With a new map to explore, and a lot to do it in it as we step into the shoes of Atsu, a woman who has nothing to lose and everything to gain from her quest for revenge against those who uprooted her relatively peaceful past, Ghost of Yotei seems all set to build on everything good about the franchise’s maiden voyage.

We thought it would be a good idea to take a look at how Sucker Punch plans to do things differently this time around. To that end, here are fifteen differences between the two titles that are primed to make Ghost of Yotei feel like a whole new adventure this time around.

Note: All of the information in this feature is based on official sources.

15. A More Dynamic Open World

The lands of Ezo are quite dangerous for people who cannot handle the threats they present. Fortunately, Atsu doesn’t count among them and is all set to build her legend among its folk in more ways than one.

Sucker Punch has been quite enthusiastic about its efforts to make exploring its new map more organic and rewarding for those among us who just like to hop onto our house and ride on to whatever catches our eye. Beautiful fields, flowery paths that give Atsu a speed boost, and a whole lot of things to do as she blazes a path to revenge are slated to make Yotei a current-gen open world that could shake things up from the genre’s tried and tested traditions.

And while the map is going to be similar in size to Tsushima, its scope is looking far more ambitious.

14. A New Way to Track Important Quests

Like Jin, Atsu is going to meet a few interesting folks on her path to bringing an end to the Yotei Six. Unlike Jin, she gets a very cool way to keep track of them via the new clue card system. Making excellent use of the game’s unique art style, this is an addition that we’re eager to see for ourselves as we dive into the adventure.

That’s because while the journal system from the original game was quite effective at fulfilling its purpose, Sucker Punch’s new way of tracking important quests and information looks and feels a lot more immersive, a reflection of the time period the game is set in, and a very unique visual reminder of the people who matter in Atsu’s tale.

13. An Innovative Approach to Discovery

Ghost of Tsushima had a lot of interesting folks who formed the bulk of its supporting cast, as well as many troubled inhabitants of Tsushima who needed Jin’s help. What did they all have in common? Jin had to go to them to learn more about their needs, or perhaps even trade with them or upgrade his gear. It was in line with a more traditional approach to open-world titles, but that was five years ago.

We’re truly in a new age of gaming experiences, and Ghost of Yotei is taking a very inspired approach to its side content. Atsu can camp in the open world, relaxing for a moment by playing her shamisen, which we’ll get to in a minute. But that’s not all that happens in your camp. You could very well have one of the open world’s denizens find you and share your fire, providing you with useful information and perhaps even pointing you in the direction of your next quest.

It’s a refreshing approach to discovering new content, and it is probably going to save Yotei’s players a lot of time, which they can now spend achieving their objectives instead of seeking them out.

12. New Mission Types

There’s going to be a lot of new ways to engage with the lands of Ezo, and Atsu’s journey is set to put some very dangerous individuals in her path, the Yotei Six notwithstanding. If you’re looking to grow her legend and perhaps earn a bit of cash for those weapon and gear upgrades while doing so, bounty hunts are now a part of the franchise’s excellent gameplay loop.

For those of you who like to let their weapons do the talking, these missions are a major new addition that cement Atsu’s role as a mercenary instead of an honorable samurai like Jin.

11. A New Forecast For A New Land

One of our favorite parts of Ghost of Tsushima was the fact that the weather changed the more we leaned into Jin’s transformation into the Ghost. Going from bright and sunny to dark and gloomy, with thunderclouds making their presence felt, the more Jin left his honorable roots as a samurai behind, the island of Tsushima seemed to mourn the loss of one of its sons and reflect the dark path he had chosen.

However, Ezo isn’t Tsushima. And with a lot of varied biomes populating its vast expanses, it could prove to be very different from Tsushima, and perhaps even add more variety to the weather as a result.

While it remains to be seen if we’re going to witness changing seasons like in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it would be fair to expect a more dynamic weather pattern in play as we dive deep into Ezo’s many mysteries and perhaps even have them influence the gameplay loop on offer in Ghost of Yotei.

