Ghost Of Yotei Developer Interview: Evolving Combat For Atsu

Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, has finally arrived on PlayStation 5.

In my review, I said: “Ghost of Yōtei is pure cinematic brilliance, and Sucker Punch Productions deserves to be commended once more for knocking it out of the park and, in some ways, topping its predecessor.”

To celebrate the launch of Ghost of Yōtei, I had the opportunity to speak with Sucker Punch Productions' creative director, designer and writer, Nate Fox, about the game's new and improved combat system, and more.

One of the many things that I love about Ghost of Tsushima is the freedom of exploration given to the player, allowing us to embrace its large and visually stunning world.

That aspect has been enhanced in Ghost of Yōtei, not only with a much larger map but also with fewer restrictions on mission structure, with the player having more freedom to explore where and when they want to.

Ghost of Yotei, Sony Interactive Entertainment

“One of our top goals is to create an environment that is about that moment, such as that very tiny moment when you get done with the mission and the music's kinda faded out and the bombastic combat's over, and you just look around and you say, ‘oh, what am I gonna do next?’” explains Nate.

“You then see something kind of strange on a hill nearby, and your curiosity says, ‘I'm gonna go check that out’. Then you discover another story or a piece of gear. After that, you spot something else odd on the beach, so you go there. It’s that curiosity that is so wonderful about open world games, because you’re following your bliss and time melts away.”

Ghost of Yōtei is set roughly 300 years after the events of Ghost Tsushima, and as such, certain aspects of that time have changed, notably the weapons at the disposal of its protagonist, Atsu, and her enemies.

“Our process for researching Ghost of Yōtei was the same as Ghost of Tsushima, as a bunch of Americans at Sucker Punch Productions, we knew that we needed to surround ourselves with advisors who could guide us so that we could provide a sense of authenticity,” says Nate.

“So, of course, we have a lot of colleagues in Tokyo who we reached out to who can play the game and provide feedback. We brought in advisors on all sorts of things. For instance, how to hold a weapon correctly or how to draw a bow.”

“My favourite adviser that came in for Ghost of Yōtei is an expert who we saw online, and she drew two swords really quickly. So, we flew her out to our studios, and motion captured her for the game, and that's what you see when you play Ghost of Yōtei. She really knew how to hold a katana, and the fluidity translated in the game is evident.”

Ghost of Yotei, Sony Interactive Entertainment

In Ghost of Tsushima, while naive, Jin Sakai was a man who grew up in a noble family surrounded by samurai. However, while this may have given him an advantage during combat, he was conflicted by a samurai code, a code that Atsu does not abide by, being a ronin for hire, hellbent on revenge against the Yōtei Six who slaughtered her family.

“Unlike Jin, Atsu was denied her training and essentially learned on the job. She never had the luxury of having senseis at her disposal. She had to meet them on her travels. Also, while female warriors were present at the time, they were very uncommon, and Atsu does not always receive the warmest of welcomes from those who may be able to train her,” Nate continues.

“Atsu is not held back by a samurai code of honour. She’ll do whatever it takes to win. So with that, we changed the combat system in Ghost of Yōtei to be a little more improvisational. My favourite example of this is when you disarm an enemy, and then you can pick up their weapon and throw it back at them or one of the other enemies in the vicinity.”

One of the differences that I’ve noticed in combat is that it seems like Atsu takes more damage than Jin, with me encountering more near-death moments in Ghost of Yōtei.

“You’re right, Atsu does go down more than Jin because when developing the sequel, we became even more aware of how deadly the blade weapons were at the time. Atsu has a similar health bar to Jin, but I believe enemies also go down faster. In general, the combat is a bit more deadly than Ghost of Tsushima,” explains Nate.

“We’ve also added five difficulty levels in Ghost of Yōtei, whereas Ghost of Tsushima launched with three. We got feedback from players who enjoyed playing the Lethal difficulty, which was added later. So on the harder difficulties, especially, you could die with any blow.”

Ghost of Yotei, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Some of the new weapons introduced in Ghost of Yōtei are firearms, namely the Tanzutsu (a pistol for close range) and the Tanegashima (a rifle for long range), both of which would have been introduced in Japan, roughly 50 years before the events of the game. With Ghost of Tsushima being so melee and bow-focused, Nate explains the importance of introducing the new firearms in Ghost of Yōtei to ensure that the balance of combat is maintained.

“We wanted to make sure that in Ghost of Yōtei, the sword is still the most dominant weapon, and we didn't want to replace it with a firearm. In terms of keeping the gameplay balanced, to reload these guns at the time, you have to ram gunpowder down the barrel to get ready for just one shot.

“The time between application and gunfire is so long that anybody could run up to you during that process and kill you with a blade or one-shot you with a bow, which has a greater fire rate. Moreover, when you fire a gun, sure, it’s gonna do a lot of damage, but it’s also very loud and it will draw a lot of attention to your location, so it’s not a good weapon to use for stealth. You’ve got to be very selective when you use it.”

In Ghost of Tsushima, the horse is not only a great way to travel and enjoy its gorgeous open world, but the horse is also your companion and a friend in war. Ghost of Yōtei is no exception, but as a player, Nate wants you to have a stronger connection with your horse.

Ghost of Yotei, Sony Interactive Entertainment

“We take your relationship with the horse very seriously,” says Nate. “Because you spend so much time on horseback and engaging with the environment. So we invested in more ways to make horse riding feel more like a skill, not only by adding to the skill tree over Ghost of Tsushima, but there are also lines of white flowers in the world that give you a speed boost, and more.

“You can also make your horse jump [something that wasn't in Ghost of Tsushima]. You can steeple jump over obstacles to create a sense of flow through the landscape. Ranged combat has also been improved on horseback, and you can leap to unleash a devastating blow. Your horse is your best buddy in Ghost of Yōtei. That being said, if you’re surrounded by enemies, it might be best to get off your horse to engage in combat.”

It’s clear that Nate has so much passion for the world and gameplay he has helped craft in Ghost of Yōtei, so it only seemed right to ask him what his favourite weapon in the game is.

“I love using melee weapons, especially the dual-wielding katanas, and the speed at which Atsu can take down her enemies. I find it really intoxicating. However, I love sneaking about and taking out enemies with a headshot using the longbow.

“It’s so satisfying, the way it throws them back on impact. It’s liberating. But what I’m really proud about with Ghost of Yōtei is that it’s not just a stealth, melee or ranged game. It can be all of them. You can switch between styles on the fly. It supports the fantasy that you have for Atsu as a character. I’m really proud of Ghost of Yōtei.

Ghost of Yōtei is out now, exclusively on PlayStation 5.