“Instead of asking how big it is, we started thinking about how big it should feel,” she said. “We’re not making a one-to-one copy, we are building a fictional version of Ezo. So we studied the island shape, mountains, coastline, ocean, and the horizon. We use a lot of them as the backdrop to help sell the scale.”

Sucker Punch Productions made use of clever tricks, like narrow paths connecting the large open fields that make up its six regions. Through this “contrast between openness and confinement,” the studio was able to make players’ exploration feel more impactful. “In the end, the actual playable space wasn’t larger than Ghost of Tsushima, but it feels larger.”

Interestingly, co-directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell had spoken about how initial prototypes for Ghost of Yōtei even included rock-climbing mechanics in the vein of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. During a panel, they revealed that the team often works on prototyping small ideas before making final decisions on whether or not they make sense for the full game. Rock climbing, unfortunately, didn’t fit the “wandering ronin” fantasy that Sucker Punch Productions was aiming for.

“If something is not going well, we can be like ‘does that make you feel like a wandering ronin?’ And if the answer is no and it’s a sucky feature, then why are you working on it? Just move on,” said Connell.

Fox, on the other hand, noted that Ghost of Yōtei would have featured too many unclimbable surfaces, which would run counter to the rock climbing system and the feeling of freedom the studio wanted to promote. “We got right in there and started prototyping,” he said, before noting that “if we gave you a tool that said you can climb anywhere, and you started using it and you found bupkiss, it pretty much trains you to stop climbing, because exploration wasn’t worth it.”

Back in November, Connell had also spoken about wanting to expand the environmental storytelling of Ghost of Yōtei through a system that would allow players to get flashbacks for Atsu’s story anywhere in the world. However, the idea was ultimately scrapped since it would involve the studio having to essentially double the amount of art it needed to make.

Ghost of Yōtei was released exclusively on PS5 back in October 2025. The title has seen positive reception from critics as well as players. For more details, check out our review. Also take a look at its co-op multiplayer Legends mode, which was released as a free update earlier this week. Sucker Punch Productions has also confirmed that it will be getting a raid as part of another free update in April.

“In the studio business, Ghost of Yōtei, a tentpole title we released in October, exceeded the sales of the previous title in the same period of time and significantly contributed to the financial results of the quarter,” said Tao (via IGN). “Our established live service titles like Helldivers 2 and MLB The Show also contributed stable recurring revenue.”

By “the same period of time”, Tao is likely referring to the quarters during which both of Sucker Punch Productions’ open-world titles launched.

Interestingly, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella had referred to launch-week sales of Ghost of Yōtei as being “basically flat to that of Ghost of Tsushima“. He went on to note that this is a good thing, since Ghost of Tsushima‘s target platform – PS4 – had a much larger player base than the PS5 does. “Like, anyone with ‘concern’ about this title should be looked at with a side eye,” he said.

While Sony hasn’t provided more recent sales figures for the game, it had confirmed back in November that Ghost of Yōtei had sold 3.3 million copies in a single month.

Since its October 2, 2025 release, Ghost of Yōtei has been getting continuous support through post-launch updates. In late November, for instance, it got a major patch that brought in quality-of-life features like Auto-Loot, and support for a Balanced Graphics mode and variable refresh rate displays. The update also brought in more replayability thanks to the addition of New Game+ mode.

Ghost of Yōtei is also in line to get a major update this year that will feature the return of the much-loved co-op Legends mode. While details about the new challenges in Ghost of Yōtei Legends haven’t yet been detailed, Sucker Punch Productions has confirmed that among the new enemies will be “demonic, giant versions of members of the Yōtei Six.”

Much like its Ghost of Tsushima equivalent, Legends in Ghost of Yōtei will support two-player story missions and four-player survival mode matches. Each player can choose from between four distinct classes.

Ghost of Yōtei creative director Jason Connell had spoken about the grander ambitions Sucker Punch had for the game’s flashback scenes. In a discussion with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan, Connell noted that the studio initially wanted more complex flashback mechanics, where players could press a button to explore protagonist Atsu’s memories.

“[Atsu is] on this lone wolf quest and then you press a button and suddenly she’s kind of feeling the warmth of her past, like what she’s fighting for,” said Connell. “To me, that is like, what a great narrative tool, if with a single button [it can] make you feel something that’s on their own volition.”

Ultimately, the plan was scrapped since it would have resulted in the developers needing to make twice as much art as would have otherwise been required. “You are doubling your art – [it’s] twice as long a game, everywhere you go,” he explained. “And so while it’s this amazing feature, it saddened me the day that I had to kill that, to say ‘OK, it can’t be that.’”

Ghost of Yōtei is available exclusively on PS5. For more details, check out our review.

Since the studio was founded all the way back in 1997, Fleming has been in charge. The company would become an official part of the PlayStation banner in 2000, and Fleming has steered it throughout the development of a host of games, from the Sly Cooper trilogy on the PS2, to the inFamous series on PS3. After the release of inFamous First Light on the PS4 back in 2014, the studio would then begin work on its most successful release—Ghost of Tsushima.

As for Fleming’s successors, both Connell and Bentley have been with Sucker Punch Productions for quite some time. Connell worked as co-director on both Ghost of Tsushima and its sequel, Ghost of Yōtei, while Bentley served as the technical director at the studio, steering its engineering and production efforts. The two will also serve as creative leads for Sucker Punch Productions alongside Nate Fox.

“Brian’s vision and leadership have shaped the studio’s culture of creativity and collaboration and established a foundation that Jason, Adrian, and the entire team will build on as they look to the future,” wrote Sony in its announcement.

Fleming had previously spoken quite a bit about the studio’s general direction in light of the successful release of Ghost of Yōtei earlier this year. Back in October, he had noted that Sucker Punch Productions will continue to remain a single-project studio, rather than splitting its teams up to work on multiple games at the same time.

He revealed this as part of an interview where he noted that, while he may not be sure about the studio’s next major project, he doesn’t want to overextend his teams by juggling multiple projects. He also noted that, while there is no shortage of good ideas to work on, the studio only really gets to pick one thing to work on.

“The truth is that whatever we do next, whether it’s continuing Ghost or going back to Sly, the decision is really more limited by, again, our cherishing of focus and time to iterate, which means that we really can only do one thing at a time,” he said. “If we were good at juggling four projects, yeah, we’d have a remaster, and let’s go do one of those, and one of those, and do some fan request, that would be really popular… But we only get to do one thing.”

“So it kind of has to be your best idea, right?” he continued. “And that’s really clarifying. It’s not like there aren’t 15 good ideas. But you only get to do one. And by the way, you only get to do one about every five years. So that choice is really important. I mean, that is choosing your college and your major every five years.”

