It was 2020: a year that can only be described as transformative in many ways due to the emergence of a global pandemic. With a majority of people around the world being forced to stay at home, video games have taken a more prominent role in providing entertainment during an uncertain time. It was also an era that gave rise to many notable titles and events that have captured the attention and imagination of gamers over time, from Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Genshin Impact to the introduction of the next generation of console gaming.
It was July of 2020, and after a long time of waiting, I finally got to play Ghost of Tsushima on day one. It was a game that reminded me of how advancements in video games can capture the beauty of the environment around us, and how fulfilling exploration can be during a wild time in modern human history. The freedom of being able to explore a vast and untamed 1200s Japan and fending off a Mongolian invasion without the hindrances of bloated UI made for an experience that left quite an impression not just to me, but to many people around the world craving for adventure. And who could ever forget the iconic opening of the game when you finally rode into the open world on horseback while basking in the landscape’s grandeur?
It is samurai cinematography at its interactive peak, for my money and for those who had the pleasure to experience Jin Sakai’s tale. It was a sandbox game that respected the player’s time, and that’s all you could ever ask for.
Sucker Punch knew they hit a home run with a brand new IP, and the positive reception globally only meant that the inevitable sequel was coming. Sure enough, after 5 years of waiting, the standalone follow-up finally arrived with Ghost of Yotei. With its predecessor laying the foundations to a brand new franchise, would the sequel live up to the lofty expectations of players who patiently waited for its return?
Story and Content (5/5)
As a standalone sequel, the story takes on a vastly different theme and setting, shifting its setting from the southern island of Tsushima to the northern countryside of Ezo (later known as Hokkaido), near Mount Yotei. Taking place more than 300 years after Jin Sakai’s story concluded, the sequel centers around Atsu, a young mercenary whose family was murdered 16 years ago by an outlaw group known as the Yotei Six for reasons not fully disclosed. After having her home destroyed and being left for dead, she managed to survive the ordeal and spent the next years as a wanderer who took on various mercenary work to get by. She would return all those years later to her homeland, its peace now disturbed by the influence and presence of the Yotei Six after years of turmoil. Eventually taking on the identity of the onryo (a vengeance-seeking ghost), she finally enacts her plans of revenge.
In terms of the story, I appreciated how they integrated the concept of the “ghost” established in Tsushima in a different direction for Yotei, weaving this into the guise of a revenge tale. As a matter of fact, as I started with the first hour of the game, the first thing it reminded me of was Kill Bill, which carried a very similar vibe. This idea even carried over into the motivations of our protagonist, Atsu, who brings with her higher personal stakes as compared to her predecessor. The focus on Atsu’s motivations, subsequent trauma, and its effects on the people around her provides a better context for her overall character as the story progresses, and makes it easier to root for her the more I learned about her past.
As an aside, I played the game with Japanese voices for the immersion, and voice actress Fairouz Ai absolutely nailed her role of Atsu to a tee, which shouldn’t be surprising given her endearing roles throughout the years.
Speaking of endearing, the cast of characters you meet during the journey left quite the impression, from Atsu’s personal wolf pack (allies you meet along the way) to even an actual wolf. A lot of side characters you meet have an interesting story to tell, highlighting the tragedies and struggles of people in a conflict-ridden time and evidencing the signs of the times. A setting is nothing without its cavalcade of personalities populating the scene, and they certainly did not disappoint.
Sucker Punch is no stranger to developing games that encourage exploration, having previously been involved in the Infamous franchise (aside from Ghost of Tsushima). But for Ghost of Yotei, they may have one-upped themselves this time around by implementing an open exploration system that encourages you to search all around Ezo at your own discretion while searching for clues on the Yotei Six, with no guides that point you in a certain direction. This allows a more free-flowing story structure that encourages you to choose the overall direction of the story. This is an approach that I appreciate, in the way that this puts the player in the driver’s seat and does not merely dictate where you should be going. In my opinion, a game can be at its narrative best when the player is provided the flexibility in how they want to engage the story, and Yotei epitomizes that concept in a good light.
As a game that follows the sandbox exploring archetype, doing various activities as distractions to the main objective is inevitable. Thankfully, it’s not as exhausting to do since, much like the previous game, there are no UI bloats on the screen, mostly relying on visual cues and the wind’s direction to lead you through different locations. The game absolutely leans towards giving more for less in terms of exploration design cues, and making the players explore on their own with as little instruction as possible makes for a clean experience overall.
