How does the in-game progression and skill tree work in Ghost of Yotei?

I'd emphasize the gear proficiency system because it's brilliant. It encourages you to stick with a weapon you like to truly master it, rather than just swapping to the highest number stat stick. When your Katana proficiency hits level 5, for example, you might unlock a powerful new parry counter that completely changes how you fight. It makes your choice of weapon feel meaningful beyond just its base damage. The skill trees give you broad abilities, but the weapon proficiency gives you the specific, deep movesets. Don't ignore it!

The progression in Ghost of Yotei is a really smart evolution of the first game's system. They haven't completely reinvented the wheel, but they've added more depth, especially around the new weapons. You still earn Skill Points (SP) from completing major quests, side stories, and leveling up. These SP are spent across a multi-tiered skill tree, but now the trees are split not just by technique (Samurai/Ghost) but also by Weapon Mastery. For example, there's a dedicated branch for mastering the Kusarigama that unlocks unique chain throws, disarm moves, and grapple abilities. Similarly, the Dual Katana stance has its own sub-tree. This encourages you to experiment and focus your SP on the weapons you actually want to use, rather than feeling forced to invest in abilities you'll never touch. The older abilities like Stances are now unlocked by defeating certain Dojo Masters or key enemies, tying skill progression directly to exploration and combat challenges.

I found the system much more focused on gear upgrades than just the skill tree this time. In Ghost of Yotei, improving your armor and weapons at the Armorer feels as impactful as spending a skill point. The resource gathering is still there, but now each piece of gear unlocks specific, high-level perks at the top tier. For instance, maxing out your basic Katana grants you a chance for an instant Stagger on a perfect parry, which isn't a skill tree unlock at all! So, progression is really a blend: Skill Points for new actions (moves, utility) and Materials for new effects (damage buffs, special perks on gear). Don't ignore those material gathering side quests!

The progression system is split into a few key areas that all feed into each other: Character Level: You gain XP from quests and combat, level up, and get a skill point to spend. Skill Trees: There are three main trees: Way of the Sword (combat and katana skills), Way of the Shadow (stealth, assassination, and gadget skills), and Way of the Spirit (resolve, archery, and health-related skills). You can mix and match to create your own build. Gear Proficiency: The more you use a specific weapon type (Katana, Spear, Kusarigama, etc.), the more it levels up. Leveling it up unlocks new combos and stat bonuses for that weapon type. Gear Rarity and Upgrades: You find gear of different rarities (Common, Rare, Legendary) and can upgrade them at blacksmiths using resources you find in the world to boost their stats.It's a really satisfying loop where everything you do contributes to making your character stronger in some way.