A new chance to explore ancient Japan has arrived as the new Ghost game from Sucker Punch Productions arrives to keep you busy for hundreds of hours.
Working your way through lists in a video game can be incredibly satisfying. Whether it’s collecting items or completing missions, there is just something enticing about listing out your plans and marking them as complete one by one. Ghost of Yōtei understands this intimately and capitalizes on it by starting with protagonist Atsu literally writing out her hit list of the six men who took everything from her.
You even use the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller’s touchpad to write out their names so you can spend the rest of the game hunting them down and crossing them off with their own blood. It’s a simple, but incredibly satisfying setup, and that core idea – the joy of knowing your objectives and completing them – extends to every other element of Ghost of Yōtei to create a consistently satisfying experience that is very difficult to put down.
Developer Sucker Punch made an unexpected choice for its Ghost of Tsushima sequel by setting it centuries later. It allows Ghost of Yōtei to fit well in its established samurai universe aesthetically and mechanically without having to dream up new reasons for previous protagonist, Jin Sakai, to continue his already concluded mission of vengeance. It lets Yōtei keep the best parts, while not having to engage with any Jin baggage at all.
Atsu’s revenge mission is familiar, and sometimes even predictable. Still, it is so well executed, and her motivations are in such sharp focus throughout, that I never felt bored or like I was treading familiar ground. Her flashbacks, often delivered with player-directed gameplay sequences that are completely seamless, expertly set up everything she lost by putting the player in her headspace. I fully understand why she not just wants, but needs to kill the Yōtei Six, and was eager to help her through it.
Along with the satisfying violence of achieving revenge, some sequences moved me to tears. Her experience going after the Kitsune, which highlights Atsu’s relationship with her mother, was particularly affecting, and I credit much of that to the well-realized characterization of Atsu. Among my few narrative complaints is how frequently her targets just barely slip through her fingers for story reasons before she finally executes her killing blow.
But despite being a fundamental element of Ghost of Yōtei, Ghost of Yōtei narrative is only a portion of the larger experience. Moving and fighting your way through Ezo is an always-compelling experience, not because it radically re-addresses or changes the mechanics that made Tsushima so great, but rather because they are carefully iterated on and improved in sometimes subtle ways.
Using the wind to navigate the world returns as a brilliant way to always know where you’re going without having to look at on-screen maps or markers. Ghost of Yōtei helps significantly with immersion, and is also especially important since the environments look fantastic. Following birds and foxes to secondary locations with always-worthwhile rewards is a distraction I was unfailingly eager to take advantage of.
Combat, though familiar if you played Tsushima, is still a wonderful ballet of attacks, counters, and constant weapon-swapping (without the need to enter a menu) to always keep you thinking and moving. Stealth also continues to prioritize satisfaction over realism and punishment with new tools to make everything more interesting.
Ghost of Yōtei’s primary triumph, arguably though, is its pacing. Despite being absorbed in the narrative, I was constantly distracted by side missions as they all offer worthwhile and different short stories that always feed into making Atsu a more skilled onryō. I wasn’t putting off the golden path as much as I struggled to stay on it in a way I never minded. And all of this is aided by load times that I can only describe as technological magic.
Moving anywhere on the map is shockingly instantaneous. Turning in bounties, upgrading equipment, finding new side quests, and more never give you an opportunity to pause or catch your breath, which means the hours spent in Ezo fly by. But if you want to roleplay a world where Atsu can’t magically teleport, there are systems in place in full respect of the player’s time that let her bring vendors directly to her campsites without needing to travel, which is smart.
Ghost of Yōtei does not radically reinvent or change what worked in Tsushima, but that’s fine, because frankly, Sucker Punch nailed the mechanics the first time. Where I argue it does improve in big ways is in its narrative and characters. Atsu is a brash, justifiably angry woman who probably drinks too much (which is my fault, I admit, because drinking sake restores spirit).
She knows exactly what she wants and is more than willing to fight for it. She was compelling to me from the moment we made our list together, and I loved spending time with her, watching her grow, and enjoying the journey of everyone she met along the way. And it is all done with basically no loading screens.
Ghost of Yotei release date
The Ghost of Yotei release date is set for Thursday, October 2 at midnight local time, everywhere but across the United States. This has been revealed by the official Ghost of Yotei PlayStation Store page.