10. Hunting The New Antagonists

Khotun Khan didn’t bother concealing his presence in Ghost of Tsushima. Jin knew where he was for most of the story, simply lacking the means to take him head-on until he rallied the disparate forces of Tsushima behind the banner of the Ghost before repelling the cunning Mongol leader.

The Yotei Six are far more insidious, weaving themselves into the very fabric of Ezo and running things from the relative safety of metaphorical shadows. Atsu is going to have to make the most of Ezo’s new exploration mechanics and all of Sucker Punch’s best changes in her quest for revenge, and hunt down each of these terrifying threats by fostering a connection with the land and its people.

9. The Price of Revenge

It wouldn’t be a Ghost title if it didn’t have complex themes to tackle. While details remain scarce about the price Atsu will have to pay for her revenge, we’re certain that her tale is going to be just as poignant as Jin’s.

While Ghost of Tsushima saw Jin gradually replace his notions of honor and tradition in the face of the Mongol’s tactics, Atsu has already left her old identity behind, forging a new one to extract a very steep price from the ones who made that a necessity.

Perhaps she learned of Jin’s legend, passed down over the three centuries between their lives? Either way, her narrative conflicts are going to be something to look out for as she embarks on her hunt.

8. Past Participation

While the flashbacks to Jin’s past were a very crucial part of Jin’s character arc in Ghost of Tsushima, they often came at moments that interrupted important moments in the present. Sucker Punch seems to have taken note of that oddity and has introduced a clever new way for its players to witness Atsu’s own tragic origins.

In what we see as a very immersive twist, players can now flit between her past and present at key areas in the game, witnessing more of the life she left behind courtesy of the Yotei Six, and perhaps gaining insight into her motivations as a character. It’s a very cool wrinkle to the franchise’s formula, and could potentially be a great way to introduce a bit of exposition in the game’s narrative.

7. A New, More Willing Ghost

Jin’s reluctant transformation from honorable samurai to the ruthless Ghost was a key part of the original game’s emotional heft. However, as a mercenary hell-bent on revenge, Atsu’s willingness to do what’s necessary is going to set her apart as a protagonist. Sucker Punch’s enthusiasm about her taking on the role of a demon, or Onryo, is sure to shine through in the narrative.

How much is going to remain of Atsu once she has her revenge against the Yotei Six? How far will the Onryo be willing to go in her quest to end their tyranny? Like you, we can’t wait to find out!

6. Different Warriors, Different Minds

While Jin composed haiku and played his flute as a somber way to prepare his mind for battle, Atsu takes a similar yet different approach to a similar goal.

In tune with the franchise’s emphasis on nature, Atsu undertakes the art of Sumi-e as a way to unwind, a parallel to Assassin’s Creed Shadows that is sure to draw a few comparisons.

She replaces the flute with a Shamisen that’s set to be more than just a musical instrument – it’s a way for players to tell the game where they wish to go next! Unlocking different songs to play lets you tailor exploration based on your needs. That’s a cool way to make your music work for you if there ever was one.

5. Revamped Combat

Jin’s ability to switch stances on the fly, thanks to his years of training with the Sakai family’s katana, makes way for Atsu’s expertise with a variety of weapons, thanks to her role as a mercenary.

You know switch weapons as you take on varying opponents, with each moveset being more suitable to counter the particular attacks of an enemy’s weapon type. But Sucker Punch hasn’t been content with its inventive switch-up, and added the possibility of Atsu losing her weapon in the heat of battle.

You could find yourself forced to take on another enemy who wields the weapon you need and disarm them in order to deal with the one who did the same to you. It’s a change that could make each fight quite unpredictable in Yotei, and is a very welcome one for that very reason.

4. Firearms

Considering that Ghost of Yotei takes place around 300 years after the events in the previous game, it makes sense that firearms are now a part of commonly used weaponry. And Atsu certainly knows how to handle a gun!

A trailer showcasing her proficiency with firearms indicates that gunplay could very well be a viable path to victory for those of you with steady trigger fingers. We just hope that it makes good use of the DualSense 5’s advanced haptics to make the experience feel all the more authentic as a result.

