Sheathing is your friend, you can sheathe after Sakura slashes and all kinds of stuff. You have counters, both while attacking and while sheathing. These counters build gauge if they land, so they're handy to learn. I hardly ever use the silkbind techniques other than Sakura Slash and later the kick that gives you Helm Splitter. The DLC is pretty far for you, but when you unlock skill swapping Longsword gets insane.
As far as general game flow, I started by focusing on exploration, getting to know the maps and routes to get spiribirds, fulfill optionals, and learn good movement skills. The maps have a certain flow to them that is fun to figure out. The buffs make the fight easier, and you won't run out of armor orbs if you keep those optionals going. Holding down the interact button summons your dog as a mount, which is very fast and combining the dog jump and leaping off its back, you can really get around without even needing bugs as much. Yes, you can drift the dog.
I had a lot of fun with the tools it gives you such as the beforementioned Skill Swapping. I did not play World, so I can't say what is evolution and what isn't, but the endgame monster (the big big big boss, not the final monster in the string of post-game releases) was a fun little spectacle. They don't do Rampages at all, which while I found them charming I thought them unnecessary and others disliked them. They drop the Japanese aesthetic, which is a little unfortunate, but the hub is good and continuous. The new maps are cool, lots of exploration potential.
Sunbreak is extremely good, the ability to have two switch skill loadouts and switch between then in a second is game changing for some weapons. I don't play long sword so I can't comment on what it does for that weapon though.
The new monsters are super fun fight and it requires you to eventually get very good at knowing your op counter bullshit to win the final monsters they added a year after release. Maybe some people don't like that but I had a blast with dual blades.
Replaying on ps5 now trying to learn charge blade.
Sheathing is your friend, you can sheathe after Sakura slashes and all kinds of stuff. You have counters, both while attacking and while sheathing. These counters build gauge if they land, so they're handy to learn. I hardly ever use the silkbind techniques other than Sakura Slash and later the kick that gives you Helm Splitter. The DLC is pretty far for you, but when you unlock skill swapping Longsword gets insane.
As far as general game flow, I started by focusing on exploration, getting to know the maps and routes to get spiribirds, fulfill optionals, and learn good movement skills. The maps have a certain flow to them that is fun to figure out. The buffs make the fight easier, and you won't run out of armor orbs if you keep those optionals going. Holding down the interact button summons your dog as a mount, which is very fast and combining the dog jump and leaping off its back, you can really get around without even needing bugs as much. Yes, you can drift the dog.
How is sunbreak thats what in working my way towards
I had a lot of fun with the tools it gives you such as the beforementioned Skill Swapping. I did not play World, so I can't say what is evolution and what isn't, but the endgame monster (the big big big boss, not the final monster in the string of post-game releases) was a fun little spectacle. They don't do Rampages at all, which while I found them charming I thought them unnecessary and others disliked them. They drop the Japanese aesthetic, which is a little unfortunate, but the hub is good and continuous. The new maps are cool, lots of exploration potential.
Sunbreak is extremely good, the ability to have two switch skill loadouts and switch between then in a second is game changing for some weapons. I don't play long sword so I can't comment on what it does for that weapon though.
The new monsters are super fun fight and it requires you to eventually get very good at knowing your op counter bullshit to win the final monsters they added a year after release. Maybe some people don't like that but I had a blast with dual blades.
Replaying on ps5 now trying to learn charge blade.