the timing.

One missed opportunity I see is that I don't have the choice to spare or kill people after interrogation. Seems like it would have been any easy way to implement a morality system that could have led to a more reactive world (higher frequency of bounty hunters, greater chance to inflict terror, change in villager demeanor, etc).

I bow them or kunai them once they try to escape.

 

[kikii]

game is pretty fun, hopped lil bit late to the party cause had some drinking problem ^^

 

[protonion]

HOLY SHIT THE GAME IS INCREDIBLE!

This is peak Sony. GT7/Astrobot level stuff.

 

[yogaflame]

Does the game only have one ending or multiple endings?

 

[Topher]

I'm putting this horse through hell

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

Finally started it last night, played for 7 hours straight. I loved GoT, plat'd it and all that, Yōtei is on another level though. *This* is what you buy a PlayStation for. *This* is even what you buy a Pro for.

Playing on my big OLED in Ray Tracing Pro mode I'm presented with flawless performance and what might be the most visually impressive game this entire gen, all things considered. Absolutely breathtaking vistas, landscapes teeming with flora and fauna, gorgeous lighting and particle effects, beautiful animations. I get major RDR2 vibes, frequently stopping to take it all in, awestruck by it's magnificence. GoT's greatest innovation was "guided by the wind" and it's no different here, fully immersed in the world while exploring, no minimap, no HUD, you are *in* this world.

What a wonderful world it is. I'm finding it even more rewarding to explore than GoT, organically coming across sidequests, setting up camp only to have stranger join you who can offer more information on your targets, scaling a cliff to find a shrine then pulling out your spyglass to scout the land below revealing more points of interest. I'm enamored with it all.

And boy does it *feel* great. Much like MGSV when the simple act of sprinting feels satisfying you know you have something special on your hands. As with all PlayStation 1st party games the DualSense implementation is fantastic, everything more impactful and immersive. Controller speakers are utilized expertly too with the sound of wind, the sizzle of fish or the clashing of swords all coming through beautifully. Movement fluid, combat glorious, I'm playing on Miike Mode for that extra mud & blood, scarlet dynamically spraying the environment as my sword fulfills it's purpose, it doesn't get better than this.

This would all be fun even without a strong story to back it up but Yōtei delivers the goods here too. I'm hooked and *fully* invested into Atsu's tale, nothing beats a good revenge story and the game doesn't waste anytime setting up the blood soaked journey that awaits you with it's violent opening. Well written, no cringe characters (so far), top-tier voice acting (in Japanese, the only way to play plus you avoid hearing a certain someone...), already a lot more interesting than Jin's tale. The flashback sequences work brilliantly, I appreciate how it fleshes out how's and why's of our protagonist, great stuff all around.

Music? Skill trees? Sound? Wolf? . Can't wait to spend more time with it over the weekend. PlayStation continues to deliver 2-3 GOTY contenders every single year, 2025 is no different. If you love videogames you should be a very happy camper right now, what an amazing year it has been.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Those two shots were very tricky, it's very hard to catch a lightning in this game

Also there are easter egg murials about SIE games here and there, found InFamous 2

 

[decisions]

About 5 hrs. in, enjoying the game so far but I would say AC Shadows definitely has better exploration, stealth, and graphics than this. The melee combat here is where the gameplay shines and is very fun, enjoying the challenge on Lethal. However, I am really not feeling the story so far. I can't understand the unforced error of not doing Tsushima 2 when the alternative was to tell a story as generic and tired as this. Would much rather be seeing Jin lead a small clan of Ghost-samurai hybrids in a new part of Japan than this so far extremely safe and boring revenge story against evil bad guys who kill animals for fun and terrorize peasants. That said I know there is still a lot more to go.

 

[Slothbeingg]

About 5 hrs. in, enjoying the game so far but I would say AC Shadows definitely has better exploration, stealth, and graphics than this. The melee combat here is where the gameplay shines and is very fun, enjoying the challenge on Lethal. However, I am really not feeling the story so far. I can't understand the unforced error of not doing Tsushima 2 when the alternative was to tell a story as generic and tired as this. Would much rather be seeing Jin lead a small clan of Ghost-samurai hybrids in a new part of Japan than this so far extremely safe and boring revenge story against evil bad guys who kill animals for fun and terrorize peasants. That said I know there is still a lot more to go.

