What parents need to know
Ghost of Yotei is the highly anticipated sequel to Ghost of Tsushima (launched in 2020 on Playstation 4). Set more than 300 years after the events of the previous title, we now play Atsu, a mercenary who returns to her home region of Ezo (now Hokkaido, the northernmost region of Japan) 16 years after the brutal murder of her parents.
In search of revenge, Atsu goes in pursuit of the Yotei Six, six warriors led by Lord Saito who have taken control of Ezo during Atsu’s absence. Obviously, during our quest, we meet a host of characters who try to survive with the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the background (don’t panic if you don’t have a doctorate in Japanese history, everything is very clear in the story of the game).
Ghost of Yotei uses for the most part the game system set up in Ghost of Tsushima, itself largely inspired by series such as Assassin’s Creed (we reviewed Assassin’s Creed Shadows earlier this year, another game that presents us with a story of revenge taking place at the same time in Japan!). You walk across a large map, face enemies with an ever-growing arsenal of techniques and weapons, and climb to uncover secrets.
We also bring back the poetic and zen side of Sucker Punch’s previous opus, except that Atsu prefers painting and shamisen to Jin Sakai’s haikus. On the other hand, hot springs are still an opportunity to meditate on existence (and to extend our life bar).
There are still some new features, besides the new story and the improved graphics, obviously. The arsenal of weapons has been expanded; You can now fight with different weapons (spears, double katanas, odachi and kusarigama). Weapons have strengths and weaknesses in a big rock-paper-scissors game, forcing us to switch weapons regularly.
We also have attacks to disarm the opponent, but we can suffer the same fate, which will put us in a position of extreme weakness until we get our weapon back.
And as usual, frontal combat with a sword (or other weapon) can be substituted with stealth. It is then a question of hiding in the tall grass, distracting the enemies and assassinating them one by one while their backs are turned.
Finally, the world is interactive. We play as a bounty hunter, but we’re not the only mercenary. The more we hurt the forces of the Yotei Six, the more the bounty on our own heads increases, and the more we are hunted by mercenaries in search of wealth. You can be attacked at any time while walking around the map, not to mention all those who set traps for you.
Ezo is merciless!
Details
Level of experience required
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Evaluation
Ghost of Yotei isn’t a particularly scary game, but it’s definitely very bloody. Not only does Atsu spend most of her time covered in the blood of her enemies, she has a great time in dismemberment.
We see our character’s bare buttocks when she bathes in the hot springs. References to sexual violence are made in the dialogues.
A lot of borrowings from Japanese are made, which can make it more difficult to read.
The game asks a lot of questions about revenge, but the characters are in shades of gray. Heroes are fallible, villains are sometimes right.
Also, our character sometimes drinks a lot, and we get benefits by consuming alcohol. You can also bet money.
Ghost of Yotei offers a good challenge in normal mode, but many options make the difficulty accessible to everyone.
The game offers a nice amount of content for its price, and the content will be enhanced with free DLC in a few months.
Local game modes
You can play the story mode solo.
Online Game Modes
A co-op game mode is expected to be released in 2026, but it’s not available yet.
Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)
A free DLC is planned for 2026.
Our opinion
Ghost of Yotei is certainly not a reinvention of the formula presented by Ghost of Tsushima, but we won’t complain about it. In our opinion, the previous title represented in many ways the pinnacle of these kinds of titles, and Ghost of Yotei only refines the formula.
Visually, Ghost of Yotei is one of the few games that makes us feel like we’re taking full advantage of the power of the Playstation 5. The textures are detailed, the animations precise but above all, the lighting is sublime and often took our breath away. Beyond the fighting and the blood, Ezo is a majestic region that we take great pleasure in exploring.
The aesthetic care does not stop at the graphics. The developers offer us visual modes such as the Kurosawa mode, which uses the color palette of Akira Kurosawa’s films that clearly inspired Ghost of Yotei. The music also benefited from the same care; we particularly liked the Watanabe mode, which replaces the original soundtrack with a soundtrack of lo-fi hip-hop beats inspired by the Samurai Champloo anime. It made our walks in the plains of Ezo even more relaxing.
The combat system is once again enjoyable. Deeper than ever, it requires a lot of concentration, but rewards us with a feeling of control and precision that borders on zenitude when we manage to reach the right area.
The stealth sequences certainly do not shine with their originality, but they remain effective and enjoyable, if not surprising.
And what about the story of Ghost of Yotei? The premise is perhaps a little less original than in Tsushima. This story of revenge has been seen many times, especially in Assassin’s Creed Shadows released earlier this year, as we mentioned earlier.
But we are still offered many twists and turns that make her interesting, not to mention the fact that Atsu is a protagonist to whom we become attached. She doesn’t have the foolproof righteousness of Jin Sakai. On the contrary, she is all shades of grey, struggling with her own internal conflicts and her own impetuous character. But we also guess the right person behind this mask, and we want to follow his adventure, hoping all along for a happy outcome.
In short, no, Ghost of Yotei doesn’t innovate. But between an impeccable visual and sound presentation, a breathtaking gameplay full of options and a captivating story, it’s hard to ask for more.
Note: A code has been given to us by the publisher for review purposes. Our opinion remains our own.
