Technologies

Ghost of Yotei Starter Guide: 9 Tips to Know

Here’s a handful of useful advice to know before starting your revenge quest.

Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, is now out to play and brings a new protagonist, setting and adventure for you to slice and dice your way through. We over here love it, but before taking control of Atsu and avenging your fallen family, here are nine things to look out for in order to start off with an advantage.

Yotei’s relation to the first game, Ghost of Tsushima

Do you need to have played or know what happened in the first game, Ghost of Tsushima? No. Yotei takes place 400 years after the first game and in a different region of Japan. It doesn’t continue the story, so you’re safe jumping in here.

Ghost of Yotei’s cinematic modes

Just like in Tsushima, Yotei features its so-called Kurosawa mode. This turns the entire game to black and white, adds film grain, and increases the wind sound effects to mimic the many movies from famed Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa.

In addition, and new to Yotei, are two other cinematic modes. The first is called Miike mode, which will increase the amount of blood and mud sprayed around in combat. It will also bring the camera in closer while fighting. Be warned, though, the game points out that this will increase the combat difficulty.

The second new mode is called Watanabe mode, which will change the exploration and combat music to a more lo-fi beat. Perfect for any Samurai Champloo fan.

Throw your enemy’s weapons

New to Yotei is the ability to throw fallen weapons at enemies. Often, when you defeat someone, you can find their weapon upright, stuck in the ground with a soft glow. Pick up the weapon with R2 and throw it with Square in order to deal a considerable amount of damage. Not only can this help thin out a group of enemies, but it also looks extremely badass.

Visit your home

One of the very first things you’ll do after opening up the map is visit your childhood home. There are a few mini games and cutscenes to work through before you’re allowed to leave. After finishing the combat tutorial, explore around the area first. There are additional cutscenes from your past to view for some backstory, but don’t leave just yet — inside the house, you’ll even find some money and a map pointing to some hidden items.

Loot corpses

Many enemies will have some loot, money, or resources on them after being killed. Make sure to quickly check the bodies before continuing on your way.

Ghost of Yotei: Find the lost monk

A monk named Bessho is located off to the side on your way from your home to the Shadow Inn. He’s located next to an isolated tree with yellow leaves. Stop by here first and complete his short sidequest. You’ll be rewarded with money and a skill point, allowing you to unlock your first new skill.

Put points in the assassination skill tree

Finding shrines rewards you with a skill point, and if you completed Gessho’s quest, then you have one burning a hole in your pocket. With your new skill point, I recommend prioritizing the assassination tree. Each node on this path is very useful as it allows you to stealthily one-shot kill stronger enemies or several at once. Prioritizing the assassination tree will make taking on enemy camps much smoother since you’ll have less to fight if you’re ever spotted.

Speed up NPCs guiding you

Characters that are guiding you somewhere (such as Gessho toward the shrine) can be sped up. Even though they’re the ones leading the way, they match Atsu’s pace, so walking faster or running (L3) will speed up the sidequest and get you to your destination faster.

Go camping for bonuses

Camping offers several benefits, including the opportunity to cook or simply pass the time. Your first opportunity to camp can be found by returning to where you met Gessho and holding right on the directional pad. Doing so will enter you into a cutscene with a random traveler that will give you information on one of the enemies you’re hunting.

Also, be sure to play your shamisen instrument while resting to unlock a trophy.

There are nine tips to make the first couple of hours of Ghost of Yotei that much more enjoyable. Ghost of Yotei is out now for PS5.

Technologies

Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is a Hit. Just Ask My Kid

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has sucked my family in, and I can’t get my Switch controller back from my son.

I’d love to tell you all about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, arriving this week, and what it’s been like to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can mostly do that — but for most of the past five days, it hasn’t really been me playing. What started as co-playing together quickly turned into my kid taking over completely as he got hooked. And honestly, I’d say that’s a good sign.

Nintendo makes a lot of Pokemon games, too many for me to keep track of. But Legends Z-A is the first that’s Switch 2-optimized, although you can play on original Switches, too. I can’t tell you what that’s like, though — my early review access limited me to playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 only at home. I was doubtful about how much a city-based game would truly feel like a must-have experience, but so far it’s already become one of my favorite Pokemon games ever.

I’ll let my son tell you. He’s gotten deep into the trading card game and has played most of the recent Pokemon titles over the past year, and he says this is his favorite so far. When I asked him why, he said it’s because the game completely rethinks how battles work. The quick, real-time system feels more immediate and far less sluggish than in past Pokemon games. Plus, he’s loving the story… and honestly, so am I.

A city full of surprises

My son loves the «peculiar» storyline, the fast-paced battles (which he now wants in every Pokemon game) and the constant sense of surprise while exploring Lumiose City.

All of Pokemon Legends: Z-A (at least from what I’ve seen in my 10-plus hours so far) takes place entirely within Lumiose City — a Paris-like metropolis where the CEO of a company called Quasartico Inc. is planning to rebuild everything into a new world where Pokemon and humans can better coexist. The setup reminded me of the Detective Pikachu movie during my demo a few weeks ago, and it turns out my instincts were right.

Pokemon roam in wild zones within the city, occasionally spilling into urban areas, while mysterious rogue «Mega Evolution» Pokemon have begun appearing and threatening the city’s calm. There’s clearly a deeper mystery at play, and while I’m still uncovering it, I won’t spoil anything here.

The game seems to mostly involve a journey to level up in rank from Z to A by battling various Pokemon trainers, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a group of friends you hang out with at a local hotel, along with research missions you have to carry out. Side quests are everywhere. The city, though it can feel a bit sparse at times, stretches all the way up to its rooftops, where all sorts of hidden spots are waiting to be discovered. It feels like a living maze, and one I’m still navigating.

And the city’s always changing, too. Wild zones keep multiplying, and from day to night the city’s dynamics shift. Battles take place at night, with trainers gathering in new pop-up spots each time. It’s not as lively as I’d hoped — this isn’t Grand Theft Pokemon — but the cozy, vibrant world still makes me daydream about what a real-life Universal Pokemon theme park could someday look like.

The Pokemon shine

I keep reminding myself to take extra time to discover and level up my Pokemon. At least that’s what my son’s telling me to do. He loves how many Pokemon can become Mega Evolved in this game, and how much fun the battle moves are to pull off. I’m happy he’s happy. I thought I’d get lost in the RPG aspects of the game, but I think the real-time Pokemon battles put me in a looser state of mind, more able to explore and not feel locked down into systems and rulesets. Swapping Pokemon battle moves and reassigning them to buttons is easy, too.

The stronger focus on trainer battles — and the sheer variety of Pokemon capable of mega evolving — gives the game more of that classic, Pokemon-centered energy than Pokemon Legends: Arceus ever did. I found myself more excited to see how different Pokemon looked and behaved than to uncover new realms to explore. After all, for all of Lumiose City’s secrets, you’re spending a lot more time roaming one massive location than in any other Pokemon game I can remember. Thankfully, the visual upgrades on the Switch 2 make those Pokemon look fantastic in battle.

I do want to spend more time in Lumiose City, though, and can’t help but wonder if this is a glimpse of how all Pokemon games will keep evolving. It’s hard to say, since Legends games like Z-A and Arceus have been more experimental than the rest of the series. But, like Arceus, Z-A is now one of my favorite Pokemon games on Switch. And on Switch 2, it plays smoother and feels better than any Pokemon game ever has before.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.