There are so many activities you can do this time around, some of them having carried over from Tsushima, while others are exclusive to Yotei. Returning activities include bamboo cutting, following kitsune, visiting onsen, and doing side quests to improve your character. With Yotei, new searchables were added, such as new shamisen compositions and sumi-e paintings to collect various perks. Another new addition to the game is the bounty system, hunting various criminals in order to get more currency to help upgrade your weapons.
In a very near way to weave the story along even better, in certain parts of the story, you can even transition between Atsu in the past and in the present day to understand more of her history, as well as acquire collectibles in the process, an interesting story tool that I feel other games in the future can stand to benefit from. It was good to see this kind of contrast between the two time periods to help understand where Atsu is coming from.
There may be a lot of new things to do this time around, but just like the previous game, it does not feel tedious in any way, given how well these were designed, from the visuals to the gameplay experience. But what stood out to me the most as I was trekking through the vastness of Ezo for hours was something of a theme that reverberated throughout my experience: if you’ve gone through Ghost of Tsushima, then most of the game will feel familiar. I mean this in the most complimentary way, and as the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Ghost of Yotei has taken everything that worked well with Tsushima and enhanced the experience further. And as a standalone direct sequel, that’s how it should be, and thankfully, the sequel achieved that with flying colors.
Production (5/5)
While Ghost of Yotei is the sequel of a highly regarded predecessor, it does also serve as a debut Ghost title exclusively for the PS5. As such, the visual upgrade is as impressive as you’d expect, even touting more updates.
From lush greenery and rainy sceneries, to the vastness of the surrounding snow, you could say that it is visually one of the most impressive pieces of art design in this gaming generation. I’m more towards basic Performance mode than any other mode as per usual, but having other visual options and cinematic modes (first introduced in Tsushima) are welcome additions, especially for those who prefer to set themselves in a more cinematic light.
The game’s musical scores are as fantastic as the game that came before it, which should not be a surprise given what we’ve come to expect from the developer’s caliber. The wide range of tunes, from the most serene to the most tense-inducing, pairs well with moments of calm and the intensity of the action. Paired together, both the game’s visual and musical artistry meshed well enough to complete
I should mention that I did experience a very few cases of technical jankiness during gameplay, but that did not ruin the experience I had with the game in any way.
Mechanics (5/5)
And on the subject of mechanics, the combat mechanics that helped bring the franchise into the fans’ collective consciousness have returned, with some new bells and whistles that mix things up while maintaining their aforementioned familiarity.
In place of Jin Kasai’s various sword techniques, Atsu instead brings in a bevy of different weapons that become beneficial depending on the enemies she faces, from the ever-reliable katana and the hefty odachi for counteracting heavy enemies, to the spear-type yari that deals well against dual-wielders. As compared to the last game, I feel that this brings more distinct stylistic personalities and combat differentiation, giving Atsu a unique identity as a true blue mercenary.
Timing in your strikes and focusing on your defenses is still the name of the game, however, as successful parries can reward you with significant combat benefits such as additional damage and spirit, which is needed to restore health and use unique skills per weapon. And even if you do run out of spirit, you can still use your bow or the various consumables you encounter to put yourself from a disadvantageous situation to a place of victory. What’s interesting is that despite how great the game looks, what still hooks me into the game is the combat, which is very satisfying, especially if you can perfect encounters with ease.
However, if you prefer a silent approach and stealthily eliminate enemies, then that is still a viable option, and a sound one that can be applied in various scenarios. Being able to whittle down enemies quietly in an enemy encampment or even in some open-air locations is going to tickle the fancy of many sneaking enthusiasts for games like the recently released Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and even Tenchu.
Having the freedom to do whatever you want to take enemies down really doubles down on the idea that Ghost of Yotei is a game with the player in the driver’s seat, with no limitations on what you can do to be effective while living the samurai cinema fantasy.
Conclusion
For a sequel that carries the spirit of what made the first game successful, it never felt like it needed a dynamic change to sell this game to you. In the grand scheme of things, Ghost of Yotei was never a title that needed a different direction. All they need to do is remind everyone why Ghost of Tsushima captivated everyone’s attention in the first place, and why Yotei will build upon that foundation and validate every fan’s collective anticipation.
During the time I spent playing the game, it transported me back to July 2020, when Ghost of Tsushima allowed me to live out my samurai fantasy through a captivating story and varied combat. It made me look at Ghost of Yotei as a sequel and convinced me that if this is only the second of more games under the franchise, then the future of Sucker Punch is in good hands. With that, this game easily earns a perfect score from us.
Ghost of Yotei gets a score of 5 out of 5
The game will be available on PlayStation 5 on October 2