The three progression systems
| System | Confirmed role |
|---|---|
| Skill trees | Define Emma's combat abilities and, together with absorbed Nushi powers, expand what she and Koo can do. Expect separate investment lines for swordplay and companion synergy. |
| Gear | Loadout-defining equipment: weapons and armor that lean your kit toward ranged pressure, stealth takedowns, or all-in melee aggression. |
| Spirit stones | Socketable customization named explicitly by Game Freak — the fine-tuning layer, likely stat mods and effect riders (burn, stagger and similar effects have been shown). |
The three playstyles
Aggressive (katana-forward)
The default reading of the combat previews: fast katana strings, deflection-heavy defense, spending parry points on Koo's damage arts to snowball openings. If you're coming from Sekiro or Lies of P, this is home. Likely the strongest early-game path since parries are the resource engine (see how Koo's points work).
Ranged
Confirmed as a supported loadout direction. Expect ranged tools to trade burst for safety against Nushi-scale bosses whose melee windows are punishing — and to pair naturally with Koo running interference up close.
Stealth
Also explicitly confirmed. Blighted Forest dungeons full of lesser Malefacts are the obvious stage for stealth clears; whether stealth meaningfully applies to Nushi fights is one of the first things we'll test at launch.
Build planning before launch
- Absorbed Nushi powers are build-defining. Each sealed boss adds abilities — boss order may effectively be build order. Our Nushi guide will map which seal unlocks what.
- Difficulty options change build math. Story Mode exists; the harder settings are where parry-economy builds should shine.
- Expect hybrid viability. The devs frame the three styles as a spectrum ("define your own playstyle"), not hard classes — spirit stones look like the glue for hybrids.
At launch this page becomes the build library: leveling paths, endgame loadouts per playstyle, spirit stone tier list, and per-boss build recommendations.
Related guides
Last updated: July 7, 2026