Ghost Of Yotei Review – Lone Wolf

by

Ghost of Tsushima, set in feudal Japan during the Kamakura period, follows Jin Sakai, a samurai who must defend his home island from a Mongol invasion led by Khotun Khan. When traditional samurai methods fail, Jin abandons his honor and embraces stealth and deception, becoming known as the ‘Ghost.’ This new path, while effective, forces him to make difficult choices, jeopardizing his relationships, his beliefs, and everything he once valued in order to overcome a formidable enemy.

In Ghost of Yotei, the main character, Atsu, doesn’t face typical samurai dilemmas. She’s a traveling mercenary, not a samurai, and comes from a poor family that was brutally murdered by a group called the Yotei Six. Having lost everything, Atsu’s gender and social standing mean she doesn’t really fit into Japanese society in the early 1600s.

Driven by loneliness and a desire for revenge, she forges her own destiny, embracing the role of an onryo – a vengeful spirit from Japanese stories capable of harming the living. Similar to Jin, Atsu becomes a powerful symbol, terrifying her enemies as her reputation spreads. However, it’s the ways Atsu and Jin differ that are most significant.

While the core gameplay stays true to the original, switching from a samurai to a wandering mercenary brings exciting new elements to this enhanced version of Ghost of Tsushima. Simply exploring the beautifully recreated Feudal Japan is a pleasure, but the side activities now feel more connected and impactful, weaving a story around Atsu, her village, and her loved ones. The already impressive combat is even better, offering a wider range of weapons and tools for intense, visually stunning battles.

Ghost of Yotei is a revenge story in the tradition of classic samurai films. It clearly draws inspiration from renowned directors like Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, and Kenji Misumi, particularly in its visuals, fighting style, and narrative. However, it most closely resembles Toshiya Fujita’s *Lady Snowblood*. The story follows Atsu, who, after witnessing her family’s brutal murder, spends sixteen years training as a warrior amidst the chaos of a civil war. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, she returns to her homeland, the island of Ezo (now Hokkaido), determined to get revenge on the six men responsible for her family’s fate, no matter the cost.

When the game starts, Atsu is solely focused on eliminating the Yotei Six, not concerned with her own survival. However, over the past sixteen years, as she trained to become a powerful warrior, the Yotei Six also became much stronger. Now, they command a large army, and their leader, Saito, has declared himself the Shogun of the north.

Atsu is a capable loner, but she quickly realizes she can’t defeat the powerful Yotei Six without help. Though feared by many, she’s a character deeply changed by the pain of revenge and the connections she makes along the way. Her journey is captivating and offers a fresh perspective compared to the story in Ghost of Tsushima. While the core story of revenge isn’t new, it’s exceptionally well-executed, featuring compelling characters, fantastic voice acting (even for those who don’t understand Japanese), and plenty of breathtaking scenes and surprises.

A strong part of the story is Atsu’s connection to her family. They shape almost everything she does. Exploring her childhood home and places around Ezo lets you experience the past, like seeing her train with her brother or help her father at the forge. These glimpses of her earlier life make you understand her even more, especially considering the difficult path she eventually takes. You truly feel the impact of what she’s lost, and that feeling stays with you as you discover more of Ezo.

I really loved seeing familiar places like bamboo groves, fox dens, hot springs, and shrines return, even if there weren’t quite as many as before. But what *really* stood out to me were the new things you could do that helped me understand Atsu and her family even better. It definitely highlighted how different she is from Jin. He was all about scholarship and haiku, but Atsu’s passions come straight from her childhood. Her dad taught her Sumi-e – that’s black ink painting – and you actually get to *do* it in the game! Using the DualSense touchpad to paint the animals and landscapes you find is such a cool way to connect with her love for the art.

Atsu carries a shamisen, a traditional three-stringed instrument played with a large pick called a bachi. It’s been a family heirloom, passed down from her grandmother to her mother, and then to Atsu, along with the belief that music can connect us to those who are gone. But playing the shamisen and learning new songs isn’t just about honoring her family-it also keeps her connected to her home country and its culture.

