Ghost of Yotei Devs Reflect On Revenge, Healing, And The Emotional Core of Their Story

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Ghost of Yotei immediately captivates players with its story. While starting as a tale of revenge set in historical Japan, it quickly becomes a more meaningful journey of recovery and self-discovery for the main character, Atsu.

Stories about revenge and dealing with loss continue to drive many video games, a trend PlayStation players have seen in titles like The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War Ragnarok. It’s interesting to consider why developers keep returning to these dark themes – and how each one brings their own unique perspective to the ideas of violence and suffering.

In an interview with TopMob, Ian Ryan, lead writer, and Jason Connell, creative director of Ghost of Yotei, discussed how Atsu’s initial motivation for his quest—revenge—transformed into a more meaningful purpose as the game progressed.

“It’s about healing–revenge just sets it off”

Connell explained that while not all Sony games explore themes of revenge, some do. He couldn’t say why other teams might choose or avoid it, but he shared the reasons behind their decision to focus on revenge in their game. One reason was a specific inspiration: they extensively studied samurai films centered around revenge. He suspects this level of research is unique among Sony games. Another reason was their desire to create a very open and free-roaming game, and he believes that motivation might be more common across different projects.

We’ve noticed some players spend 40 or 50 hours before encountering all of the Yotei Six, and that’s intentional. We designed the game this way, focusing on a straightforward opening that draws players into Atsu’s story. Some will immediately dive in and discover a much deeper narrative, centered around themes of healing – revenge is just the initial spark. For those who don’t rush, the core story remains accessible and isn’t overly complicated to grasp at the beginning.

I think this format could be really appealing to writers and game developers. Storytelling is difficult on its own, and adding the complexities of a large video game – things like character progression and open-world design – makes it even harder. That’s why the straightforward nature of this approach is so nice, and I believe it will draw a lot of creative people in.

“We wanted to kind of plant that fire in the player”

Ryan explained that focusing on revenge helps players quickly become invested in the game. He noted that with a complex story, it’s important for players to maintain a clear understanding of the main character Atsu’s central motivation – her desire for revenge – even while exploring various side quests and storylines. This helps them stay emotionally connected to her journey and remember the core objective.

We aimed for a shorter introduction to let players quickly jump into the game’s open world and become invested in the main objective. This central goal taps into a very basic and universal human desire, making it something players can easily connect with.

We wanted players to connect with Atsu on a personal level, because everyone understands loss in some way. Even if they didn’t immediately pursue the revenge storyline – or even for many hours – we hoped they’d carry that emotional connection with them as they explored the world. Ultimately, we believe that choosing to focus on other activities is a healthy way to cope and avoid getting consumed by vengeance.

Connell and Ryan discussed the game in detail. If you’d like to learn more about how the memorable villains – particularly the Yotei Six led by Lord Saito – influenced its creation, check out the video above for a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Ghost of Yotei.

In a review for TopMob, Richard Wakeling described Ghost of Yotei as a compelling revenge story set in feudal Japan, highlighting the game’s blend of stunning beauty and brutal violence, and noting that the player experiences this through the eyes of the new main character, Atsu.

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2025-10-17 21:09