The game will launch at midnight for all players except those across the United States, as midnight releases are locked in for the East Coast only, launching in other territories whenever midnight on the East Coast is for them. This means that the game will launch at 9pm PDT / 11pm CDT on Wednesday, October 1, and midnight the following day for everyone else.
It’s good news that the game is so close, as frankly, you could get stuck into Ghost of Yotei and let it whisk you away until the end of the year. We’re very keen to get lost in Yotei. Because we definitely will.
Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold
Ghost of Yotei is set more than three centuries after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, but its roots run deep in the same soil. The year 1603 established a crucial point in the historical progression of Japan. The Sengoku period of endless clan warfare has finished, while the Tokugawa shogunate establishes its rule to start the Edo period. Across much of Japan, peace begins to take hold under the shogunate’s rule. But not everywhere.
Far to the north, in the rugged frontier of Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), the shogunate’s reach remains weak. The territory remains untamed and wild while it continues to be inhabited by the indigenous Ainu population. The true power in this world belongs to warlords and mercenaries and ronin who seek to create their destiny through violence. The story of our protagonist takes place in this unregulated area, which stands beneath the towering presence of Mount Yotei.
That protagonist is Atsu. Orphaned as a child after witnessing the slaughter of her family at the hands of Lord Saito and his brutal cadre — the Yotei Six — Atsu’s life is forged in fire and loss. Her father, a legendary swordsmith falsely accused of betraying Lord Saito, was executed alongside her mother and brother. Their home was torched, the family’s sacred gingko tree burned to ash, and a cruel message was left smoldering as a warning to others. Atsu managed to survive against all odds.
She remained in a state of military conflict and forced migration for the rest of her life. She joined forces with samurai groups while learning sword-fighting techniques, which transformed her into a deadly force beyond what her status as an orphan would have suggested. She returns to her home after surviving the ordeal as an Onryo — a ruthless spirit wandering the land, seeking vengeance.
Atsu creates her list of targets, which includes the Kitsune, the Snake, the Oni, the Dragon, the Spider, and Lord Saito at the very top. Each name is painted onto a long white band of cloth, a grim to-do list worn like a badge of intent. With every kill, the name is struck out, not with ink but with blood, wiped away as if erased from existence. It’s a ritual both chilling and cathartic, echoing the bloody poetry of Tarantino’s Kill Bill while rooted firmly in the solemn elegance of a Kurosawa tragedy.
Where Ghost of Tsushima was a meditation on honor — about Jin Sakai’s struggle between the code of the samurai and the shadowy path of the shinobi — Ghost of Yotei cuts straight to the bone. Atsu is already a shinobi. There is no honor to preserve, no code to wrestle with. Her mission is pure, undiluted revenge, and every choice she makes is sharpened by that singular goal.
Ghost of Yōtei’s a story that thrives on simplicity but resonates through its execution: a lone warrior, a brutal past, and a journey painted in blood across a snow-draped canvas. And while the narrative stands strong on its own, it’s the way the game lets you live through that revenge — the mechanics, the combat, the flow of every strike — that makes Ghost of Yotei unforgettable
Gameplay That Cuts As Deep As the Story
From the very first cut, Ghost of Yotei tells you exactly what kind of game it is. Atsu delivers each sword swing with purpose while her attacks become merciless, and her finishing moves end in bloodshed. Atsu finishes her enemies by making them lose their limbs before they try to escape and plead for mercy before she delivers her fatal blow.
The violence is raw and unflinching, but never gratuitous; it’s purposeful, underscoring that this is a story fueled entirely by vengeance. It’s more ferocious, more fluid, and more immediate than anything Ghost of Tsushima offered. The immediacy is what impressed me most.
Where Tsushima eased players in with a slower setup, Ghost of Yōtei wastes no time. Within minutes, you’re handed Atsu’s iconic white band and, using the PS5’s DualSense touchpad, you swipe the names of the Yotei Six onto the cloth yourself. It’s a tactile ritual that makes the journey deeply personal — you aren’t just watching Atsu write her list, you’re the one doing it. From that moment, the path of revenge is clear, and the game throws you headfirst into combat.
