Ghost of Yotei Review: The Art of Vengeance, Reimagined

Ghost of Yotei, out now on the PlayStation 5, is Sucker Punch Productions’ second masterpiece that has me completely glued to the TV once again. Ghost of Tsushima was a landmark — visually stunning, narratively rich, and an absolute joy to play. Topping something that beloved is no small task. Yet somehow, the folks at Sucker Punch have outdone themselves.

Set in rural Japan roughly 300 years after Jin Sakai’s saga in Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei introduces us to Atsu, a lone warrior driven by vengeance after the brutal murder of her family. The story doesn’t tie directly to the events of Ghost of Tsushima, which means you can jump straight in even if you missed the first game. That said, its spirit — the exploration, the dance between stealth and steel, and the haunting beauty of feudal Japan — feels instantly familiar. What truly sets Yotei apart, though, is how confidently it carries that legacy into something darker, more intimate, and more refined through the story's evolution.

PROS

Deep, emotionally grounded story
Brave, full-of-personality protagonist in Atsu
Variations in the combat system make it challenging
Gorgeous visuals
Seamless blend of exploration and storytelling
New visual modes add cinematic variety

CONS

Camera positioning can get frustrating during crowded fights
Plays it safe in parts instead of pushing new ideas further

Ghost of Yotei Review: The Art of Vengeance, Reimagined

Story and the Open World

“The Oni. The Kitsune. The Yotei Six.” Get used to hearing that a lot — because Ghost of Yotei is, at its core, a tale of revenge.

You step into the world as Atsu, a lone warrior returning to her homeland, Ezo, with nothing but rage in her heart and a katana on her back. The opening sequence wastes no time setting the tone. In a single, memorable moment, you use the DualSense touchpad to help Atsu inscribe the names of her enemies, the six who destroyed her family — kicking off a journey that’s equal parts vengeance and self-discovery.

But what really elevates Yotei’s storytelling is its structure. Instead of simply throwing you into a revenge checklist, the game lets the story breathe. Through integrated flashbacks, you experience Atsu’s childhood— flashing back to moments of warmth, laughter, mushroom plucking, and family life before it all fell apart. These scenes add valuable context to the narrative, keeping you emotionally invested and, to an extent, personally connected to her journey.

Atsu herself is nothing like Jin Sakai. Where Jin was the conflicted samurai torn between honour and necessity, Atsu is pure grit. A self-trained mercenary whose combat style reflects her upbringing. Every slash, parry, and stealth kill feels born out of survival rather than discipline. She’s unrefined, unpredictable, and that gives Yotei a very different energy.

What’s particularly impressive is how the open world mirrors the game’s emotional weight. Ezo is colder, harsher, and far less romanticised than Tsushima. The visuals are still stunning with grasslands and snowy mountains. The open world has a lot to offer, including side quests that let you help people around. There’s also a bounty system where you hunt people who have a bounty on their head in return for rewards. Traversal is also smooth and intuitive; you can fast-travel to unlocked areas. And, the best part is that you can now set camp almost anywhere. This camp then basically becomes another location that you can fast travel to. At the camp, Atsu just sits by the fire, cooks some fish, plays an instrument and chats up with fellow travellers, giving you some breather between all the revenge and the chaos. Speaking of cooking fish, Ghost of Yotei puts the DualSense’s features to proper use. You actually use the controller to flip the fish while it cooks, or swing it like a hammer when shaping your katana.

Photo Credit: Sony/ Sucker Punch Productions

That said, the world still sticks to a familiar rhythm. You’ll still find tall grass to sneak through for stealth kills, you can still have a standoff mid-route to your next tracked location, and the wind still helps you with direction. It’s clear Sucker Punch wanted to preserve the soul of Tsushima while building something new around it. But in doing so, Ghost of Yotei plays things a little safe. It doesn’t reinvent the open-world wheel, and that familiarity, while comforting, also makes the experience feel slightly predictable at times.

Gameplay and Combat

If there’s one thing Sucker Punch continues to absolutely nail, it’s how combat feels. Ghost of Yotei keeps the foundation that made Tsushima so satisfying, but refines it just enough to feel faster, more deliberate, playful and also challenging.

Photo Credit: Sony/ Sucker Punch Productions

Atsu’s movements are tighter, and her stance transitions more fluidly. And, with five weapons at her disposal, you just know things are going to get bad. Besides the katana, you unlock new weapons as you progress through the story and meet characters who teach you how to wield them. They’re not just collectables or filler gear; each weapon has its place, and knowing when to switch between them makes a big difference. It’s not a strict rule, but you’ll quickly learn when it’s smarter (and faster) to trade your katana for an Odachi.

Timing, of course, remains the core of combat. Whether it’s a standoff or a last-second parry, the game rewards precision just like Tsushima did. Even disarming moments have a visual cue, with a quick flash of yellow before your weapon gets knocked away. And if that happens mid-fight, Atsu’s wolf companion can literally save your skin by biting the enemy’s arm, giving you just enough time to grab your weapon again. What doesn’t quite click, though, is the camera. Atsu’s positioned to the far left of the frame, which looks cinematic in solo duels but becomes frustrating in crowded fights. It narrows your field of view, making it easy for enemies to flank or cheap-shot you from the blind side.

At its core, the gameplay in Ghost of Yotei stays familiar, with a few refinements sprinkled in, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are several quality-of-life touches I genuinely appreciated. For one, NPCs now match your pace during certain side quests, so you’re not awkwardly jogging circles around them while they ramble mid-crisis. When you’re galloping through the grasslands, herds of wild horses often join in, tracing your exact path — mostly for visual flair and photo mode, but it’s a nice, cinematic touch. The graphics in Ghost of Yotei are nothing short of stunning, and it’s essentially a showcase of what the PlayStation 5 is capable of.

There’s also a suite of visual modes returning from Tsushima, including the iconic Kurosawa mode. Even without switching it on, the cinematography carries his influence throughout. You’ll notice it in the way storms roll in before a duel, or how sunlight cuts through the mist during a quiet dialogue. It’s subtle, but deliberate. New this time are two other modes: Takashi Miike Mode, which tightens the camera, adds more grit and blood, and makes combat feel nastier; and Watanabe Mode, inspired by anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, layering in lo-fi tracks that somehow make side quests and long rides feel effortlessly cool.

Verdict

Ghost of Yotei doesn’t try to overshadow Ghost of Tsushima; it builds on it. And for me, that’s precisely what makes it work. It’s darker, slower, and far more personal, telling a story that’s less about heroism and more about the weight of living with loss. Atsu’s journey isn’t always easy to watch or play through, but it sticks with you.

Sucker Punch clearly didn’t want to reinvent everything. The combat still feels sharp, exploration still feels meditative, and the open world feels beautifully alive in its own cold, lonely way. Sure, the camera can be a bit frustrating, and some parts of the game feel like they could’ve done with some experiments, but the game’s emotional depth more than makes up for it.

What stood out most for me is how Yotei knows when to slow down. It lets you breathe — between duels, between storms, between memories. And when a game can make you stop mid-ride just to watch the snow settle on your armour, that’s when you know it’s something special. It’s without a doubt a must-play, especially if you have enjoyed Tshumima.