Ghost of Yotei takes place over 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, at the start of Japan’s Edo period. Following his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu ruthlessly eliminated his enemies and absorbed those who surrendered into his government. This led to roughly 150,000 samurai losing their lords and becoming ronin, many of whom sought refuge in Ezo, hoping to escape the strict rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Ezo, already a lawless land due to the actions of the Yotei Six, feels like a frontier territory. As Atsu, a skilled sellsword, gains notoriety, more and more ronin attempt to collect the bounty on her head. However, Atsu can also accept her own bounty contracts, tracking down the most dangerous fighters on the island.

The game features a variety of unique targets – one is a surprisingly heartfelt story about a murderous musician, and another involves a killer who drowns people like a mythical kappa. Sometimes you’ll have to investigate to find them, while others will come directly to you, such as a serial killer who attacks travelers at night. Most encounters end in a thrilling duel, but some have unexpected results. Like other side quests in Ghost of Yotei, these bounty missions are short but fun. It’s a bit disappointing that a few feel standard, like simply defeating an enemy in an enemy camp. This stands out a little more because the game usually avoids such repetitive tasks.

Taking on bounties is just one part of exploring the world in Ghost of Yotei. The game also features the Guiding Wind system, returning from the first game, which uses natural cues like wind, leaves, and grass to point you towards your goals. This remains an excellent way to navigate an open world, keeping you immersed in the environment instead of constantly checking a map. You’ll also naturally discover interesting things along the way, like campfires or buildings in the distance. Atsu has a spyglass similar to the one in Breath of the Wild, which automatically marks locations on the map once you find them, encouraging you to really observe your surroundings and remember important landmarks.

Similar to Jin, Atsu becomes a legendary figure, inspiring fear in those who oppose her. However, it’s the ways Atsu *differs* from Jin that are truly remarkable.

The locals in Ezo are happy to help you learn about the world. When you reach a new village, someone might tell you about a nearby hot spring. While resting at your camp – where you can eat and make supplies – you might overhear travelers mention useful locations, or even learn something new from enemies you question. The game encourages exploration in a natural way. Instead of relying on a map cluttered with markers, you uncover things yourself, though the game subtly points you in the right direction. It feels like you’re experiencing the world directly, rather than looking at menus, which makes the sense of discovery constantly rewarding.

It’s surprisingly easy to get lost in exploration, even when you know what you’re supposed to be doing. Wandering off and interacting with the world is just as rewarding as following the main story, because the game’s setting feels so vibrant and realistic. From lively villages with people fishing, chatting, and playing music, to the beautiful and varied landscapes and wildlife of northern Japan (Hokkaido), the world is incredibly immersive. The developers clearly captured Hokkaido’s natural beauty, building on the unique style they established in Ghost of Tsushima. The game is often grand and almost dreamlike, but it’s always visually stunning, filled with bright colors and lots of little details that bring every scene to life.

Vast plains spread out endlessly, and the moon’s reflection shimmers on the lakes and streams of the wetlands. Along the coast, the sea crashes powerfully against sharp, rocky cliffs. The landscape is full of color: vibrant red and brown trees cover rolling hills, cherry blossoms paint the southern part of the island pink, and the north is covered in ice and snow. Battles often take place with stunning scenery as a backdrop – majestic mountains, rushing waterfalls, and ancient trees with winding branches. Colorful butterflies, dragonflies, and flower petals dance in the wind alongside clashing steel, while each step stirs up leaves and splashes of water. The sight of blood on the pure white snow inevitably brings to mind the legend of Lady Snowblood. Ultimately, Ezo is a land defined by its dramatic and beautiful contrasts.