For more details on the studio’s most recent release, Ghost of Yōtei, check out our review. The game is available on PS5, and just last month got an update that brought with it support for variable refresh rate displays.

God of War 

There aren’t many games that are able to deliver a stunning experience in such a smooth manner as Sony Santa Monica was able to do with the 2018 reboot. This story sets the protagonist in a new setting; new boss fights and outstanding level design. It’s both fresh and recognizable at the same time, and the new combat and the camera on offer also embodies the spirit of modern third person game while making it more intentional. The 2018 reboot is definitely one of the best games on the PS4, and is a great starting point for newcomers.

As he goes on to explain, Tsushima was released in July 2020 when gaming interest was at a high due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mandated lockdowns. The PS4 install base at the time was also “significantly higher” than the PS5’s currently. Ghost of Yōtei achieving this result and keeping pace with its predecessor is thus good news.

Of course, the question is what happens next, since Ghost of Tsushima received a paid expansion, Iki Island, about a year later. Sucker Punch hasn’t confirmed if this will be the case for Yōtei, but it’s keeping options open and listening to what fans want. In the meantime, it has Legends, a free co-op mode coming in 2026, which dives into the more mythical aspects of the franchise.

Again, very few details to grasp, but it features four playable classes, two-player story and four-player survival missions, and “giant versions” of the Yōtei Six as enemies. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

And that’s just on the game’s normal difficulty. Tune things up to Hard or Lethal and you’re in for a challenge that can have you rage-quitting more often than you’d like. Saito’s forces are quite nasty and give no quarter to Atsu, leaving her scrambling to turn the tide back in her favor after an ill-timed parry or a missed dodge.

But is Sucker Punch’s latest samurai action blockbuster really so different from Jin Sakai’s battles against the Mongols? Well, I’d say yes and no. No, because everything that made Ghost of Tsushima’s combat system shine bright is certainly a part of the new title. Yes, because all of those systems are now fine-tuned so well, making Yotei’s combat feel like less of an overhaul and more like a logical evolution of what came before it.

How, you ask? I’d say that it comes down to three basic pillars: the combat system’s narrative framing, mechanical changes to how fights play out, and a drastically different enemy AI this time around. Let’s get started with how they’ve taken things up a notch in the franchise’s latest outing.

Giving Context to Combat

A key strength of the Ghost franchise is its ability to justify in-game mechanics with narrative beats that support the action that unfolds on your screen. That was done very well in Ghost of Tsushima, where Jin wielded the Sakai katana and tanto with the brutal efficiency that comes with years of training as a samurai. While he did gain access to bows and his Ghost tools later down the line, his family’s blade was his primary tool for dealing with the Mongol threat.

That made sense for the samurai, whose main goal was to attempt to preserve his family’s legacy and traditions while also being an effective living weapon pointed at the Mongol army and Khotun Khan. That balancing act was a major part of Jin’s character arc, and the Sakai blade was the tightrope on which he walked.

Unlocking stances to deal with varied enemy types in accordance with the samurai code’s tenets of being one with the world around them was a part of that balance, as was the honor-bound tradition of respecting life even when taking it away from those who left him with no alternatives.

Honor, and the gradual erosion of it were the core tenets of Ghost of Tsushima, and its combat system played a major role in conveying that theme to its audiences. However, Jin’s reliance on the Sakai blades did limit his range, forcing him to try getting up close and personal with his opponents in open combat. While that worked for him, Ghost of Yotei’s story does things a little differently.

Atsu has not had the luxury of being trained by samurai and is perhaps better off for it. Her combat prowess comes from many years on the battlefield as a mercenary, learning on the job and becoming quite good at fighting in large scale battles. Her innate ability to quickly learn the ins and outs of wielding a new weapon is a part of her character arc, allowing her to gain mastery over four new weapon types that replace Jin’s stances.

Despite her compassionate side coming through on many occasions, the battlefield is the one place where Atsu is utterly ruthless, and she has to be. That’s partly because Lord Saito is similarly merciless, and a master of the art of killing. Another reason is the fact that she actively cultivates her reputation as an Onryo, a departure from Jin’s reluctant acceptance of the mantle of the Ghost.

These narrative beats translate to a combat loop that sets Yotei’s protagonist free from the limitations of the samurai code, resulting in a combat loop that’s more versatile. Atsu’s katana, dual blades, kusarigama, odachi, and yari are all potent tools in the field, each coming with its own pros and cons that make Yotei’s combat feel liberating and dynamic, underlining the smoldering rage she feels for the Yotei Six.

While both titles have effectively woven narrative threads into their combat systems, Atsu’s role as a mercenary in Ghost of Yotei allows the game to bring logical, incremental improvements that make drastic differences to the manner in which fights play out in the game.

A Mechanical Marvel

The most obvious difference that I noticed when I began to find my footing in Ghost of Yotei was the stance system being replaced with different weapons. For starters, their varying range makes each one quite handy in different situations. The kusarigama is a perfect crowd control tool while the odachi could be quite effective even against non-Brute enemies once you figure out its moveset. If I were to drop a pro tip, I’d advise you not to switch weapons simply based on stagger damage but to act on instinct and choose the best one for what you’re trying to achieve in the moment.

A more subtle change that sets Yotei’s combat apart from Tsushima is the way in which you’re going to adjust your attack timings on the fly as you switch between different weapons. The Sakai katana attacked in largely the same rhythm, with only minor variations between stances. But each of Atsu’s killing tools has a unique moveset and gets you very involved in each swing as even the slightest error can take control of the fight away from you.

That’s because your enemies come with tricks of their own, the ability to disarm you being a very important one. I cannot imagine Jin losing his sword in Tsushima but I found my time with Atsu being dotted with occasions where I’d fail to appropriately respond to a disarming strike and then scramble to regain my dropped weapon. Inflicting disarming strikes of my own and then flinging my foe’s weapon into them was another brilliant addition that I quickly weaved into my battle strategy. They are creative flourishes that I believe should have been in Tsushima too but it is what it is.

Another important aspect of Yotei’s combat is that Lord Saito has seemingly invested in better training for his soldiers than Khotun Khan ever did. While consecutive strikes were relegated to boss battles in Tsushima for the most part (looking at you, Kojiro), I was (un)pleasantly surprised to see even basic enemy soldiers coming at me with multiple slashes and stabs that I had to parry individually. Regular troops often switched weapons on the fly, adding even more depth and nuance to an already excellent combat system.

