You should have two buttons on the back of your controller, the trigger (1) , and the grip (2)
the grip (2) is used to GRAB the rope tightly and be able to climb the rope with both hands, even jump from the rope grab, but in order to SLIDE down the rope, you need to press the trigger (1) AS WELL AS the grip (2).
Despite the instinct to press both to grab on tightly, you have to only press the grip to do so.
This grip mechanic also applies to weapons with long hilts like axes, longsword handles, and spear weapons.

FOR ARROWS, pressing both trigger and grip will grab the entire quiver, don't do that unless you want to give up on your archery dreams.

When you finish the tutorial area and eventually find your new home base, you will see a room with a silly little obelisk and some shrine with vague symbols, this can house the gems you have (3 max for combinations later on, but they all work even when not slotted in).
If you picked a starting gem at the character creation then you should have a head start with it in your inventory, placing it in one of the three slots will hover your choice of unlocks, (unlock the 0 costs tier upgrades asap)
Keep in mind, the GRIP lets you preview the skills, and holding the TRIGGER spends crystals to buy them, making them active no matter where the gem is.

When it comes to the choice of getting another gem however:
Spoilers:
After killing the one and only boss this mode has, and getting his core to place on the altar, do NOT hold any orb like you would a weapon, pressing both GRIP and TRIGGER on a skill orb immediately chooses it to be made into a gem. grabbing it with GRIP lets you preview it before you make a choice, as well as showing you its level in case you forgot what max lvl gem you have for each type.

Remember to upgrade similar element lvl 1 gems by holding one in each hand and pressing trigger to initiate the merge to lvl 2
lvl 3 does not need 2x lvl2, only a lvl 2 gem, and a lvl 1 gem of the same type.

After getting all the gems types at max level, getting more will reward you with blank crystals to spend on upgrades, making the deed a little bit faster than farming outposts alone.

If you choose to pick fireball as your go-to offensive spell, I would suggest using it as a sniping tool for archers and mages in case you hate archery.

when throwing a fireball, you can twist your hand to guide the ball ever so slightly but enough to reach its destination.

Furthermore, when you upgrade one of the passives for fire, enabling fireball to ricochet off surfaces once, it will try to ricochet TOWARDS an enemy nearby, but not make impossible turns.
so if you aim a fireball in front of an enemy, you would have it ricochet to the enemy center mass, same thing if you hit a wall before the target.

If anyone can survive a slit throat, they must be a golem.
grabbing anyone's head from the behind will leave them surprised for a moment, enough to stab them in the face, neck, or if you are feeling a little hitman, slice their necks.

Later on you might unlock a gravity upgrade that will let you levitate enemies, then force-choke them, but you can press grip to to bring them TO YOUR HAND while chocking them with gravity, making it a normal grab in the end, enough for a lovely elegant FACE STAB.

All else fails, use mind stone powers to slow time and charge their heads with a dagger.
Fire element enhance the dagger to pierce plate helmets.
Your only downside is npcs looking in your direction....so just jump at them.

At some point, you WILL fail a stealth run, and you WILL hear a warhorn, and you WILL be locked in an open area with dynamic gates....guess what, they open when you kill everything inside the zone.

When all of that comes down on you, the only thing you CAN do is.....alot actually.

• Run away, funnel enemies to 1v1 them all.
  
• Jump up.....and maybe slam.
  
• Use MASSIVE SPELLS TO KILL THE ENTIRE ZONE*. *optional
  
• Use whatever powers you have to your advantage one enemy at a time.
  
• Big weapons, Swing wide, and fast (using gravity enchant on weapon), Pray it works out.
  
• Restart the map, sadly.

The game is indeed fun, but you will never need to play more than 2 hours per session, take a break, drink some water, don't ignore your sore feet. and maybe fix that thing you slammed 1 hour ago.