“Sucker Punch has built a title that is a perfect harmony of every component of game development. Every aspect of its artistry, mechanics, and technology is used to the fullest in perfect balance.”
- A world so beautiful you won't want to fast travel
- More variety and options in combat and activities
- Uses every ounce of the PS5's hardware
- Occasional camera issues in combat
I audibly gasped no less than four times in my first hour with Ghost of Yotei.
Each occurrence was for such a vastly different reason that I didn’t find a connective thread until a few hours later, when I started to pull at a core theme in Atsu’s journey. The natural beauty of seeing the camera sweep low as I rode through emerald fields dotted with blue and white flowers, flocks of birds taking off as I approached from the red-leafed trees, and the majestic Mount Yotei filling the horizon never ceased to impress. Likewise, the commitment to use every advantage of the PS5 hardware to further draw me into the world and establish empathy that goes beyond traditional immersion made every game that toyed with these ideas feel like prototypes.
The narrative premise of a young woman out for revenge against a gang of murderous outlaws belies the depth of Atsu’s motivations and worldview. She doesn’t really want revenge; she wants peace. Every step of her journey — like every character she meets — is on a quest to restore balance.
From top to bottom, inside and out, Ghost of Yotei is a game about harmony.
Harmony of technology, artistry, and game design, but also harmony of character and world. Sucker Punch leaves nothing on the table with Ghost of Yotei. This game represents everything we were promised the PS5 could deliver and then some.
From ghost to onryo
Sixteen years after her family was murdered and she was left for dead, Atsu returns to her homeland, hardened and ready to martyr herself to achieve her goal of slaying those responsible: the Yotei Six. What would otherwise be a simple hit list of quests in a more boilerplate open world adventure, Ghost of Yotei is just as bold in bucking what could be simplified as “Ubisoft” design principles. While it does stay true to the flavor of third-person action as its predecessor, every component of it has evolved.
Atsu’s life before ever picking up a blade is just as important as who she cuts down with it.
Atsu is not a stand-in for Jin. Where his arc and conflicts (internal and external) mainly unfolded linearly once we took control of him, I got to see multiple sides of Atsu’s development across her life that shaped her into who she is at the start. Her life before ever picking up a blade is just as important as who she cuts down with it. Each flashback reflected on the woman she would later become and why she views the world as she does.
Jin took up the mantle of ghost to become a symbol of hope and strike fear in his enemies. Atsu is burdened with the title of onryo to dehumanize her.
Each target on Atsu’s hit list is more than just a name to be crossed off in blood.
She’s a much harder read early on, coming off as cold and selfish. But the more I learned about Atsu’s past and how she presented her morals to others, the more quickly she endeared me to her. Knowing what she’s fighting for only after she has lost it is incredibly effective. She is sympathetic to people, but not at the cost of her own goals. However, even that is called into question in very contemplative ways.
Each target on Atsu’s hit list is more than just a name to be crossed off in blood. Each member I target is a chapter packed with moral ambiguity and consequences, either in their own character or in how they challenge Atsu’s view of them. Is revenge at all costs really worth it? Do the ends justify the means? Will killing others really bring her family peace — will it bring her peace?
I’m not alone on this quest. Atsu builds a Wolf Pack of allies across Ezo that are far more than just a function. Each one slowly opens up and reveals a character on their own quest for balance and harmony. Only by working together can we achieve it. Some do fall into the trap most open-world games do, where characters are far too quick to share their most personal regrets with a stranger. Despite those clunky openings, the execution never falters.
Let nature be your guide
The beauty of Ezo is beyond words. From the first moment I leapt through the trees and saw the expansive world, brimming with color and life, to the final corners of the map, no game can compare with the artistry on display in Ghost of Yotei. This is a world I never wanted to leave. Each vista and view I came across was heart-achingly stunning. I wasn’t sure the environments would be different enough to hit as hard as they did in Tsushima again, but no other game has taken my breath away like Ghost of Yotei has.
The visual splendor of the world was a soft motivation for why it was a world worth fighting for in Tsushima, but the conflict over Ezo isn’t Atsu’s main priority. The backdrop of a colonizing force moving in and oppressing a native people — of which Atsu belongs — could’ve been the entire focus. However, I saw this world as a counterbalance to Atsu’s thirst for revenge. No matter how dark and hopeless things may be, there’s still beauty and peace in the world.
No other game has taken my breath away like Ghost of Yotei has.