Add in different special attacks for different weapons and the possibility of your wolf buddy joining the fight from time to time, and you have a recipe for a combat system that’s constantly working both for and against you depending on how well you’re able to adapt to the action and stay two steps ahead of your opponents. The Onryo Howl is an important part of this combat loop, and is quite devastating when used correctly.

All of these additions create a combat loop that almost feels alive in Ghost of Yotei, a stark contrast to the challenging yet comparatively static one on display in Tsushima. Once again, Sucker Punch hasn’t reinvented the wheel, but made iterative improvements that add up to create an experience that renders its predecessor obsolete.

Which brings us to the final facet of this evolution: the enemies themselves.

A Stronger and Smarter Rogues Gallery

Aside from my foes switching up weapons and chaining combos together in their attacks, the enemy AI in Ghost of Yotei makes the Mongols feel too easy waving their weapons around and hoping to catch me off guard. Saito’s men are vicious and unrelenting, adapting their tactics in response to my own strategies while finding very creative ways to initiate encounters with Atsu via traps and ambushes. I constantly found I had my eyes peeled as I tore across Ezo, wary of enemies looking to trip up my horse or stage a well-planned attack that could have me on the back foot right from the start.

They flank Atsu quite cleverly, often coming at her from all directions and with different weapons, forcing me to abandon one strategy for another in ways that the Mongols could never force me to do back in 2020. They felt unresponsive even on higher difficulties and I’d even go as far as to say that they were quite a sloppy bunch in comparison to Saito’s outlaws. Their arsenals were limited and their attacks now feel so simple and repetitive thanks to Atsu’s desperately pitched battles against opponents who are willing to be as dynamic as she can be in the field.

You might even find yourself making regular use of the Loadout system depending on which member of the Yotei Six you’re hunting. I found myself relying heavily on the yari when taking on The Kitsune’s shinobi and their preference for the kusarigama, for instance. Yotei’s enemy AI is the final pillar of how its combat system has taken the basic skeleton of its predecessor and added enough muscle to it to make it feel familiar yet fresh.

I’d say that Jin would have a thing or two to learn from Atsu if the two protagonists could have met. Her aggression and dynamic approach is something he’d find easy to understand but hard to master thanks to his rigid samurai training.

As far as combat is concerned, the Ghost has gracefully made way for the Onryo to take the center stage in one of the franchise’s most crucial aspects.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Clair Obscur: Expedition

While traditional role-playing games never disappeared, they did become quite rare for a few years. The release of Clair Obscur: Expedition has managed to remind many people why that style of combat was so beloved. Along with an excellent setting that revolves around serious themes like loss and grief, Expedition also has a solid take on turn-based combat, with every single character in your party having their own bespoke mechanics, be it Maeve’s stance system, how Lune handles elements, or even Gustave’s Overcharge mechanics. Pair this with rewarding high-level gameplay with parries and dodging, and you get one of the best RPGs out there.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 finally managed to hit mainstream success, thanks in large part to its strong setting and ambitious design. Baldur’s Gate 3 adapts rules from the 5th edition of tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons, and features some of the most interesting and likeable characters that have been featured in games in quite some time. Along with this, it also has an expansive story that kicks things off with a great premise: figure out how to get rid of a parasite in your brain before you end up being turned into a mindflayer. What follows is an epic adventure that carries you through different cities and planes, where countless stories and challenges await.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

What can we say about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that hasn’t been said already? An entire decade since its original release, the open-world RPG has continued to be awesome thanks to constant support from CD Projekt RED, not only through the release of excellent expansions—but also through updating the title to make use of more modern hardware with enhanced visuals. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt continues to have an excellent story, with plenty of wonderfully-written sidequests. All of this, paired with a great combat system leads to a generally fun way to spend hundreds of hours.

Elden Ring + Shadow of the Erdtree

In many ways, both Elden Ring as well as its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, represents the culmination of everything developer FromSoftware has learned in developing titles since 2009’s Demon’s Souls. Along with the slow-paced but heavy combat that the studio is known for, Elden Ring and its expansion also feature a great open world to explore, some of the best boss fights it has ever design, and some incredibly dense lore available for players who would care enough to pore through the dozens of item descriptions and conversations needed to uncover it all. Pair this with tools that provide plenty of options for players that might want an easier time through the game, and Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree simply prove themselves to be the best that FromSoftware has to offer.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developer Rockstar has had many great games under its belt, essentially changing the entire concept of open-world games with the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 and its host of follow-ups, but none of them have been as jaw-dropping or awe-inspiring as 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Acting as a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption, the title puts you into the shoes of Arthur Morgan as he experiences the age of the cowboy coming to an end as a member of the Van der Linde gang. Along with some excellent character-writing and fun missions, Red Dead Redemption 2 also offers dense gameplay, taking on a simulationist approach to even side activities like hunting or train robbing, giving players hundreds of hours worth of things to do in its massive and lush open world.

Days Gone Remastered

While Days Gone was originally a PS4 game that came out to a middling reception, its release on PC has been a glow-up for the open-world zombie title, with modern gaming PCs being more than capable of handling the hordes of zombies that get thrown at you. Sure, the main narrative may not be particularly noteworthy. However, the side-activities, as well as the general gameplay loop encouraged by the fact that upgrading your motorbike is important, make the overall idea of setting out to scavenge from long-abandoned medical facilities or even rival gang camps an enticing idea.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

While its initial release may have been a bit of a mess, in the years since, Cyberpunk 2077 has proven itself to be an excellent open-world action RPG. Taking on the role of V in the year 2077, you set out to become a legend in Night City. However, one of the jobs you take alongside your best friend Jackie goes horribly wrong, and now you’re slowly dying and the ghost of Johnny Silverhand lives in your head. Cyberpunk 2077, along with its expansion Phantom Liberty, tells an excellent story that takes you across Night City’s various districts and social strata as you try and figure out the evil machinations of the megacorporation Arasaka that led to the development of the thing that has been slowly killing you. Along with an excellent main story, Cyberpunk 2077 also features several well-written and fun side-quests that can range from getting into a rivalry with a Japanese pop group to discussing the nature of sentience with an AI taxi service.

