We know that combat in Ghost of Tsushima is going to be lethal, but one mechanic in particular showed off in the gameplay reveal was quickly brushed aside as the video went on. That being combat stances. We caught up with Tsushima creative director Jason Connell to learn a little bit more about the role stances play in the game’s combat. The different stances in Ghost of Tsushima are essentially counters to the enemy types you’ll come across. The best way of dealing with, say shielded enemies, is to use a specific stance that counters shields. You won’t so much be reacting to enemy attacks as you would to their archetype. “We show off stances a little bit, so you’re going to have to pick the right stance in order to fight the right person,” Connell explained. “That’s what stances are for in the game, and that’s especially useful if you get surrounded by too many people. Knowing that you could switch to this stance, because it’s easier to take out the guy with the shield, that’s good.”
As with other elements in Tsushima, stances, too, were inspired by samurai cinema, and it’s one more way the developer can enable players to embody the samurai fantasy of knowing exactly how to counter anything being thrown at you. “We want you to feel like you’re playing a samurai,” said Connell. “And so, stances are a big part of that, and in our game, stances are a way to - what kind of enemy is coming at you? And if you need to take them out quickly, you would want to switch to the appropriate stance.” This news may disappoint some who expected stances to be less rigid, but there remains plenty we don’t yet know about them, and that may still be the case - at least partially - in the full game. Ghost of Tsushima drops July 17 on PS4.
