Horrendously early on Friday morning (or late on Thursday night, if you will) IST, the ‘Ghost of Yōtei – State of Play Gameplay Deep Dive’ dropped, and in the process answered a whole host of queries about what players can expect with Sucker Punch Productions’ upcoming title. This time the action moves from the island of Tsushima to Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), and features a brand-new protagonist.
Having witnessed her family massacred by the Yōtei Six (a rather villainous lot), Atsu returns years later to seek her vengeance. Where she’s been in the interim isn’t exactly clear, but we were able to learn a few things about her in the State of Play. For starters, she’s a far more charismatic character than Jin Sakai, and is more Man with No Name (Dollars Trilogy) than Shimada Kambei (Seven Samurai).
A key part of this is that while 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima tackled the tug-of-war between honour/Bushido/the samurai code, and subterfuge/stealth/the life of a Ghost, in Ghost of Yōtei, the war has been won. Atsu, we are told, ‘is no samurai or ninja’ and that she’s a mercenary who will ‘use every dirty trick’ to win a battle. It appears the series’ embrace of the dark side is complete.
And with it comes a massive arsenal of new weapons. From stealth munitions and firearms to spears and enormous Ōdachi swords, the folks over at Sucker Punch appear to have taken a cue from Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin in terms of filling out the weapons cabinet. This represents the biggest shift in thinking between the two games because while on one hand Jin was a katana purist, Atsu’s willingness to use all manner of weapons will only make the gameplay more dynamic and exciting.
The other cool touches added this time around include a neat-looking clues system that allows the player to better tailor their own experience. Slightly enhanced traversal, including the ability to slide down slopes and listen to lo-fi music while exploring, should also be fun. Additionally, the game looks to be taking a very hands-off approach and really letting you play the way you want.
And finally, the use of a camp site in Ghost of Yōtei is new to the series, and a very thoughtful addition. When camped, Atsu can reflect on the day, cook in order to prepare for fights, and receive important upgrades and meet key characters. She can also check in with her ‘Wolfpack’ (a coterie of all her allies) while at the camp. How all of this actually holds up will become clearer on October 2. But until then, here’s the showcase in full:
PS: As has become the norm, there are also a couple of limited edition controllers that are being launched alongside the game. Unfortunately and just as with the God of War Ragnarök-, The Last of Us- and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach-branded ones, these too appear to be low-effort offerings.