Visually, Ezo is as strong as many of Sony’s exclusive games. The game world is broken up into distinct areas that branch out from a central starting point. When you ride a horse, black bars appear on the top and bottom of the screen – this makes the picture smaller, but it beautifully highlights the game’s art style. On a standard PS5, the game maintains a smooth 60 frames per second in performance mode, with only cutscenes dropping to 30fps. There are no significant frame rate drops during gameplay.

Your quest to find the Yotei Six will take you across the entire island, and as you track them down, you’ll learn more about each dangerous member and how to defeat them. Take the Oni, for example – he’s a massive, powerful leader who commands an army from his castle overlooking the Ishhikari Plain. The devastation he leaves behind – burned villages and grieving families – shows just how cruel he is. The Kitsune operates differently, working in secret as the head of a ninja clan. You’ll need to solve puzzles to find their hidden bases. While their attacks aren’t as openly destructive as the Oni’s, the people of Teshio Ridge live in fear as millers and blacksmiths mysteriously vanish overnight.

Ghost of Yotei offers a lot of variety in its missions. You might go undercover as a bounty hunter to sneak into a fort, or chase a target through the mountains while dodging bullets – and that’s just the main storyline. Side quests are surprisingly diverse, featuring encounters with scary mythical creatures, a seemingly invincible bear, and even learning about the culture of the Ainu people through platforming challenges. While most challenges are solved with stealth or combat, the game feels much more flavorful and engaging than before, moving away from the repetitive mission structure of Ghost of Tsushima.

The combat system is uniquely shaped by Atsu’s ruthless fighting style. She’ll do whatever it takes to win, from grabbing an enemy’s weapon and using it against them, to blinding opponents with dirt, or even setting her own weapon ablaze to overcome strong defenses. Unlike Jin, who focuses on four katana stances, Atsu masters five different weapon types. Players start with a katana and, through training with various masters, unlock an odachi, a kusarigama, dual katanas, and a yari spear.

Combat involves a bit of a ‘rock, paper, scissors’ approach – certain weapons work better against different enemies and their gear. For example, the kusarigama can quickly break through shields, while dual katanas are great against opponents with spears. As your instructor says, you *can* win with any weapon, but some are much more effective than others. While a single katana can still defeat a spear user, it’ll be harder to break their defenses and you won’t do as much damage. Using the wrong weapon feels clunky, so switching between them often, based on who you’re fighting, is key to fighting with speed and accuracy. Add in new ranged options like the Tanegashima rifle and a flintlock pistol – useful for stopping enemy attacks – and you’ll have a lot to think about during a fight.

Any weapon you choose can quickly defeat enemies, and Atsu is equally capable. To survive and create opportunities to attack, you’ll need to become skilled at blocking, parrying, and dodging, whether you’re facing one opponent or many. This leads to a dynamic back-and-forth between offense and defense. Atsu is delicate, which adds to the challenge, but she’s also very powerful. This combination is incredibly rewarding, especially with the smooth animations and impactful sound effects of clashing swords and successful attacks.

The combat isn’t perfect. Similar to the original game, enemies sometimes move out of sight, which can be frustrating. You’ll occasionally have to stop attacking and use the right stick to reposition the camera. While this isn’t great when you need to quickly block or dodge, it doesn’t happen often enough to ruin the experience.

You can often skip fights altogether. Ghost of Yotei’s stealth focuses on swift, aggressive takedowns rather than remaining hidden. Stringing together assassinations is consistently fun, and using the kusarigama to pull enemies into the shadows is especially satisfying. While the stealth approach is generally straightforward, it’s still incredibly rewarding to silently clear out an enemy camp.

Ghost of Yotei is a strong sequel that expands on what came before, offering a captivating story, satisfying exploration, and excellent combat. Everything in the game – from the gameplay to the narrative – highlights the unique personality of the new main character, Atsu. While players familiar with the original game will recognize many elements, the changes are all designed to emphasize Atsu’s individuality, making for a fresh and distinctive experience. The game focuses on the person *within* the mask, rather than the mask itself.

Read More

2025-09-25 16:16