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

Quite easily one of the most interesting takes on the RPG genre that has been attempted, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut puts you in the shoes of a detective. You explore the city of Revachol, which is seemingly in the midst of a cultural upheaval in some parts, alongside your partner Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi. Disco Elysium focuses more on conversation than it does action, and one of its most unique aspects is the fact that each aspect of the protagonist’s mind and body has a personality of its own. Through these conversations, you learn more about yourself, about Revachol, and about the world at large.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect is one of those rare video game trilogies that deserves its “legendary” moniker. The three titles tell the story of a galaxy’s fight against a cosmic, existential threat, and puts players in the shoes of human Commander Shepard who must assemble a rag-tag crew of allies from the various species from across the galaxy as they try to figure out the mysteries behind the forces known only as the Reapers. Along the way, in true RPG fashion, there are also plenty of choices that players have to make, with many of these choices having far-reaching consequences for the galaxy as a whole. While the ending of Mass Effect 3 might be regrettable, the rest of the journey still holds up even today as one worth experiencing.

Prey (2017)

While it may not have anything to do with its 2006 namesake, Prey (2017) is an immersive sim that puts players in the shoes of Morgan Yu. Working for the TranStar Corporation on ethically-dubious experiments, you eventually start serving on the Talos I space station. However, these experiments eventually start going wrong, and the space station comes under attack by an alien threat known as the Typhon. The twist is that these aliens can shapeshift, which adds an extra layer of tension to the gameplay. Even when you’re just exploring an office room, one of the mugs might end up being a Mimic-type Typhon that can attack you at any time, after all. What makes Prey especially interesting is the freedom it gives the player in how they choose to tackle any situation, be it stealth, combat, or even something more creative, like building platforms out of nearby furniture and your Goo Gun to avoid any dangers.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition

Skyrim is still – at the time of publishing – the latest game in The Elder Scrolls franchise, and there’s a good reason that it has been the best-selling one so far. Taking place in the eponymous region of Skyrim, the game puts players in the shoes of whatever character they might like to be and, after a short opening quest, sets them free in the world. What makes Skyrim fun is that it has hundreds of hours worth of content, not only through its main story, but through several side quests as well. Along with this, the game also has an excellent modding community that has constantly worked on adding more content to the game, as well as improving what’s already there. Generally speaking, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is the closest thing we have to a game we can play forever.

Fallout 3

What Skyrim does for the fantasy genre, Fallout 3 does for players that might prefer a post-apocalyptic setting. Taking place in and around a post-nuclear fallout Washington DC – referred to in-game as the Capitol Wasteland – Fallout 3 sets you loose in an open world with a single goal: find your father. More interesting than the main story, however, is the sheer amount of side-content that is available right from the get-go. The first-person RPG will have you cover the entire length and breadth of the wasteland as you try and do as many side-quests as possible thanks to the excellent writing. While we’re at it, the gameplay isn’t bad either; it might be dated by modern standards, but the RPG systems in the game allow for plenty of player choice in terms of how you want to define your play style.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

After years of memes making the rounds on the Internet, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out. Putting players in the shoes of new protagonist Hornet, Hollow Knight: Silksong features an entirely new world to explore, and tons of challenging boss fights to tackle. Along the way, there are also plenty of new gameplay systems to explore, including the new healing mechanics, as well as the ability to change up Hornet’s entire moveset if you so desire. Much like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong has an easy claim to the crown at the top of the genre.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

While Marvel’s Spider-Man was already a fantastic return of the webslinger to the gaming medium, Insomniac Games has taken everything about the open-world action game and turned it up to eleven with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Not only does it feature an even more epic storyline featuring plenty of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, it also features two whole Spider-Men taking on the threats to New York City – Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Throw on top a fun plot about both of our heroes growing together, as well as the unique personal issues affecting both of them, as well as the threat of the Symbiote over the whole plot, and you get a great time.

Little Nightmares 2

Little Nightmares 2 is an interesting game since, while it might appear like a cutesy platformer from the outside, underneath its adorable exterior lies a dark game filled with a surprising amount of horror. The title revolves around a boy, Mono, who finds a girl, Six, trapped in the basement of a dark and terrible house, and the two must work together to make it out alive.Along the way, they will have to deal with many terrifying enemies and other dark secrets of the main setting of the game – the Pale City – and the title makes heavy use of some psychedelic visuals to hammer home the point that the city is not a welcoming place for wayward children.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

While most open-world RPGs tend to make use of fantasy settings, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 instantly sets itself apart from its contemporaries by instead making use of real-world place, complete with accurate depictions of historical events. Taking place in the lands of Bohemia, protagonist Henry finds himself and his friend, Sir Hans, the victims of a bandit attack on their way to deliver a message to Trosky. What follows is Henry’s attempts to complete his mission, and along the way, grow as a person. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 takes a simulationist approach to its gameplay, with armours and weapons feeling appropriately hard to find and maintain, and crafting systems that will have you reading instructions from books before you go about mixing potions or forging a sword. The title offers hundreds of hours worth of gameplay, along with some of the best sword-fighting mechanics ever executed in a first-person game.

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake was a masterclass in horror, but its sequel takes things a step further. In Alan Wake 2, players control multiple characters as they explore genuinely creepy locations, face terrifying creatures, and experience it all with an amazing score and exceptional gameplay. This is what horror games should strive to be, and it leaves us eager to see what Remedy has in store for the inevitable Alan Wake 3.

Death Stranding Director’s Cut

Hideo Kojima’s first major project after his departure from Konami, Death Stranding is a game that is quite difficult to explain. Essentially, you are a courier in a world where a global catastrophe has made humanity spread out far and wide, with little to keep them connected to each other. The core gameplay revolves around you taking on delivery jobs and then figuring out how to cross the terrain to get to your objective. What makes this interesting is that Death Stranding is one of those rare games where terrain is quite important, and you can’t just climb any surface you see. This means that you will have to figure out the best route to take that doesn’t risk too much damage to the cargo you’re carrying. Throw on top a bonkers plot that revolves around the concepts of death, the soul and the body, as well as the general creepiness that the ghost-like BTs exhibit, and you have a fantastic time experience, while long, is well worth it.

