How to weapon align in Ghost of Yotei

With so many weapons to choose from, you will hear about weapon alignment in Ghost of Yotei from time to time. The concept draws inspiration from Ghost of Tsushima's weapon combat stance system. Weapon alignment in Ghost of Yotei not only improves your chances against foes but is also linked with the Undying Samurai armor.

Let's explore how weapon alignment works in Atsu's Ezo.

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All weapon alignments in Ghost of Yotei

The following weapon alignments are available to Atsu in Ghost of Yotei (once you have unlocked them):

• Katana (R2+Square): Effective against Swords
• Dual Katana (R2+X): Effective against Polearms
• Odachi (R2+L2): Effective against Brutes
• Yari (R2+Triangle): Effective against Sickles
• Kusarigama (R2+Circle): Effective against Shields

Katana weapon alignment in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming / Sucker Punch)

When your weapons are aligned, you will have an easier time tackling the enemy or breaking their stance. At higher difficulty modes, combat becomes significantly harder if you are not utilising proper weapon alignments in fights.

In Ghost of Yotei, you start off with your trusty Katana before unlocking more weapons one by one from different masters. Your combat freedom and ease will be dependent on getting access to these weapons. Specific regions in Ezo can feature, at times, specific types of enemies with certain weapon types, like Kusarigama in Teshio Ridge.

Given that enemy groups will also feature several types of weapons, you will have to be quick to switch between weapons available to you and ensure you have proper weapon alignment. Holding R2 will also slow time (like switching stance in Ghost of Tsushima) slightly that will allow you to change weapons in Ghost of Yotei in a fluid manner during combat.

As mentioned in the introduction, weapon alignment also plays a part in the stats provided by the Armor of the Undying (that you get from defeating the Undying Samurai):

• If weapon aligned, Staggering enemies restores a minor amount of Health.
• If weapon aligned, the window to perform Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge is increased by a minor amount.
• If weapon aligned, Focus Attacks have a minor chance to increase Stagger damage.

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Wondering whether Ghost of Yotei continues the rich legacy of Ghost of Tsushima? Check out our Ghost of Yotei review to find out.