 

[Topher]

About 5 hrs. in, enjoying the game so far but I would say AC Shadows definitely has better exploration, stealth, and graphics than this. The melee combat here is where the gameplay shines and is very fun, enjoying the challenge on Lethal. However, I am really not feeling the story so far. I can't understand the unforced error of not doing Tsushima 2 when the alternative was to tell a story as generic and tired as this. Would much rather be seeing Jin lead a small clan of Ghost-samurai hybrids in a new part of Japan than this so far extremely safe and boring revenge story against evil bad guys who kill animals for fun and terrorize peasants. That said I know there is still a lot more to go.

I'm at 40 hours and we pretty much disagree on everything. I think the story is well told even if not original. I said while playing AC Shadows that I thought the combat wasn't great and Tsushima was much better. Same goes for Yotei. But.....just my opinions.

Having said all that, I was kind of in the same boat as you early on in that I wasn't incredibly impressed, but as I progressed with the story I started enjoying things across the board. Hopefully the same will happen for you.

 

[Minari]

I know that you have various sets for different uses but it's gonna take something really broken to beat the parry armour so all the offensive\melee armours in the game are gonna feel like a lesser version and not worth to be used since let's be honest, parrying is kinda the bread and butter of the combat system, nobody is gonna only fight with throwables and bow, it would be super lame and boring, so an armour that give a parry bonus kinda has the priority.
Also, something like the bow already feels lethal both in stealth and open combat to not require any additional skill, i got the ranged armour last night and when i read the effects i just thought that i was never gonna use it in any occasion, arrow are extremely easy to find everywhere and they already kill almost everything with an headshot, i don't really need any bonus for the bow that is gonna make me switch armour set.

And like i said in the past, i hate balancing the game myself because devs can't do it, if i have to use a shitty armour or ignore and not be excited to find new loot, the exploration lose all of its meaning so i hope that the game gets harder so that 3 guaranteed attacks are gonna feel like nothing and i'm still gonna be able to be excited when i find something new that can help.

And i hope to find armours with effects so good that i'm gonna question if the parry one is the best to use in combat, that should be the goal of good progressions and loot, having multiple good choices and not just a completely broken one, but the game challenge need to be on par to not make you feel too OP.

It's kinda the same with the odachi, right now it feels by far the strongest weapon so i hope that kurisarigama and spear are gonna be valid options that are gonna make me conflicted on what to use.

Odachi is too strong with the bounty master set bc you always get 3 hits guaranteed after perfect parry and odachi dmg is much higher than anything else.

 

[adamsapple]

What an adventure that was, great game.

SS from my PlayStation app, that's why the X is there, for anyone wondering.

Last bounty drove me nuts to discover.

The finale felt kind of meh after the first game pulled the awesome twist of your uncle being the final enemy and the choice thereafter.

They should have done something similar here and have her choose between Jubei or Oyuki, making it so that Jubei just can't forgive Oyuki for being a part of their parents murder.

 

[JusticeForAll]

Even though I enjoyed it's predecessor, I didn't buy the game for three reasons:
- everything that was shown in previews was completely underwhelming, to the point it seemed like dlc to me;
- I have come to a point in life where woke and overly leftist messaging in gaming annoys me too much.
- A dev celebrating murder was the tipping point.

I might consider buying it at a discount in the future, but i need to know if the first two things are true or not. Did the previews give the wrong impression and is the game annoyingly woke or not?

 

[Beretta]

The finale felt kind of meh after the first game pulled the awesome twist of your uncle being the final enemy and the choice thereafter.

They should have done something similar here and have her choose between Jubei or Oyuki, making it so that Jubei just can't forgive Oyuki for being a part of their parents murder.

I don't have a dick, sir, but I'll still high five you for the plat. Nice job, welcome to the plat club.

Yeah, I like your idea for an ending better.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

Finished

Really liked it. Biggest complaint as a follow up to Tsushima is the game felt rushed at the end of the main story, I got to use ghost stance maybe all of 2-3 hours, like they initially planned to have a few additional missions in there (I mean act 3 was 2 missions, boss, credits), but at least mechanically the final boss was really good.