The Witness

From the developer behind Braid, The Witness is a strange puzzle game that takes a single mechanic – being able to draw lines – and turns it into the entire game. While most of the title will have you finding screens to then solve logical puzzles with your line drawing powers, the whole game essentially blows open at a certain point when you start to discover that the entire world around you is also a puzzle that can then be manipulated and solved in different ways. Along the way, the game also features narration that explores the nature of the island you’re exploring, and what its true purpose might be. All of this is paired with some wonderful art direction and a vibrant colour palette that makes sure that nothing in The Witness ever looks boring.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima is an open-world game where the protagonist – a samurai named Jin Kasai – survives an initial battle against an invading Mongol force, and must rally the citizens and soldiers of Tsushima island to mount a resistance against the invaders. Over the course of the fantastic open-world game, Sakai must also come to terms with meanings behind words like honour, and the caste system that Japan was living under at the time. Ghost of Tsushima features simple-but-excellent combat gameplay, as well as quite a few tools for the player should they decide to sneak around instead, as they go around Tsushima liberating settlements from the Mongols and ultimately figure out a way to get at the primary antagonist – Khotun Khan, cousin of Kubali Khan.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

While the original The Last of Us was a great game with a fantastic story anchored by wonderfully-written characters, The Last of Us Part 2 goes a step further, giving us a darker tale that focuses on two distinct characters and their quest for vengeance and redemption. Along with the larger overall scale of gameplay, The Last of Us Part 2 also tells a grander story, and features some of the most fun boss fights to have been put into a title where the gameplay is otherwise quite realistic. On top of all of this, the Remastered release on PC also has a host of extra content in the form of the roguelike survival mode No Return, where you get to take on combat challenges as the character of your choice in a variety of different levels.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

FromSoftware might be largely known for its slow-paced action RPGs in the Souls series and Elden Ring, but with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the studio instead decided to take on a much faster style of gameplay where being on the defensive was punished. Rather than hiding behind a shield, in Sekiro, you are instead forced to learn the timings of various enemy attacks so that you can instead parry them, eventually breaking your foes’ posture to then finish them off with a glorious killing blow. The title still maintains much of the FromSoftware DNA, however, including how death works and the emphasis on smaller-scaled levels that are more dense and intertwining, encouraging plenty of exploration. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, despite its differences from the studio’s other games, can easily be considered one of its best outings yet.

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

A collection featuring two games – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy – Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection tells two excellent stories. While one tries to wrap up the ongoing plot of Nathan Drake trying to forge a legacy for himself, the other instead features two supporting characters from preceding Uncharted games in the roles of dual protagonists as they set off on an adventure of their own. Where Uncharted 4 offers a polished take on everything the series has had to offer so far, Lost Legacy instead goes for more experimental game design. All in all, both titles are well worth playing, even if you haven’t been able to play the first three games in the series.

Frostpunk 2

The original Frostpunk was a fresh take on the city-builder genre with a unique setting where you have to build and manage a city around sources of heat, since the planet has essentially frozen over. Its sequel pulls the camera back a bit, and instead of having you put down individual buildings, you’re now laying out entire districts with a single click. Despite this more zoomed out take on the gameplay, however, Frostpunk 2 still makes the player choose between two horrifying choices for the survival of their city, much like its predecessor, and the general progression of the title has been taken in interesting directions, such as how trade routes are managed and how districts can boost or bring down one another, depending on proximity. All of this is paired with some wonderful visuals and excellent sound design that perfectly manage to bring your cities to life.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a direct sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence, and revolves around the two siblings once more having to travel together again. This time around, Amicia and Hugo de Rune have to travel south in order to try and look for a cure for Hugo’s affliction. On the gameplay side of things, it offers more of a refinement over its predecessor rather than any radical changes. Players take on the role of Amicia while Hugo helps out from time to time. However, both characters also have plenty of new abilities to play around with in combat encounters. A Plague Tale: Requiem also acts as an absolute feast for the eyes considering its incredible level of visual fidelity and strong art direction.

The Rogue Prince of Persia

After having spent several months in Early Access, The Rogue Prince of Persia was finally out a few weeks ago, and the fact that developer Evil Empire took player feedback quite seriously is evident. The title features incredibly-polished side-scrolling and platforming with smooth animations and a great visual style that still manages to work well with the randomly-generated levels. Throw on top some fast-paced combat that rewards quick timing, as well as a large variety of weapons, and you’re going to have a great time as you figure out the time-bending story of the Prince who is trying to save his people after previously having been the unwitting instigator of this doom to begin with.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Middle-earth: Shadow of War builds on everything its predecessor did in expansive ways. It brings back the much-beloved Nemesis system, which allows protagonist Talion to face down various kinds of Orc enemies, each with their own unique personalities and fighting styles. On top of this, the Orcs winning the fight also means that they’ll get stronger, making the subsequent rematch even harder. The Nemesis system alone makes Shadow of War worth your time, but if that’s not enough, it also has a fun story exploring an alternate timeline of the Lord of the Rings books where a giant war was waged against the forces of Mordor well before the events of the books take place. The gameplay also serves as an excellent evolution of the classical style of open-world action gameplay we saw over the last couple of console generations.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft embarks once again on a perilous hunt for a precious treasure. However, in her carelessness, Croft accidentally sets off a chain of events that threatens the world, and now she must find a way to stop the destruction. On the gameplay side of things, it offers fast and responsive gunplay as well as plenty of options for some stealth, including the ability for Croft to cover herself in mud to blend in with her surroundings better. The star of the game is undoubtedly the platforming, and with plenty of tombs for Croft to raid, Shadow of the Tomb Raider offers just about everything you could ask for.

Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong is an interesting take on a classic setting. The game features excellent boss fights, along with some gorgeous visuals. These aspects are further bolstered by the fact that the combat system is incredible and responsive. Even the encounter design deserves some praise, since Black Myth: Wukong has been designed around the idea of making the player use just about every tool they have at their disposal. There isn’t really much else to say that hasn’t already been said plenty of times already. It did, after all, manage to hold on to its concurrent player count records at launch when compared to any game out there on PC.

Mafia: The Definitive Edition

While the Mafia series has seen a newfound level of success thanks to the recent release of Mafia: The Old Country, the original Mafia is still worth revisiting, especially in its Definitive Edition form, since it now features modernised gameplay and combat systems, as well as a massive upgrade in visual quality. The story revolves around humble taxi driver Thomas Angelo in the city of Lost Haven, who finds himself embroiled with the local mob thanks to a recent car chase against a rival mob. Things slowly escalate as Angelo climbs up the ranks of the Salieri family. Interestingly, the story is told in the form of Angelo confessing to his crimes to a detective, with liberal use of flashbacks as the main storytelling device. The title also features a fun open world to drive through, especially since few games ever use the Great Depression as their setting.

Mad Max

Having come out at a time where many players and critics alike were suffering from open-world fatigue, Mad Max was quite overlooked. However, in the decade since, the title has been vindicated thanks to its excellent open world design and strong gameplay. Mad Max is a unique open world game where the player’s vehicle, the Magnum Opus, is an important form of progression. Much of the game will be spent with you, as Max, trying to find parts and blueprints to upgrade the car. Along with this, there is also an emphasis on vehicular combat, as well as good ol’ fisticuffs and some ranged weapons thrown in for good measure.

Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world game that perfectly manages to tap into the world of the Harry Potter books. The title takes place a hundred years before the events of the books, and puts players in the shoes of a budding young wizard joining the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As they live out their student life, players will also eventually discover a bubbling goblin uprising, as well as criminal wizards. Hogwarts Legacy is one of those games that any fan of the Harry Potter series owes themselves to play because of just how well it captures the magical feelings of the books.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

While Skyrim might offer a fun take on a fantasy open-world RPG, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon takes a darker turn. The game takes on the classic tales of Arthurian legend, albeit with its own unique interpretations. Along with its vast open world, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon also features quite a bit of emphasis on first-person combat, be it with swords or at range with a bow and some arrows. There are also plenty of other things to do while you’re out and about, from gathering crafting materials to simply taking a break by sketching some scenery or fishing by a lake.

Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws stands as a redemption story of its own, overcoming early skepticism to win players over. While the game was a mess when it first came out, the developers have taken quite a bit of player feedback to then introduce a host of fixes to the game, from gameplay aspects like improving how stealth works, to the addition of plenty of story content through the release of two expansions. Star Wars Outlaws is a great way to experience the Star Wars universe without the baggage of having to play as a Jedi.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows represents something of a new leaf for the franchise. While many had found the last two releases—Valhalla and Odyssey—a bit too bloated, Shadows pulls its filler and padding back a bit, instead focusing on delivering a few core activities that are actually fun and make the world a joy to explore. It also finally takes the franchise to Japan, and introduces a pair of new protagonists: the stealthy Naoe and the fearsome Yasuke. The two have to work together to figure out the secrets behind Oda Nobunaga’s death, while also dealing with the machinations of an early form of the Templars.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

While Skyrim might serve as a fantastic open-world RPG in its own right, its predecessor, Oblivion, was also a downright excellent game. And now, with the Remastered release, we can once more explore the lands of Cyrodiil as we take on the opening of the Oblivion Gates and a Daedric invasion. Along with this, there are also plenty of side-quests to take on, including a host of factions to join, from the fighter’s guild to the Dark Brotherhood. You can even simply become an arena fighter if that’s all you really want to do, it’s ultimately all up to you.

Atomfall

While Rebellion might be known for its excellent shooter series Sniper Elite, the studio decided to try something different with Atomfall. Rather than taking on Nazi soldiers on covert missions during World War 2, Atomfall instead has you scavenging for resources in a strange world where it is up to you to figure out the game’s story through your own skills of investigation and deduction. While there are plenty of fights you can still get into, you’ll want to be a lot more careful about the kinds of enemies you decide to take on, since you’re a lot more fragile and not as well-armed as you might be in a Sniper Elite game.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

While Rebellion has been experimenting with Atomfall, it still hasn’t left its Sniper Elite series behind. We also recently got the release of Sniper Elite: Resistance, where players take on the role of a brand new protagonist, SOE Agent Harry Hawker, who is taking on missions that run parallel to the events of Sniper Elite 5. Since it is ultimately a spin-off, Sniper Elite: Resistance features primarily the same gameplay as its predecessors, but with quite a bit more refinements in various things, from second-to-second gameplay all the way up to how its missions are structured.

Firewatch

Firewatch is a narrative adventure game where the goal is quite simple; on his first day at Firewatch tower Two Forks, protagonist Henry gets some interesting calls on his radio, which is otherwise only used to contact his supervisor who is based at the Thorofare tower. Things quickly start getting dark, and Henry must figure out who is calling him on the radio, and what exactly is up with his supervisor who he is yet to physically meet. Firewatch doesn’t really feature any combat. Rather, there is a focus on exploration and environmental storytelling, and it’s largely up to the player to figure out where to go and how to get there.

Dying Light

While there have been a couple of sequels out so far, the original Dying Light is still a game well worth playing thanks to its fantastic melee combat systems and parkour mechanics that make travelling through the streets and rooftops of the zombie-infected city of Haran. The story itself is also quite interesting, with protagonist Kyle Crane having been infected with the zombie virus and needing to find a way to curtail its symptoms before he ultimately turns. The title also features an interesting twist on the day-night cycle, with day time being safe for exploration but night time offering far greater rewards at the risk of the player having to deal with incredibly dangerous and more powerful zombies dubbed Volatiles. All of this combined with a fun crafting system that rewards creativity in your weapon choices make Dying Light often feel like it’s still the best game in the series so far.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Until the release of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the Ace Combat franchise felt like one of the worst-kept secrets in terms of how insane it can be both in terms of quality of gameplay and story. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown tells a brand new story in the world of Strangereal, with the plot primarily revolving around a massive war between the Kingdom of Erusea and the Osean Foundation. The title features excellent arcade-style dogfighting combat with a host of fighter jets from the real world, as well as quite a few fictional jets for some added fun.

Half-Life 2

Quite an easy contender for one of the greatest games ever made, Half-Life 2 has a sprawling campaign that holds up even to this day thanks to the sheer amount of variety it presents to players, both in the form of different weapons and enemies, as well as the mechanics of various levels. The title was also important in introducing the physics engine that is part of Valve’s own Source engine, and the feature was on incredible display thanks to a weapon like the gravity gun. Throw on top an impressive story that is told in an incredibly minimalistic way without ever cutting to a cutscene, and it’s easy to see why Half-Life 2 is so widely regarded as being such a great game, even in 2025.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

While PC as a platform is no stranger to first-person shooters, it is hard to argue that the Halo franchise isn’t one of the best that the genre has seen. Thankfully, thanks to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, players can experience almost the entirety of the Halo storyline, starting from the original Halo: Combat Evolved, its sequels Halo 2, Halo 3 and spin-offs ODST, Halo Reach, and even the start of 343 Industries’ (now Halo Studios) run with the franchise, Halo 4. The collection also offers a way to play all of the various games’ levels in remixed orders, following distinct themes like levels that focus on vehicles, for example, to focusing more on certain subplots. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is essentially the best way to experience a seminal shooter series, warts and all.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Quite possibly the most refined gameplay offered so far in the Monster Hunter franchise, Monster Hunter Wilds represents the pinnacle of the series, if not in its smaller roster of monsters when compared to its predecessors, then at least in its gameplay systems and massive, beautiful worlds. Monster Hunter Wilds features a short, fun story that takes you across the Forbidden Lands as you try to get young child Nata back to his family. Along the way you’ll get to take on several monsters, both new to the series as well as returning favourites, using the weapons of your choice out of 14 distinct options. Monster Hunter Wilds features plenty of gameplay refinements as well, including a mount system, as well as the ability to carry around two weapons that you can switch between mid-fight, which is great since each weapon feels like you’re playing a new game altogether.