Atsu fights with a complete and precise fighting style. Unlike Jin Sakai, who gradually unlocked his stances, Atsu begins with mastery of them all. She moves with speed and accuracy because she trained as a shinobi instead of following samurai traditions of honor.
Dodges are swift, parries snap with satisfying timing, and her katana combos flow together with lethal efficiency. What sets Yotei apart is how flexible combat feels — Atsu can disarm enemies and immediately weaponize their blades, hurling a fallen sword into another foe for an instant kill. It adds unpredictability and improvisation to fights that already feel fast and fluid.
The DualSense controller pulls you further into the action. Every slash reverberates through the haptics, parries bite with resistance, and heavy blows land with a crunch you can feel. Drawing a bowstring tightens the triggers under your fingers until release, while even quiet moments use the hardware in clever ways.
At camp, you tilt the controller to roast fish over a fire, swipe the touchpad to strike flint, and blow into the mic port to spark hay into flame. These details aren’t just gimmicks — they make downtime tactile and personal, reminding you that Atsu isn’t just a warrior but a survivor. The controller even finds uses in the world’s smaller diversions: gambling dens feature Hajiki, a coin-flicking game where the adaptive triggers perfectly mimic the flick of a coin, leaving your finger.
Progression also carries narrative weight. Altars of Reflection let you swipe the touchpad to meditate and unlock skills, while side quests grant new charms and abilities that keep Atsu evolving outside the main path. Returning to her family forge in Ezo is one of the most affecting mechanics in the game — you don’t simply “upgrade” weapons from a menu, you tilt the controller to hammer glowing iron, shaping a blade as Atsu’s father once did.
It turns progression into something intimate, tying gameplay systems directly to her story. Even her wolf companion plays a meaningful role, lunging at enemies and turning battles into coordinated chaos.
In Yotei, Steel Talks Louder Than A Tarantino Film
Ghost of Yotei provides players with the complete samurai combat experience after Ghost of Tsushima introduced them to Ghost of Yōtei. Combat in Ezo presents itself as diverse as the region’s natural landscapes because it includes numerous weapons and tools and armor sets, which create new combat experiences with each fight.
Atsu enters combat with all her weapons and elite training, which makes her more dangerous than any historical ronin warrior. The game presents a combat system that represents her development as well as the technological and cultural changes that occurred during the 300 years between the first and second games.
She carries her father’s forged katana as her main weapon, which she held during her childhood and now uses as the most dangerous blade in Ezo. Atsu operates without any specific style or limitations. Early in her journey, she reunites with one of her father’s allies atop Mount Yotei, who teaches her the art of dual katanas.
The blades allow her to move quickly and precisely through enemy formations while she generates a storm of steel during battles. Their agility stands out as their best weapon when fighting against enemies who wield spears and extended blades.
A predictable but well-executed story takes you through Ghost of Yotei's gorgeous landscapes and satisfying, fluid action – it may not be revolutionizing open world games, but it's a great distillation of the samurai fantasy.
— IGN (@IGN) September 25, 2025
Read our full review: https://t.co/Pu7AE6eFHs pic.twitter.com/Jq3H3onkXX
From there, the arsenal only grows. The Odachi, a massive two-handed blade learned from a master swordsman, allows Atsu to cleave through brutes and armored enemies with crushing force. The Yari, a long spear passed down by a fisherman master, gives her reach and control in duels, particularly when countering enemies armed with a Kusarigama.
Speaking of which, the Kusarigama itself — a chain equipped with a spiked ball on one end and a curved blade on the other — is perhaps the most versatile melee weapon in her kit. It whips shields away and breaks them, staggers groups, and enables grisly stealth kills by pulling enemies from cover into a waiting strike. In my playthrough, it became an indispensable tool, blending offense and stealth in a way no katana ever could.
Ranged combat, too, is deeper than ever. Standard bows return, with fire and poison arrows adding tactical variety. The Yumi, a longbow, introduces heavy arrows capable of puncturing helmets or staggering brutes, along with dismantling arrows that literally knock weapons from enemy hands. Then there are the firearms: matchlock rifles and pistols.