Artistry is only one half of the equation that makes Ghost of Yotei the most impressive PS5 game I’ve seen. The way Sucker Punch incorporates every tool at its disposal is what makes it more than the sum of its parts. Yes, Ghost of Yotei runs amazingly, but it goes beyond that. Many of those gasps I mentioned in my first hour were a result of the game doing things we were only told were possible, or seen in more limited capacities up until this point.
Fast travel isn’t fast — it is terrifyingly instant. I was under the impression that the loading times from Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut were due it being a PS4 port on PS5, but somehow Sucker Punch’s techno-wizards have managed to pull that same trick off here. The first time I opened my map and fast-traveled to a camp, it took longer for my brain to process that I was already there when my map closed than it took the game to load.
Just as impressive is the instant transition between past and future. While it is locked to one location, it’s the kind of technical marvel that we only saw hints of in games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and one brief moment in Spider-Man 2.
Sucker Punch knew when and where these controls made the most sense to add depth without creating frustration.
Tying together artistic expression and technical advantage is the DualSense. The creative and specific way Ghost of Yotei asks me to use the controller goes beyond what anyone can call a gimmick. These never interfered with the core gameplay, such as cooking at camp, finding the right note while playing the shamisen, or forging weapons. Writing names in kanji with the touchpad (in the correct stroke order, no less) or making a Sumi-e of a crane standing in the water at the foot of the mountain forged a deeper connection between me and Atsu rather than pushing me out. Sucker Punch knew when and where these controls made the most sense to add depth without creating frustration.
Perhaps the most effective form of this was how learning to wield dual katanas was handled, which I wouldn’t dare spoil.
New weapons, such as the dual katanas and odachi, replace stances from the first game. While they serve the same function, it feels far more natural and satisfying to counter enemies with a distinct tool. Enemies are also more likely to change up their weapons as well, meaning I am constantly flowing between my entire arsenal in a bloody dance. Combat is more of a give-and-take than a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Combat is still focused mostly on light and heavy attacks, blocks, parries, and dodges, with enemies telegraphing moves with colored glints. Blue attacks still need to be parried and red attacks dodged, but there’s now a new yellow glint added to the mix that needs to be countered with a charged attack. Failing to do so results in my weapon getting knocked away and a mad scramble to recover it to defend myself.
The only snag in combat is when the camera loses focus in group fights. There is a lock on this time, though you need to enable it in the settings, but 90% of the time, I found it unnecessary. I could always attack who I wanted, but I just wish the camera would do a little more work to frame the action better without my direct involvement.
Atsu’s moveset at the outset is a satisfying base that additional weapons, skills, tools, and gear keep evolving through the duration. Even if it didn’t, the tension and dance of every duel set in a picturesque arena would be worth the price of admission. Earning and upgrading my armor and weapons is just as satisfying as the last game, but the twist on upgrading charms by meeting certain requirements in the world or combat adds another avenue for progression between larger upgrades.
It is a testament to the crushing beauty of this game that I never wanted to fast travel.
The returning activities in the world have also been reworked and trimmed down. I felt as though there were roughly the same total number of curiosities drawing my attention off the main path, but double the variety. However, one new convenience makes finding them feel a little less natural than in the first game. While I still let birds and foxes guide me to hidden areas, there is also a mapmaker now who sells me locations of hot springs, bamboo strikes, and others. I can’t buy and uncover the entire map at once, but it does rob me of that whimsy I feel of letting nature guide me.
Simply exploring the world is still a treat, but even here, there are notable improvements. Beyond the wind and animals helping guide me, keeping my mind in the game world and not on waypoints or markers, the landscape itself is a guide. Riding my horse through patches of flowers grants me a speed boost, as does collecting materials and jumping over obstacles. My mind is always focused on the world when traveling, making small decisions and going with the flow of the land rather than cutting a straight path to my next objective.
Sure, I could’ve cut down on my playtime substantially by taking advantage of the alarmingly snappy fast travel, but it is a testament to the crushing beauty of this game that I never wanted to.
Sucker Punch has built a title that is a perfect harmony of every component of game development. Every aspect of its artistry, mechanics, and technology is used to the fullest in perfect balance. No one part of Ghost of Yotei outshines the rest, and that’s because each component bleeds into the others so naturally that they cease to feel like disparate elements. Atsu’s journey is one that will stick with me, but not because of the magnificent world I explored, the memorable cast of characters I grew to love, or the dramatic swordplay. It is how flawlessly they all combine through the unique power of the PS5 that gives it a lasting impression. They are all different colors used to paint the complete picture that is Ghost of Yotei. All are strong on their own, but together form something much greater.
Ghost of Yotei was tested on the PS5.
