10 Unexpected Ways To Master Challenging Video Game Mechanics
2. Watch Your Enemy's Feet During Standoffs - Ghost Of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima's standoff mechanic can be tremendously satisfying once you have it nailed down - it allows you to dispatch a foe with a single strike, but figuring out the particulars is trickier than you might expect.
Basically, when you initiate a standoff with an enemy, you have to hold the Triangle button until they move to strike. If you time your release of Triangle correctly you'll kill them, but if you time it wrong you'll end up badly wounded.
Later on, foes begin feigning their strikes to try and throw the player off-guard, which can be immensely frustrating if you don't know how to spot a fake-out.
Except, every enemy in the game has an extremely easy tell for standoffs - their feet. Basically, don't release the Triangle button until you see an enemy's feet move, as even when feigning a hit they won't move their feet.
This is a note-perfect way to win standoffs every single time, and yet it's not remotely obvious to even players who've put many hours into Ghost of Tsushima.