REVIEW: ‘Ghost of Yōtei’ Is A Sensational Sequel

Ghost of Tsushima was an absolute hit when it released in 2020. Instead of creating a direct sequel following Jin Sakai’s story, Sucker Punch Productions decided to fast-forward a few hundred years to tell a new tale. Ghost of Yōtei follows the story of Atsu (Erika Ishii), a mercenary out for revenge after the death of her family.

Ghost of Yōtei starts by showing the brutal attack on Atsu’s family, where her father is targeted for his refusal to support Lord Saito (Feodor Chin). Saito is the leader of a group known as the Yōtei Six, a collection of rogue samurai hell-bent on taking control of Ezo and keeping it out of the hands of the Shogun. 16 years after the attack that left her parents dead, Atsu is back in Ezo and hungry for revenge.

Atsu’s story in Ghost of Yōtai begins simply but evolves into much more.

Atsu’s story begins as a simple revenge tale, but it evolves into so much more. One of the ways Ghost of Yōtei achieves this is by allowing players to relive memories at Atsu’s childhood home, as well as at various locations on the map that coincide with significant moments from her past.

One example is a set of memories of Atsu helping her mom plant a garden. The flashback moments allow players to experience their relationship, and then the present-day conversations Atsu has with others make her feel more at home in the world, rather than the monstrous, revenge-seeking machine she appears to be.

So much of Atsu’s tale is about humanizing her. Yes, she wants to avenge her parents, but the people she meets along the way help her discover more about herself. Side quests bring Atsu to life and reveal an empathetic side, even if her underlying quest remains the same. This is most evident during her time in an Ainu kotan, where she learns more about their culture and herself.

The attention to detail in depicting the Ainu people is quite impressive.

The Ainu people are an important part of the history of Ezo (now known as Hokkaido). They are an indigenous people native to the lands of northern Japan and southeastern Russia. Sucker Punch made it a point to include them in the story, and the attention to detail is quite impressive. Everything, from the clothes to the background music, was painstakingly recreated to provide the most authentic representation possible.

What Ghost of Yōtei does not do with the Ainu people is show the organized effort to eradicate their culture. When the Ainu do encounter settlers, they are shown as a peaceful, spiritual people who have no problem helping the settlers. They also play a limited role in the story, with Atsu’s visit to their lands seen more as a pit stop than a significant moment in her journey.

Most Ainu characters are not even named, and the visual models are not nearly as varied as they are for the non-Ainu characters. The effort to showcase Ainu culture is appreciated, but Sucker Punch could have done so much more to highlight their history in the region and make them a more integral part of Atsu’s story.

The Yōtei Six are a fascinating group of villains, each with their own specialty and region to explore. Their acolytes have unique looks and styles, making it fun to take them down and keeping the adventure from getting stale.

The voice acting is also incredible, with Tommy Kang’s portrayal of Oni standing out among the bunch. They are more than just evil caricatures, with different motivations and backstories that make them interesting to learn more about before Atsu gets her revenge.

By choosing to focus on a new story, Ghost of Yōtei is able to tell its own tale instead of being constrained by past choices. Atsu is a distinctly different character from Jin, and her path to becoming the Ghost is also distinct. Where Ghost of Tsushima focused on Jin becoming the Ghost, Ghost of Yōtei focuses on Atsu after she has already become a dangerous threat. This allows the story to focus more on her finding her humanity on the path she is already on without needing to provide players with an origin story.

Ghost of Yōtei uses different weapon types to drive a dynamic combat experience.

Gameplay in Ghost of Yōtei builds upon and enhances the systems introduced in Ghost of Tsushima. Instead of different fighting stances, Ghost of Yōtei has different weapon types that are used to counter what your enemies are using.

These type advantages are hammered home through awkward dialogue once players learn a new weapon, with the NPC introducing them and making it very clear how to use them in combat. It could have been done more organically, but it is at least helpful to have it explained clearly for players so they know how to approach combat.

Parrying and dodging are also important, and different skills and armor types have specific skill boosts that dramatically change how players fight. For example, the Bounty Master set makes perfect parries more impactful, and it can be quite overpowered once you get the parrying timing down. This could be balanced a bit better, but there are still plenty of viable options aside from the more overpowered build the Bounty Master set provides.

Every area is visually distinct across Ghost of Yōtei.

Exploration is a key part of Ghost of Yōtei, and it is so easy to get lost in the enormity of the world. Every corner boasts new discoveries that reward players for taking the time to explore. Ghost of Yōtei deeply entices you to stop and look at every little thing across the world. The world is dense, and that density rewards players with items, story moments, and beautiful scenery.

Speaking of scenery, Ghost of Yōtei is absolutely breathtaking. It begins with the title drop and continues through to the very last discovery. Every new area is visually distinct, and part of the benefit of exploring is seeing the incredible detail throughout the map. Following a hidden path could lead to a sprawling view of rolling hills, dense forests, or snowcapped mountains. It is a truly beautiful game, and Sucker Punch held nothing back when bringing Ezo to life.

Ghost of Yōtei is an incredible sequel that builds upon its predecessor while still finding ways to stand out on its own. The attention to detail is impeccable, and the adventure is so full of life that it remains engaging from start to finish.

Ghost of Yōtei is available now on PlayStation 5.