Ghost of Yotei [REVIEW] – A Blade Sharpened to Perfection

Let’s be honest, following the success of Ghost of Tsushima, any sequel was bound to face enormous pressure – it raised the bar for cinematic storytelling, fluid combat, and open-world design, and trying to build upon that put a LOT of hefty expectations in place. However, with Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch hasn’t just met those expectations… it has surpassed them. By building on Ghost of Tsushima’s foundation, addressing its weaknesses, and embracing a darker, more ambitious vision, Ghost of Yotei emerges as both a worthy successor and also one of the best games available on the PlayStation 5.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Rather than return to Jin Sakai’s tale from the previous game, Ghost of Yotei introduces Atsu, a mercenary turned onryo who has spent years preparing to hunt the Yotei Six – the masked killers who destroyed her family. It’s a classic revenge arc in many ways, but one that manages to feel fresh thanks to Atsu’s vulnerability and fire, and whilst Jin’s struggle was bound by questions of honour, Atsu’s path is more personal, raw, and absolutely f*****g brutal.

Her story actually unfolds across two timelines: the present, where she cuts down her enemies one by one, and flashbacks that immerse the player in her tragic past. These playable memories don’t just provide exposition though, but place players directly in Atsu’s headspace, allowing them to feel that emotional connection with her family and, perhaps more importantly, her loss and anger firsthand. It really enriches the narrative, layering moments of emotional intimacy within the wider tale of vengeance in ways that help elevate Ghost of Yotei’s narrative above more than just being a simple tale about revenge.

And the antagonists? I couldn’t help but to love them, with each member of the Yōtei Six distinct, their encounters laced with tension and spectacle, and bringing with them a fiery sense of villainy that makes your plight to defeat them more meaningful and tense. Leading them is Saito, a ruthless visionary whose rebellion blurs the line between liberation and tyranny, and while Atsu’s goal is deeply personal, the villain’s broader ambitions lend complexity to what might otherwise have been a straightforward tale. The character development across the story is absolutely brilliant, and whilst there’s a clear hero and villain, everything in-between is rarely black and white… it’s tantalising from start to end.

Ghost of Yotei does a lot of wonderful things that I’m excited to talk about, but man, I simply can’t get over how beautiful it is. Set in 1603 on the northern island of Ezo, the world of Ghost of Yotei is every bit as stunning as Ghost of Tsushima, and perhaps even more entrancing with its mesmerising sights and landscapes. Mount Yotei dominates the landscape throughout, but it’s surrounded by rolling fields, dense forests, and vibrant villages that help bring everything to life with staggering detail. The art direction is simply extraordinary: fields burst alive with colour as birds scatter before your horse, wolves roam the wilderness, and butterflies swirl around hidden shrines, and of course, seeing everything blowing in the wind always looks phenomenal. Sucker Punch have once again proven that they are simply masters of visual design.

“By delivering a darker, more personal story, expanding player freedom in how they progress through the world, refining combat with fresh mechanics, and making full use of the PlayStation 5’s power and features, Sucker Punch has created something truly extraordinary here.”

Performance is equally strong, with multiple graphics modes to suit different preferences, whilst PlayStation 5 Pro owners are getting the best of both worlds when it comes to both frame rates and visual fidelity. Load times are practically non-existent too, allowing instant fast travel and seamless transitions that keep you immersed… that’s probably to be expected though, especially since the team at Sucker Punch managed to pull that off on the PlayStation 4 with Ghost of Tsushima (I’ll never get over how fast that’s game’s loading was).

They’ve doubled down on player freedom this time around too, pulling back the subtle hand-holding often associated with traditional open-world design, with one of the most liberating aspects of Ghost of Yotei coming with how it allows you to decide the order in which you pursue the Yotei Six. Rather than forcing you down a rigid path, the game lets you gather clues, interrogate enemies, and follow leads that naturally point you toward each target, with this freedom giving the campaign a sense of agency – you’re not just playing through a predetermined checklist, but actively choosing how Atsu’s revenge unfolds. It ensures your journey has that personal touch, with exploration across the world and the sense of discovery that comes with it very much player-led.

The guiding wind returns to subtly point you toward your chosen path while foxes once again lure you to secrets, but locales around you are unveiled as rumours scrawled onto your map, encouraging curiosity rather than checklist fatigue. Each bring a variety of activities within them too, each of which are varied and purposeful to keep the player engaged in exploration without it feeling like unnecessary filler or bloat – each feels rewarding, often providing gear upgrades, charms, or side stories that weave naturally into Atsu’s journey. It makes almost every activity feel narratively relevant, with side quests unfolding as multi-stage adventures that reveal new layers of the world (and sometimes even Atsu herself), and whether you’re investigating myths that lead to legendary weapons, protecting villages, or simply forging bonds with recurring NPCs, each thread of Ghost of Yotei’s world feels worth pursuing.

Perhaps most crucially of all, the pacing of everything is masterful. The game balances its central narrative with a steady stream of diversions that never feel like distractions, and whether chasing rumours, interrogating enemies for leads, or simply riding across Ezo’s fields, the desire to explore and soak in everything that Ghost of Yotei has to offer is constant. Hours slip away effortlessly as you lose yourself in its beauty and variety, yet when you stop playing, you’ll always find yourself wanting to come back for more: not only because it’s so damn fun to play, but because the world feels so special to be a part of. It’s rare that games get that kind of hook into me these days, but Ghost of Yotei managed it effortlessly.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Combat in the game is equally enthralling, with it building on Ghost of Tsushima’s foundation whilst pushing it in new directions. Gone are Jin’s stances, and in their place, Atsu wields a diverse arsenal of weapons that function in a rock-paper-scissors relationship against different enemy types. The single katana excels in one-on-one duels, dual blades overwhelm polearm users, the odachi devastates brutes, Atsu’s spear counters dual-wielders, and the kusarigama shatters shields… it’s a lot to take in, but the longer you play, the more everything flows throughout gameplay without a second thought.

Switching fluidly between these weapons mid-battle creates thrilling variety too, and when you add to this a suite of ranged options (with the bow being a personal favourite) and the range of tools at your disposal, fights feel dynamic, tactical, and cinematic. And hey, Atsu can dispatch enemies with brutal efficiency or lean into stealth, with Ghost of Yotei giving players a lot of freedom in how they want to approach enemy encounters. Of course, standoffs and duels return as highlights too, testing your reflexes and nerves in tense, cinematic encounters that feel like they could have easily been lifted straight out of the samurai movies of the past.

It all comes together to make for an excellent combat system that’s constantly satisfying and continually developing as you play, but its real beauty comes in its rhythm. Every battle is a dance of aggression, counters, and adaptability, and with a constant slew of enemy types to face off against or varied combat scenarios to find yourself in, the game always manages to keep you on your toes.

I’d be remiss not to mention how wonderfully the features of the DualSense controller are integrated into the game too, with both the adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and controller touchpad all smartly used . Swiping to summon the wind, play the shamisen, or bow feels intuitive, while painting sumi-e, plucking strings, or forging weapons through subtle motion controls showcase just how deeply the controller has been considered in designing the game. It’s up there with Astro Bot in how well it utilises the DualSense’s features… it really is THAT good and makes a big difference when it comes to player immersion.

Developer: Sucker Punch
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed)
Website: https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/ghost-of-yotei/