After the immense success of Ghost of Tsushima (2020), Sucker Punch Productions has finally released the sequel, and based off what I’ve played so far, it’s an absolute slam dunk.
As a quick disclaimer, I have not beaten Ghost of Yōtei at the time of writing. It is a massive game, so this review is based off of roughly 20 hours of playtime. And not to worry – free of any major spoilers.
While this game is a sequel, it is not a direct one.
Its predecessor was set on the island of Tsushima, Japan in 1274 during the first Mongol Invasion, while Ghost of Yōtei takes place in Ezo, Japan (known as Hokkaidō) in the year 1603.
You play as Atsu, who seeks revenge against the infamous Yōtei Six for killing her family 16 years prior, setting her on a journey across Ezo.
Atsu is a solid lead character, and feels way different than Jin Sakai from the first game. The side characters are likeable, particularly Taro, the child scavenger who upgrades some of your consumables.
Ghost of Yōtei‘s storyline is not quite as strong as Tsushima, but still respectable, with strong, emotional character work.
This story of revenge is well done, just not the most original, especially compared to other PlayStation titles, and the first game, which set the story bar incredibly high as (arguably) one of the best stories in gaming.
While the storyline may not fully live up to its predecessor, everything else is either on par, or surpasses it. The world of Ghost of Yōtei is absolutely stunning. Ezo is a gorgeous, diverse, incredibly dense world that is easy to get lost in. Each distinct region offers gorgeous vistas to take in.
The locations each offer mechanical bonuses as well, with many returning from the first game, such as the fox dens for acquiring new charms, plus bamboo strikes and hot springs for upgrading spirit and health respectively.
Exploring is similar to the original, but with some added twists. The wind still guides your path, allowing you to explore and find locales without ever opening your map. However, there are new ways to use this wind, such as using your shamisen, a three stringed musical instrument.
Learning songs allows you to find locations by playing music. Traveller’s maps, gained by talking with NPCs, also help you find locations by identifying geography on your map.
On your travels, you will find yourself interacting with the new camping system. You must camp to restore your spirit outside of combat, so you’ll be doing it often.
Here, you can cook foods to provide different buffs, practice your shamisen, and craft consumables. You can even call other characters you’ve met to your camp, allowing you to upgrade and buy gear without having to stop your current journey by fast traveling to them.
The combat of Ghost of Yōtei is just as good as the first game, while taking it in a very different direction. The combat is significantly harder than the first game, with Atsu being fast but fragile, often dying in just two or three hits on medium difficulty. The parry timing also seems more strict, so you have to be ready for anything at all times.
The main thing differentiating combat from Ghost of Tsushima, though, is how Atsu fights. As opposed to Jin switching his stance for different enemy types, Atsu switches weapons.
Throughout the course of the game, you’ll unlock many different weapon types, such as dual katanas, the yari (a spear), metsubushi (blinding gas), and both the hankyu and yumi (two different types of bow and arrow), and more that I haven’t found yet. This gives Atsu the ability to fight completely different depending on context, creating constantly changing moment-to-moment gameplay.
The best addition to combat, however, is perhaps the most unexpected. Upon defeating an enemy, they will sometimes drop their weapon, and Atsu throw them for big damage. I’ve found myself not using my weapons on occasion, finding it far more fun to turn into prime Tom Brady and throw weapons around with deadly precision.
Overall, Ghost of Yōtei is an absolute delight of an open world game.
Exploring the land of Ezo is an almost magical experience, with stunning art direction and graphics bringing this land to life. Exciting, diverse, and difficult combat breaks up the exploration in the best way possible, as Atsu works her way through a well-written, albeit relatively standard, story of revenge.
It comes together to make one of the best games of the year, and a worthy sequel to a modern classic.
Rating: 9/10
*Reviewed on PS5*