Returnal

One of the rare instances of a AAA roguelite game, Returnal is an intense third-person shooter that puts players in the shoes of space pilot Selene Vassos who finds herself having crashed on an alien planet named Atropos. What follows is a psychedelic adventure as she tries to find the source of a mysterious signal called the White Shadow, but the twist is that Selene seems to be stuck in some kind of time loop where, every time she dies, she finds herself waking up at the moment of her ship’s crash. The title is filled with fast-paced and tense combat that has you dodging massive projectiles shot by strange creatures, and occasionally also getting your hands on upgrades for your weapons. The story itself is also quite interesting, pulling in plenty of allusions from myths as she tries to make it off Atropos alive.

Sleeping Dogs

Born from the ashes of the long-dead True Crime series of games, Sleeping Dogs is the closest we’ve ever gotten to having a Hong Kong action movie in video game form. The plot revolves around the adventures of undercover cop Wei Shen who must infiltrate a triad gang in order to take it down from the inside. When it comes to gameplay, Sleeping Dogs is an open-world game with several inter-mingling systems, from driving and vehicular combat, to melee combat with slick martial arts moves, and the occasional bouts of ranged combat when you can get your hands on a gun. The game wonderfully realises its setting of Hong Kong, often showing the stark contrasts between the cleaner commercial areas of the city and the but bright and colourful entertainment districts.

Metro Exodus

Whereas the first two games in the Metro series were more focused on offering linear experiences, Metro Exodus broadened its scope by a considerable amount by opting to set players free in more open environments. While far from an open-world game, Metro Exodus still provides quite a bit of freedom to players in terms of how they want to approach any situation. Along with this, the title also encourages plenty of exploration since, in keeping with series tradition, resources are scarce in Metro Exodus. Exploring is also a great way to get your hands on valuable upgrade materials to improve the arsenal of weapons you will ultimately end up using against not only human enemies, but mutated foes as well. The story is also quite interesting, since it revolves around Artyom, his wife Anna, and their friends the Rangers departing the Moscow Metro system in a train to explore the Russian wilderness.

Gears of War: Reloaded

When the original Gears of War first came out back in 2006, it was considered a mind-blowing experience for the time thanks to its visuals, as well as refinements over the turn-based shooter mechanics we had seen done much worse in plenty of other games. Gears of War: Reloaded, however, proves that the original title still holds up to this day thanks to its incredible campaign with plenty of set pieces, fun and varied weapons to play around with, and some downright fantastic visual upgrades that have been made to take better advantage of modern hardware.

Dead Cells

Dead Cells is one of those rare indie games that manages to get just about every single one of its aspects right. Even something as simple as movement and exploration feel great in the roguelite action game, and the level of variety on offer with the weapons, as well as the meta progression system that encourages not only mastery of the traversal systems, but also a willingness to explore, make just about every run of Dead Cells feel like a fun time. Throw on top some excellent pixel art that really makes its massive boss fights come to life, as well as the plethora of additional content – ends up making it very difficult to put the side-scroller down for good.

Detroit: Become Human

While games made by Quantic Dream might be quite divisive at times, Detroit: Become Human is outright the best title that the studio has put out so far. Featuring narrative-focused gameplay that largely involves having conversations and making choices at key moments, Detroit: Become Human tells three distinct stories in a world where humanity treats sentient androids that it has developed as slaves. All three stories have the player take on the role of a distinct android, where you have to figure out the complex moral quandaries that take place throughout the storylines.

Portal 2

When the first Portal came out, it was widely regarded as a radical new entry in a genre that was otherwise known to revolve around killing things. It ultimately ended up laying the foundations for what would become Portal 2 – a bigger, grander sequel in every way possible. Portal 2 takes place an unknown amount of time after the events of the first game, and has Chell once more pick up the portal gun to find her way out of the Aperture Science facility she’s trapped in. Along with GlaDOS returning once more as a major character, Portal 2 also features a new character in the form of Wheatley. We also get a lot of storytelling in the game, since quite a bit of it has you exploring ancient versions of the bathroom curtain company that would eventually become Aperture Science.

Outlast

There might be plenty of stealth-based horror games out there, but Outlast manages to be something quite special thanks to its use of some real-world history to build up its scare. Revolving primarily around the MK Ultra experiments that were conducted by the CIA, the game puts you into the shoes of independent journalist Miles Upshur who is trying to get the scoop on Mount Massive Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Unfortunately, owing to unethical experiments, most of its residents have essentially gone insane, and now Upshur must figure out how to survive and get out in one piece while also making sure he gets enough evidence along the way. Outlast also makes use of a handheld camera as its primary PoV device, since it offers a night vision mode. However, players will also have to keep a track of their battery consumption, since you don’t want to be trapped in the dark with murderous people around you.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Ostensibly the closest the Metal Gear franchise gets to having a “final” game since it takes place furthest into the future, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a major departure for the series. It trades in the tactical espionage action in favour of the more bombastic tagline of lightning bolt action, and puts you in the shoes of a fully cyborg-ised Raiden at the peak of his power. Developed by PlatinumGames, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance features a fantastic combat system that has an emphasis on not only long and vicious combos, but also parrying the enemy’s attacks to open them up for massive counter-attacks. This, along with the Zandatsu system that lets you cut just about everything, be it an enemy’s limbs or a bridge’s support, make Revengeance a treat to play. Throw on top an over-the-top but fun story about private military contractors and a cartoonishly evil US Senator and you have an explosive roller coaster.

Resident Evil

Before the remake of Resident Evil 2 back in 2019 was considered the high watermark for video game remakes, the series had already earned similar acclaim for its remake of the original Resident Evil. Originally released on the GameCube all the way back in 2002, the remake of the original Resident Evil eventually made its way to PC, complete with higher-resolution textures and all of the high-quality upgrades that it got over the original. Even after all these years, Resident Evil still manages to feel like a one-of-a-kind survival horror experience, thanks to its tight level design and generally excellent gameplay that melds environmental puzzle solving and tense action sequences, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat thanks to a constant scarcity of weapons and ammo.

Watch_Dogs 2

It’s no secret that the original Watch_Dogs was a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of its visuals, as well as its story and characters. The series’ second stab at the series in the form of Watch_Dogs 2, however, proved to be a much more interesting experience. Rather than focusing on the brooding Aiden Pearce, Watch_Dogs 2 instead stars a group of scrappy young adults as they venture into the real world to start their careers, but find themselves fighting against an authoritarian regime that is making use of high-tech surveillance technology to control the populace. Protagonist Marcus Holloway is a much more fun character than Pearce ever was, and the attempts of his rebel hacker crew, DedSec, to take down ctOS 2.0 are a wild, fun, and often emotional adventure.