These early-modern weapons reflect the 1600s setting and add a layer of gritty realism to combat. Pistols can be quickfired with L1 during duels for devastating impact, while rifles offer slower, deliberate shots that can turn the tide in larger battles. Crafting ammo is simple and intuitive — you can set up camp anywhere from horseback, press the D-pad, and create arrows, bullets, or bombs with gathered resources. It ensures you’re never far from being fully armed.
Speaking of bombs, Yotei introduces a staggering variety: Scorch bombs that set enemies ablaze, Smoke bombs for quick escapes, and Blind bombs that work like flashbangs to disorient entire groups. Add in charms that grant quickfire bow abilities, letting you rain arrows on horseback without aiming, and combat becomes a toolbox of possibilities.
All of this is framed by a user interface that is elegant and unobtrusive. Switching weapons is fluid — R2 for melee, L2 for ranged — and menus expand naturally to accommodate the game’s larger arsenal without ever overwhelming the player. It’s the kind of design that feels invisible: easy to grasp, powerful once mastered.
The system extends beyond weapons to armor. Unlike Tsushima, where armor was more cosmetic, Yotei makes gear central to gameplay. Helmets, masks, and armor pieces aren’t just rewards from quests — they can be taken directly from defeated enemies and bounty targets. Each set comes with perks tailored to your playstyle: melee-focused armor for raw strength, stealth armor for silent infiltrations, lightweight gear for agility, and ranged-focused sets for precision builds.
Masks are especially striking, serving both as protection and as trophies that mark your growing legend across Ezo. The ability to upgrade armor at forges adds another layer of customization, encouraging you to experiment with builds that suit the mission at hand. Wait till a mission in Ezo hits that nostalgic chord and grants you a mask you never thought you’d wear or a sword you never thought you’d see again in Yotei (wink wink).
Even mobility gets its own spotlight with the grappling hook. Essential for exploration and combat, it lets Atsu swing across gaps, scale vertical terrain, and even rip down barricades with the help of allies. In battle, it’s a lifesaver, giving you verticality and creativity that expands the way encounters play out.
Together, these systems make Ghost of Yotei’s combat feel modern, varied, and deeply satisfying. Every weapon you acquire feels earned, every piece of armor carries weight, and every tool fits into a larger strategy. Whether you’re carving through brutes with an Odachi, picking off foes with a pistol, or pulling enemies into a Kusarigama strike, the game constantly invites you to experiment.
But weapons and armor are only half of the equation. How you use them — the assassinations you plan, the stealth routes you carve, the silent strikes you deliver — are just as vital. And it’s here, in the shadows, that Ghost of Yotei embraces its deadliest side.
A True Shinobi Kills Before the Target Knows Fear
The first time you slip into enemy territory as Atsu, you don’t feel like a warrior — you feel like a haunting. Soldiers whisper about the onryo, the vengeful spirit of a murdered girl returned to claim their souls. To them, Atsu is not flesh and blood but a phantom of vengeance. That supernatural dread is more than flavor — it’s the foundation of Ghost of Yotei’s stealth design, and it changes the way every assassination feels.
Strikes are smoother and deadlier than ever. Atsu can leap from rooftops to assassinate enemies from greater heights, chain together multiple kills in a single flowing motion, and melt back into cover before anyone realizes what happened. When a mistake happens, escape is just as fluid: blind bombs scatter foes in confusion, giving you space to vanish into the bushes and reset the encounter. The Kusarigama, with its hooked chain, takes stealth even further — letting you pull unsuspecting guards into the dark or stagger hulking brutes for a silent critical hit.
Moments of pure intimidation elevate the system. The Onryo’s Howl ability plunges the screen into black-and-white Kurosawa tones as Atsu cuts down enemies in a rapid frenzy. Survivors drop their weapons, terrified, convinced death itself has walked into their camp. Where Ghost of Tsushima’s Ghost Stance toyed with fear, Yotei fully embraces it, letting you weaponize the myth of the vengeful spirit.
Stealth also comes with new layers of awareness. An unlockable listening ability highlights enemy outlines through walls, barrels, and even clever disguises — vital for navigating Kitsune-controlled areas, where tricksters lie in wait. Puzzles tied to these infiltrations add another wrinkle: shrines etched with Kitsune symbols hide alternate assassination routes, but choosing the wrong pattern can spring traps or seal you inside.
