Ghost of Yōtei: 5 things to know about the PS5 Ghost of Tsushima sequel
New era, new hero, same slick samurai action
Dust off your katana and dig out those kunai — Sony just announced a new samurai epic exclusively for PS5. Ghost of Yōtei is the sequel to 2020’s astonishing Ghost of Tsushima, and promises to deliver another gorgeous open world to sneak and stab through.
Announced during Sony’s September State of Play, it’s from developer Sucker Punch, and, unlike its predecessor which debuted on the PS4 before getting a next-gen facelift, Ghost of Yōtei is built “from the ground up” for the PlayStation 5.
Set to release some time in 2025, there’s scant few details to be had at the moment. But here’s what we know so far — plus the game’s stunning announcement trailer.
1. Goodbye Jin, hello new Ghost Atsu
We’re getting an all-new protagonist in Ghost of Yōtei. Set 300 years after the story of Ghost of Tsushima, the original game’s hero, Jin Sakai, is long dead by the time the new game kicks off. Instead, we’ll be taking the role of Atsu, a female warrior wandering the wild expanses of Feudal Japan in the early 17th century.
It’s a smart move for the franchise, letting it easily tell new stories without being bogged down by baggage from a previous title, and giving newcomers an easy entry point. Sucker Punch promises we’ll hear more about Atsu soon (it seems like a gang of ronin are out to get her), but here’s hoping we get to find out what happened to Jin through a legendary folk tale side-quest, just like one of those found in the original game.
2. From Tsushima to Yōtei
It’s not just a new protagonist we’re getting, but a new location to explore, too. Moving away from Tsushima island, the new game, as its name suggests, takes place in the lands surrounding Mount Yōtei. You’ll find Yōtei in present-day Hokkaido, but in 1603 the region was in central Ezo. Its varied climate ranges from snowy peaks to whispering grasslands. Ezo in this period was an even more lawless region than that found in Tsushima’s war-torn landscapes — it’s beyond the reach of Japan’s ruling classes, and isn’t policed by samurai clans. Atsu will have to keep her wits about her to survive.
3. A wolf at the door or a pooch by your side?
Who is this cute little pooch who pops up throughout the Yōtei trailer? I say cute pooch… I mean ferocious looking wolf. Snarling, blood covered and regularly crossing paths with new hero Atsu, it looks like Yōtei could potentially include a canine companion to play alongside.
4. Dual wielding action, plus gun slinging shooting
Though many players longed for it, it wasn’t historically accurate to have Jin dual-wielding blades in Ghost of Tsushima. But 300 years of swordsmanship later, and it looks like Atsu is ready to go into battle double-parked with steel. In one trailer scene we see her stare down the aforementioned wolf with swords in either hand.
But that’s not all — the trailer closes with Atsu firing off a round from a ye olde time powder rifle. Not quite as civilised as the swords and bows of Jin’s day, but hey, you’ve gotta move with the times if you want to survive.
5. Red Dead Samurai?
This one’s more of a vibe than a feature but… are you getting a wild west, Red Dead feel from the first Ghost of Yōtei trailer, too? It’s definitely there in the soundtrack (even if it’s performed on traditional Japanese instruments) and in the shots of herds of horses.
That’d be totally fitting, given the incestuous and cyclical nature of influence between samurai and cowboy cinema. Ghost of Tsushima was deeply influenced by the filmography of director Akira Kurosawa, whose work often focussed around samurai stories — the game even had a black and white film filter mode that mimicked the look of his films. And Kurosawa’s movies were a key inspiration for many American western directors — The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars are remakes of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, respectively. Rockstar’s Red Dead series, beyond the obvious open-world comparisons that can be made to the Ghost series, draw a straight line through cowboy cinema to samurai movies, too. That the influence would come full circle with Ghost of Yōtei is no shock, really.
- Can't wait that long for your next PS5 fix? Check out our Shortlist of the best PS5 games