Silent Hill f

After the Silent Hill franchise spent over a decade being missing from the overall gaming scene, the series made a bombastic return with last year’s remake of the seminal Silent Hill 2. A year later and now we even have a brand new entry in the stories franchise – Silent Hill f. The game takes place in the unique setting of a quaint Japanese finishing town in the 1960s, where school-going girl Hinako has a strained relationship with her parents and goes to meet her friends for some solace. However, a sinister fog starts covering the town of Ebisugaoka, and Hinako finds herself trapped and fighting for her life. While there is an emphasis on combat this time around, Silent Hill f is still able to effectively pull off the scares and tense atmosphere that the series is known for.

Dying Light: The Beast

The newest entry in the Dying Light franchise is seen as something of a return to form for the series. While Dying Light 2 Stay Human did well for developer Techland, the studio itself acknowledged that it had lost what made the original Dying Light great, and hence we get The Beast. Once more putting us into the shoes of Kyle Crane after the events of The Following, Dying Light: The Beast features improved parkour-based traversal over its predecessor, while also bringing in improvements to both melee and ranged combat, all of which is packaged into a fantastic new open world to explore with plenty of variety, both in terms of zombie types and the scenery.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

A reimagining of an absolute classic, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a ground-up 3D remake of a seminal 2D sprite-based RPG. As its name implies, it is the first part of the expansive Trails franchise, and puts you in the shoes of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua as they set off as members of the peacekeeping guild, starting out as bracers and slowly working their way up. The Trails series, while long, absolutely features several stories well worth experiencing, and there is currently no better way to start your journey than with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

Blue Prince

Puzzle games, especially in the indie space, tend to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Very rarely, however, does one show up that ends up feeling like a revelation. This is precisely what developer Dogubomb achieved with Blue Prince. The premise is quite simple: you are stuck in a mysterious manor – Mt. Holly – where the rooms shift around for no apparent reason. The core of the game is exploring the mansion, but the twist is that the player decides what the next room will be every time they open a door. Blue Prince has a wide gamut of puzzles for players to figure out as they try to make their way to the rumoured Room 46. To throw another wrench in your plans, the house once again shifts its rooms around every dawn. Blue Prince is the kind of game where you can spend anywhere from between 15 minutes to several hours at a stretch as you try to comb through the mysterious rooms of Mt. Holly to find a way to their destination.

Commandos: Origins

While the real-time tactical stealth series Commandos doesn’t really need much of an introduction, the latest release, Commandos: Origins, proves that the genre and style of gameplay still has legs in the modern day. Taking us all the way back to the origin of the World War 2 crew of commandos you play in the original Commandos, Commandos: Origins offers entirely new challenges throughout its various maps, all with more modernised gameplay thanks to updated visuals, as well as a large variety of objective types that will have you make use of just about every ability you and your crew can muster.

“Many things,” said Wang when discussing how much of Ghost of Tsushima will carry over into Ghost of Yōtei despite both games taking place across different time periods and regions. “Some cultural foundations remain the same, and we were able to expand on the knowledge we gained while making Ghost of Tsushima, with the help of advisors guiding us through the Hokkaido setting.”

“Visually, we’ve kept the ‘living painting’ look, inspired by the minimalism of Japanese art. By stripping away distractions, the main themes stand out more clearly, while details enrich the world. This idea comes from Japanese art and culture, and it continues to shape the style of Ghost of Yōtei.”

Wang also spoke about the change in art direction, which, when compared to its predecessor, has a brighter colour palette. She explained that the sequel will explore a land that is meant to feel remote, vast and untamed. Each region in the new map has a different seasonal feel, colour palette, and personality.

“The landscape stretches endlessly in every direction, both horizontally and vertically, Wang explained. “It feels more dramatic, more vibrant, and more alive than Tsushima, and that’s how we wanted to depict it. For example, you might see the aurora crossing the night sky, or when the sun rises, you’ll see clouds drifting over the mountains as birds take flight and the wind sweeps across the grass fields. It makes you feel like the land is raw, wild and unpredictable, yet alive.”

“The map itself is designed very differently from Tsushima. Each region has its own personality, a different seasonal feel, and its own colour palette. All of this helps players immerse themselves in the world and enjoy it even more.”

As for the prominence of the colour yellow in many of the marketing materials for Ghost of Yōtei, Wang spoke about how she was picky about using the exact shade of the colour as well, since it ties into greater themes in the story, and to protagonist Atsu.

“Sixteen years ago, she had everything taken from her – her family, her home,” she explained. “She was tied to a ginkgo tree and left to die. Countless yellow leaves fell from the tree before it was engulfed in flames. The yellow you see at the beginning of the game represents her lost hometown and carries through her story.”

“Her costume is also yellow, tied to the ginkgo leaves. It represents her past, her scars, and the pain buried in her heart. Throughout the game, you’ll see yellow appear in important places, almost like dots that players connect to piece together Atsu’s story.”

Ghost of Yōtei is coming to PS5 on October 2. For more details, check out the recent cinematic trailer.

“When we look at the financials and the costs, the man years, the amount of months that the team—times the size of the team—worked on it, [it’s] very, very similar, actually,” said Fleming. Tsushima, which launched in 2020 for the PS4, reportedly had a $60 million budget.

While that’s good news, especially with the ever-ballooning cost of triple-A games, it’s also surprising. Ghost of Yōtei offers roughly the same playtime and map size as its predecessor, but the production values are arguably higher given that it’s developed exclusively for PS5. That’s not taking inflation into account.

Ghost of Tsushima went on to sell over 13 million copies as of September 2024, which is pretty good for a new IP. If the sequel has the same budget, it should be interesting to see if it hits the same milestone in a shorter period.

Ghost of Yōtei launches on October 2nd for PS5. Check out the latest cinematic trailer here.

“It’s 300 years-plus later. Both endings are valid,” said Fox, when asked which Yōtei’s story unfolds in. Will anyone reference Tsushima’s events? Is Atsu, the new protagonist, related to Jin Sakai? Has she even heard of him? “No,” to all of the above.

What is interesting is Fox’s expression during a comment about how Jin isn’t much of a legend. Whether this means his actions actually had an impact, even in an unknown way, remains to be seen. For now, however, it’s best to treat this as Atsu’s story, as she scours the land of Ezo in search of the Yōtei Six.

Ghost of Yōtei launches on October 2nd for $69.99. Check out the latest video here, which showcases the gorgeous environments that players will traverse on their journey for revenge.