Armor plays directly into this fantasy. The Nine Tails armor extends detection windows, muffles your steps, and makes you harder to track once spotted, giving every infiltration a razor-thin edge of tension. Bounty boards build on this, offering missions that demand precision kills and silent eliminations, forcing you to plan and deceive rather than rush in. Atsu isn’t just a ruthless killer — she’s a tactician, a deception artist who turns her enemies’ fear against them.
What’s remarkable is how natural it all feels. In Tsushima, being a “ghost” sometimes felt like betraying the samurai code. In Yotei, stealth and assassination aren’t dishonor — they’re survival, and they’re vengeance. That shift in philosophy makes Atsu’s journey not only deadlier but also more authentic to the fantasy of a shinobi.
But stealth is only half the equation. The stage where these bloody plays unfold — the open world of Ezo — is just as important. Its mountains, forests, shrines, and hidden strongholds don’t just frame the gameplay; they breathe life into it, shaping every encounter with their atmosphere.
The Ghost Doesn’t Stutter, It Shines
Running Ghost of Yotei on my base PS5 disc edition was nothing short of impressive. I started playing the game in performance mode from the beginning, which provided me with a smooth 120 FPS experience on my 1080p, 180 Hz monitor. The frame rate operated at a consistent rate during the opening combat sequences.
No stutters, no screen tearing, no washed-out frames, and crucially, no input lag with the DualSense controller. Combat felt fluid in a way that made parries, dodges, and weapon switches instinctive, as if the hardware and game were speaking the same language.
The game offers three visual modes under the display menu. The Quality mode operates at 30 frames per second and provides a higher resolution. The 30 FPS frame rate appears crisp, but it seems outdated for 2025 because the PS5 operates at such high performance levels. The game needs 60 FPS quality mode for Yotei, but the existing 30 FPS limit reduces its appeal to players who prioritize smooth gameplay over high resolution.
The performance mode provides the most enjoyable gaming experience because it keeps the frame rate at 60 FPS and generates between 90 to 120 FPS for a completely smooth gaming experience in every duel. This method represented the ultimate approach to play, according to me. Then there’s ray tracing mode, which enables high-quality lighting and reflections, but again, at the cost of 30 FPS and a lower resolution (not quite full HD, but still sharp enough).
The game achieves its cinematic exploration experience through its capped framerate, but this results in less practical combat gameplay. And across all three settings, cutscenes remain capped at 30 FPS, which can feel a little jarring after playing battles at triple that smoothness.
Even with those limitations, the game’s technical performance is outstanding. I deliberately pushed the system — storming fortresses filled with enemies, spamming explosive bombs, swinging across cliffside ropes — but the PS5 held steady without noticeable dips. Later on, I switched to quality mode to admire Ezo’s landscapes in sharper detail, and even there, the 30 FPS lock remained consistent. Sucker Punch clearly optimized Yotei for the PS5, and it shows.
The accessibility and visual settings deserve credit, too. Alongside the standard, Kurosawa, Miike, and Watanabe visual styles, players can also adjust blood levels, camera fluidity, and cinematic standoffs. Having those options makes the experience customizable, whether you want full player control or stylized drama.
One creative — but divisive choice comes with horse riding. Each time you mount, the aspect ratio shifts from 16:9 to CinemaScope (2.35:1), complete with black bars. It’s clearly meant to channel Kurosawa’s widescreen compositions, but there’s no option to turn it off.
After nearly an hour digging through menus, I confirmed it was a locked feature. While stylish, I often defaulted to fast travel simply because I wanted a full-screen view of Ezo’s beauty. It’s an artistic flourish, but one that feels limiting, and I hope Sucker Punch adds a toggle in a future patch.
On a visual level, Ezo is breathtaking. Blossoms swirl in the wind, snowstorms bury you in white, and fire lights up the night in crimson. Costumes and masks shine in vivid color, and blood splatter across Atsu’s band looks like crimson brushstrokes against the land. Whether you’re in performance mode or pushing visuals with quality or ray tracing, Ghost of Yotei proves itself a benchmark PS5 title where technical polish meets cinematic artistry.
After 40 hours wandering Ezo, I can safely say this is a generational showcase. Smooth, stunning, and deeply immersive, it elevates both gameplay and atmosphere.
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