3. Part of a Pack

While Jin primarily fought alone unless he was aided by another of Tsushima’s residents, Atsu seems more in touch with nature, even managing to get a wolf to fight at her side. While Sucker Punch has been cagey about what her new companion is capable of, the gameplay showcase for Ghost of Yotei did have her wolf buddy taking a bite out of a few unfortunate opponents who were foolhardy enough to take the duo on.

For our part, we’re hoping for a few skills that let our loyal companion have a more active role in the fighting that’s coming our way.

2. Choose Your Legendary Director

Akira Kurosawa’s influence on the first game is nearly as legendary as the director himself. But Ghost of Yotei is poised to bring in the cinematic talent of other notable names in the samurai film genre.

Two additional modes that reflect the techniques of Takashi Miike and Shinichiro Watanabe are going to make an appearance in the new title. Those standoffs are going to get a whole lot flashier.

1. A New Perspective

There was a bit of resistance to Atsu taking over the reins from Jin when Ghost of Yotei was first revealed to the world. Considering the time period that the game is set in, Atsu’s place in society is arguably one in which she is placed among the outcasts of a feudal setup that did not value a woman of her stature, considering all the losses she faces before she decides to do something about it. That’s a narrative wrinkle that could be the greatest part of her adventure, placing her in stark contrast to Jin.

As an honorable samurai and the nephew of Tsushima’s Jito, Jin’s encounters with the denizens of his home were underlined with a sense of respect and trust. Ezo may do Atsu no such favors, requiring that she earn the trust, and perhaps fearful respect, of those she encounters. The gameplay showcase touched upon thi,s but perhaps Sucker Punch is saving the biggest ace up its sleeve for when the game releases.

And that wraps up our list of the biggest changes from Ghost of Tsushima to Ghost of Yotei. We’d love to hear what you’re most excited about, and perhaps even find some new perspectives from you! Just let us know in the comments, and join us as we wait with bated breath for a title that’s going to test our skills and tug at our heartstrings.

Reports about the new game’s map being roughly the same size as the original game point to an approach that many other PlayStation exclusives could have taken for their sequels, making them better instead of just larger. Sucker Punch’s decision to fill the lands of Ezu with more to do in a limited space could make Ghost of Yotei a sequel like no other.

But why is it a clever decision? That’s because of the studio’s approach to making the world it has built for us to explore as much of a main character in the new game as its new protagonist. The gameplay deep dive from Sucker Punch brought many interesting facets of its world building to the forefront of its examination of how it built on its phenomenally successful 2020 release, and there’s a lot to justify its decision to keep the size of its new world more or less the same.

The World Tells A Story

Ghost of Tsushima put the titular island in the spotlight of its narrative, making Jin Sakai’s fight against the Mongols a reflection of his love for the land that he called home. It was a smart way to make his story deeply  personal with the added advantage of reflecting the inner conflict between his upbringing and journey to becoming the Ghost.

Sucker Punch cleverly interspersed beautiful meadows, fields, and villages with areas that were ravaged by the war, painting the Mongols as an ever-present antagonist that showcased the overwhelming odds Jin would face off against and the need for him to become something more than just a samurai. The world it had created justified its narrative in many ways, and by retaining a similar size for Ghost of Yotei, the studio can recreate the integration it so deftly handled the first time around.

For instance, allowing players to look at flashbacks of Atsu’s past life with a simple button press actually addresses one of the few complaints we had with Jin’s story. His own flashbacks often came up during crucial moments in the present, suspending the tension for a trek through his memories that was quite jarring. By giving its players control over when they would like to take a trip down memory lane, Sucker Punch has ensured that its new map puts its players in the driver’s seat.

It also makes narrative sense for the new game to feature a similarly sized map, considering that Atsu doesn’t face an invading army in her tale of revenge, although there are plenty of enemies standing between her and the Yotei Six. As far as the story in its sequel goes, a bigger map, was unnecessary and Sucker Punch has certainly made a good call not to expand on its size.

Sucker Punch keeps Atsu’s feet firmly on the ground even as it makes her even more of a deadly killing machine that Jin. And for the story it is trying to tell, that’s a good thing.

