Sony’s latest State of Play is over and done almost as quickly as it was announced. Opinions may vary on its overall quality, but they’re pretty much unanimous on the stand-out announcement – Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to Sucker Punch’s critically and commercially acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. Launching in 2025, “sequel” is a bit of a misnomer, as it takes place over 300 years after Jin Sakai’s story ended.
As some speculated before its announcement, the legend of the Ghost will carry on in a new protagonist and region. This time, players will control Atsu, a wanderer who dual-wields katana, utilizes flintlock rifles, has a Shamisen to play tunes on, and seemingly hunts with a wolf companion. Very little is known about her identity or why she’s donned the Ghost moniker (never mind how the legend affected someone centuries later), but Sucker Punch has confirmed that this is an origin story.
“We wanted to explore what it could mean to have a new hero wearing a Ghost mask and uncovering a new legend,” it said in a PlayStation Blog post. There’s a new story and region in Japan to explore, namely Ezo (which is modern-day Hokkaido). Mount Yōtei is the imposing mountain in the center, but more than anything, it’s implied that the region, with its lush grasslands and snow-covered fields, is lawless, residing “outside the rule of Japan.”
“It’s a far cry from the organized samurai clans who lived in Tsushima,” teases the developer, but that’s not all. The trailer teases that “the north” is where people go to disappear (including Ronin), but Atsu is hunting as if seeking someone.
She seems to have garnered some notoriety, as seen with the wanted poster featuring a likeness of her silhouette with the bamboo hat and dual blades. Potential for wayward Ronin to ambush the player when they least suspect it? Or perhaps for a bounty system wherein Atsu can hunt down targets in a non-linear fashion as part of the story?
Whatever the case and despite the inherent danger of Atsu’s quest, the environments look stunning. Whether riding through a field of horses, watching the grass and petals scatter at higher speeds, witnessing the ambient fog, or even the scene with dozens of birds scattering away, Ghost of Yōtei looks incredibly rich in visuals.
On top of new skyboxes with stars and auroras, Sucker Punch promises “massive sightlines that let you look far across the environment”, “more believable movement from the wind on grass and vegetation”, and much more. The fact that it’s touted as being built from the ground up for PS5, further enhancing the foundation of Ghost of Tsushima, sounds promising.
Even Atsu’s relationship with the wolf is intriguing – though seemingly hunting the same targets, the two seem to have an uneasy truce, as evidenced by its snarling upon seeing her. Of course, it may have initially identified her as a threat before picking up the scent of its target.
How this partnership will develop remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be the first time that the franchise has dabbled in other animals participating in battle, as seen in Ghost of Tsushima Legends. The fact that Sucker Punch is teasing more details about Atsu and the “people (and animals she’ll meet” throughout her journey could hint at other allies that help her out. The Guiding Wind is probably the least subtle aspect of the trailer, as it once again guides the player to their next objective.
There will be improvements to the overall gameplay, including new mechanics and weapons. We spotted the kusarigama at one point and an enemy capable of igniting their sword, not unlike Jin discovered in the first game. Based on her dual-wielding, we can assume at least one new combat Style. Will the new weapons work with all Styles, or are they restricted to specific kinds? Is the system even the same as Ghost of Tsushima’s? Time will tell.
However, what makes the game stand out is its setting. 1603 is when the Tokugawa Shogunate was established in Japan, thus beginning the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu would be the first of the shogunate to rule over Japan with 300 daimyo or lords subordinate to him spread across the regions.
Not only did it mark a new and extensive bureaucratic structure, but also an isolationist policy for Japan. Samurai occupied significant positions of power, either as retainers for the shogun or the daimyo, though they had to give up their lands. The majority of the population suffered from extensive taxation and illiteracy.
Despite how this led to rebellions, the Siege of Osaka, and an eventual collapse in the Bakumatsu era, Japan was relatively peaceful. Haiku and kabuki theater thrived, and the economy was more in tune with nature and society, relying on self-sufficiency and recycling rather than trading.
However, Ezo is different due in part to the presence of the Ainu, an indigenous ethnic group present in the region. Not only did they refer to Yōtei as Makkarinupuri or “female mountain”, but they were also reverent towards wolves. Such was their status that they were considered on par with domesticated dogs.
Based on the choice of Atsu as a protagonist and her partnership with a wolf, it seems more than likely that her story intertwines with the Ainu in some fashion. Once again, how this ties into who she’s hunting and why or her reasons for assuming the moniker of the Ghost (which has less-than-positive connotations, given the events of the first game) is unknown. Maybe it could be revenge. Perhaps it’s to help uplift her people and serve as a symbol of hope, not unlike Jin in the first game.
Either way, it’s interesting to note that Yōtei is an inactive volcano while Hokkaido experiences earthquakes from time to time. Meanwhile, Atsu translates to “hot” in English. It seems to imply a further connection between her and the mountain, though it could be that her name is simply inspired by the same. On a gameplay front, the potential for a battle or two near or within the volcano sounds too enticing. No, it’s not historically accurate, but neither is Jin Sakai.
Overall, there is lots of interesting information about Ghost of Yōtei, even with what little gameplay and cinematics we’ve seen. Atsu’s story is intriguing, given Japan’s overall social climate and structure at the time, especially since it takes place right at the start of the Edo period. Seeing the Ghost intertwined with all this elevates its status from folklore to a larger symbol in Japan, one that fights against oppression. While we only know about Ronin viewing Atsu as a worthwhile bounty, the soldiers and/or warriors seen at points indicate other potential threats.
Sucker Punch promises that there’s “much more to show” and that further details will be revealed in the coming months. Based on Sony announcing no “major franchise titles” before April 2025, it could launch in July, like its predecessor, if not in August. Nevertheless, the company needed something big to hype heading into the new year, and based on what little we’ve seen thus far, Ghost of Yōtei could very well be an even bigger hit than Tsushima.