Review: Ghost of Yōtei

I’ve been looking forward to Ghost of Yōtei from the very moment it was announced. Ghost of Tsushima was one of the few open-world games where I wasn’t satisfied with just finishing the story—I kept exploring and aimed for 100% completion to earn the Platinum Trophy. I absolutely loved the world Sucker Punch created, the combat system, and especially that feeling that sometimes you don’t need a huge marker on the map to make you want to see what lies beyond the next hill.

So, my expectations for Ghost of Yōtei were very high. I wanted a game that would keep the elements that made Ghost of Tsushima so good, but that wouldn’t just feel like the same experience set in a different location. After spending time with Atsu, I can say that, for the most part, that’s exactly what I got.

I won’t go into too much detail about the story because Ghost of Yōtei is a game worth discovering without spoilers. I can say, however, that Atsu is very different from Jin Sakai, and this is evident not only in her personality but also in the way she approaches confrontations.

Jin had a certain elegance and discipline in her fighting. Atsu is much more brutal. The battles are bloodier, more aggressive, and less ceremonial, and I really loved this change because it gives the game its own identity without abandoning the excellent foundation laid by Ghost of Tsushima.

Combat is once again one of the game's strengths

The combat system is undoubtedly one of the things I liked the most. The fights are fluid, fast-paced, and extremely satisfying, especially once you start to truly understand the weapons at your disposal and how they can be combined.

Dual katanas have quickly become some of my favorite weapons, and the kusarigama is simply a joy to use. The attack combos flow beautifully once you start to master the system, and there are moments when a fight against multiple opponents almost feels like a perfectly choreographed dance—even though you’re the one controlling every move.

Atsu plays a big part in creating this feeling. Her aggressive style gives the fights a different energy than those in *Ghost of Tsushima*, and even though the DNA of the previous game is very clearly present, I didn’t feel like I was simply controlling Jin Sakai with a different skin.

However, not everything escapes the classic problems of the open-world genre. Some of the side quests fall into the all-too-familiar trap of “go to the camp, eliminate the enemies, and talk to the NPC” and end up feeling repetitive. It’s not something that ruins the experience, especially since such situations seemed much rarer to me than in the first game, and the combat system makes even these encounters fun. There are, however, moments when the structure starts to become predictable.

"Ghost of Yōtei" on PS5 Pro looks incredible

I played *Ghost of Yōtei* on a PlayStation 5 Pro, using the ray-tracing mode and an OLED TV, and visually, the game is absolutely stunning.

There are games where Photo Mode is included simply because it has to be, and there are games where you end up using it without even meaning to. Ghost of Yōtei unquestionably falls into the second category.

Mount Yōtei visible in the distance at sunset, vast fields of grass and flowers swaying in the wind—the light and the scenery actually make you stop what you’re doing just to admire the world around you. I found myself repeatedly stopping just to open Photo Mode and try to capture a particular shot.

It's exactly the kind of artistic direction I appreciated so much in Ghost of Tsushima, except that here, today's hardware allows it to be taken even further.

And the best part is that the visual spectacle doesn't seem to come at the expense of performance. On the PS5 Pro, I experienced a steady 60 fps and didn’t notice any noticeable frame drops, even during chaotic battles with many enemies on screen.

For a game that looks this good, the fact that it maintains this fluidity is one of the things I appreciate the most, even though I hope that 60 fps without major compromises will become the norm with the next generation of consoles.

Play it in Japanese

One area where my experience was a little less impressive is the English voice acting.

I can't say how it plays out over the course of the entire game, because after about ten minutes I realized it just wasn't right for me and didn't match the atmosphere I was looking for. I immediately switched to the Japanese version and haven't regretted that choice for a second.

I found the Japanese version much more compelling, and it fits better with the world, the characters, and the overall atmosphere of the game. It’s one of those situations where simply changing the language can significantly impact the experience, and I would recommend the Japanese voice acting without hesitation.

Conclusion

Ghost of Yōtei was one of the games I was most looking forward to, and fortunately, it didn't disappoint me. Sucker Punch kept the foundation that made Ghost of Tsushima so great, but at the same time managed to give Atsu his own personality and a combat style different enough that this new adventure doesn’t feel like a mere rehash of the previous game.

The combat is excellent; the world is the kind of place where you sometimes completely forget about your objective just because you want to see what's in the distance, and on the PS5 Pro, the game looks and runs flawlessly.

There are also some traces of the classic open-world formula, particularly certain side activities that become repetitive, but these issues are minor enough not to affect the overall impression.

Ghost of Tsushima inspired me to go for the Platinum trophy, and I did the same with Ghost of Yōtei.