So Much to Do, So Much to See

As far as gameplay is concerned, a map that’s similarly sized to Tsushima once again makes sense for Ghost of Yotei. Sucker Punch’s emphasis on organic discovery of all the content it has brought to the table. Despite its many strengths, Ghost of Tsushima’s side content was among its weak points with repetitive activities of which only some offered rewards that were beneficial to its gameplay loop.

Its side missions were also a sore point, largely devolving into fetch and carry quests that saw Jin go from point A to point B with a few platoons of Mongols to take down. While there were notable exceptions like the Mythic Tales, it was a design flaw that several open world titles at the time fell prey to. However, with current-gen systems raising the bar for the quality of games on offer, it’s high time that changed.

Atsu’s adventure does not run the risk of such needless bloat. Ghost of Yotei’s gameplay loop is primed to be an argument in favor of a more ambitious approach to its world, and having a map that’s full of substantial activity is certainly better than a larger one with that content merely spread out to pad out an already significant playtime.

Indeed, retaining the same map size could allow Sucker Punch to present a world that seems larger than it actually is considering how Atsu must painstakingly assemble clues about the people she hunts by actively engaging with the world around her. It’s an approach that can make her the ultimate predator in a world where her prey is quite good at remaining unseen.

A larger map runs the risk of ruining the engagement that Sucker Punch’s new approach to world building aims to establish. It wouldn’t make sense for Atsu to spend more time in her saddle than she does hunting her targets in a tale that’s focused on presenting a lone wolf hunting what feels like the entire jungle.

It could also help with the main narrative’s pacing and solve a glaring issue that Ghost of Tsushima’s third act brought to the fore. The northernmost part of Tsushima felt empty and barren, with only a handful of activities to dust off before taking on Khotun Khan and the remnants of his dismantled army.

Although Tsushima was by no means small, it could have had so much more variety to its side activities. Sucker Punch’s ambitions for its sequel are better served with a map that does not place size over scope on almost all fronts, allowing for a more focused gameplay loop that sustains the freedom to explore that its players would expect from its open world.

The Quality of a Life

Another reason in favor of Sucker Punch’s decision to not go for a bigger map in Ghost of Yotei is the manner in which it has implemented quality of life changes that make sense for its players. For starters, the ability to make camp while you’re out in the world means, with important NPCs finding you instead of having to hunt them down.

It’s an important change that once again justifies the decision to avoid a larger map in Ghost of Yotei as it simply removes the necessity for it. That’s exacerbated by a more streamlined approach to quests involving NPCs as the new menu that Sucker Punch presented makes managing their different objectives quite easy and is sure to work well with the fast travel system from Ghost of Tsushima that we believe is sure to make a return in the new game.

Moreover, the addition of flower streams that add a boost to your speed while you ride through them is another meaningful tweak that can work in Sucker Punch’s favor. The added speed would have meant nothing if the distance Atsu had to cover was also quite large. However, foregoing the added size ensures that the new addition makes sense from a traversal standpoint, emphasising Sucker Punch’s determination to bring quality over quantity to its new title.

Retaining the same map size is also an opportunity for the studio to integrate more verticality into its world and potentially improve on the climbing mechanics it established in the first game. While they certainly got the job done, it’s unlikely that players would have anything negative to say about more climbing points as they try and hunt down new abilities, or particularly elusive targets who may think that the high ground makes them safe from Atsu’s steel.

Bigger Does Not Translate to Better

All things considered, we believe that Sucker Punch has deftly set itself up for success by going with a map that’s as big as the one it first established for its wildly successful franchise. Doing so ensures that the open world it brings to its players never outstays its inevitable welcome, allowing the studio to craft an experience that puts its players first.

A bigger map would do nothing to elevate the ambitious changes that the studio is bringing to its narrative, gameplay, and exploration mechanics. It would only serve to limit all  meaningful things to do while you’re out exploring the region in Ghost of Yotei, taking away from the experience by making players traverse larger distances for the same reward.

In short, a map similar in size to Tsushima is not a disadvantage. It’s an opportunity for Ghost of Yotei to outshine its predecessor on almost every front. And we believe that Sucker Punch saw that right off the bat when it sat down at its drawing board for its upcoming title.

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.