Set over 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, within the Edo period, Ghost of Yōtei trades the moral conflict of Jin Sakai for a tale of pure revenge with Atsu, a ruthless ronin hellbent on inflicting pain on those who slaughtered her family, collectively known as the Yōtei Six. Sucker Punch Productions has taken what was learned from Ghost of Tsushima to deliver one of its best games yet.
Atsu isn’t held back by the samurai code; she’s also an efficient bounty hunter, which opens up a plethora of interesting encounters with NPCs, as well as being a great way to earn currency, upgrade armour, and buy resources. Speaking of upgrades, there’s a creative way in which Atsu improves her katana, with skills being passed down by her blacksmith father, but more on that later.
Ironically, Atsu has a bounty of her own placed on her head, so NPCs will be hunting you down too. As you progress, that bounty will increase which, in turn, encourages the hunt to be even more relentless. However, if you’re lucky, whether it’s a bounty on you or a bounty you're after, you might be able to interrogate an NPC for intel on the Yōtei Six.
Without giving too much away, despite lacking some of the instant hook of Jin’s story, Ghost of Yōtei is still an emotional rollercoaster. It may take a while for events to begin unfolding, but once they do, I have little doubt that Atsu’s story will keep you engaged throughout, as it did me.
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Developers at Sucker Punch have made it clear in the game’s lead-up that players can explore the map of Yōtei as they please, with no direct instruction on where and when to approach the game’s missions. Using Atsu’s spyglass, she’s able to scope areas of interest that will automatically be marked on her map. Some missions will also unlock as you build relationships with select NPCs.
In Ghost of Tsushima, missions and areas would appear on the map as they were unlocked or approached. That still happens in Ghost of Yōtei, but some secluded areas are still very easy to miss, which is great for those who like to explore every corner of a map. I’d say that the mission structure doesn't feel as open as Sucker Punch may have led us to believe, but its approach still offers more player freedom over its predecessor in that respect.
There are also plenty of side-activities to keep you busy, such as the returning bamboo strikes, shrines, fox dens, and so forth. Ghost of Yōtei also has new activities, not only with dynamic NPC quests but also those that are triggered when encountering a wolf den. When you discover a wolf den, it will most likely result in you helping to save some of its pack. Taking part in these wolf missions will build your bond with him and unlock new companion abilities, with the wolf aiding you in battles and sometimes, reviving you when on the brink of death.
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So, how does Ghost of Yōtei play compared to Ghost of Tsushima? There’s not a massive difference between the two, and that’s fine. I love the gameplay from the 2020 game, and if that were flipped on its head for the sake of it, I would find that unnecessarily frustrating. What Sucker Punch has done is fine-tune combat and make it feel a bit more satisfying.
For example, dodging and parrying are more vital for Atsu. Sure, Jin takes a lot of damage from larger opponents, but it feels like Atsu takes a bigger hit on her health bar. I don’t know if this is a deliberate choice by Sucker Punch with Atsu not being as physically strong as Jin, but it certainly adds more urgency when she’s in combat.
At her disposal, Atsu will have four main weapons (with some variations) that will unlock during different stages of the game. Those four weapons are the katana, a bow, as well as two new weapons, a yari and a kusarigama.
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A yari is a spear that’s great for attacks at a distance, which can be especially helpful when parrying. As for the kusarigama, it’s a chained weapon with a sharp iron hook and weight on each end. This is probably the most fun of the four main weapons. It’s great for attacking at a distance, especially larger groups of enemies, but also for disarming those with shields, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Each of the four weapons should be selected to best counter what an enemy might be wielding at that time. For example, if an enemy is coming at you with a yari, the best weapon to counter is a katana, but not just any katana, rather the duel-wielding variation. Knowing what weapons to strategically use kept me on my toes, especially when surrounded by enemies as I frantically switched on the fly, and if you fail to do this effectively, Atsu will face an untimely demise.
Matchlock rifles and pistols were introduced during the Sengoku period (around 1540), 60 years before the events of the game. Atsu has access to firearms later on which is a blast, no pun intended, although they do feel a little strange given they weren’t present in Ghost of Tsushima. I suppose this plays into the feeling that many Japanese natives must have felt during the Sengoku and Edo periods when such alien weapons entered circulation.
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When the PlayStation 5 launched, Sony made a big deal about the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, and rightly so. Thanks to the advanced rumble features and the dynamic pressure of the trigger buttons, the DualSense can add extra layers of immersion, whether you’re feeling the pull of a bow or colliding into something.
Yet, it feels that the impressive features of the DualSense are still being neglected by some major studios. Thankfully, Sucker Punch is still taking advantage of these features. I mentioned earlier that Atsu uses blacksmith skills to create and upgrade her katana. This takes place at her family home, with you simulating a hammer hitting hot metal, moving the DualSense up and down. Trust me, it’s a lot cooler than it sounds.
When at Atsu’s family home, she’s able to switch between the present day and her childhood by the player holding the touchpad, which transitions seamlessly. I don’t want to give too much away, but this unlocks some interesting backstory for Atsu’s family, namely regarding her father, mother, and twin brother. You’re not able to switch between the two timelines whenever you want; it can only be done at her home and in some select moments elsewhere, but it's impressive when it happens.
The DualSense features are also used when cooking fish and mushrooms at a campfire, which will give you temporary buffs for attack, stealth, and such. You’ll flick the touchpad to spark a flint and then gently press RT to blow on the flint to spark a fire. You’ll then use the motion controls to hover uncooked food over the fire until it's ready to eat.
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What’s more, you’ll not only feel the vibrating clank of a parrying katana but also hear its sharp sound through the built-in DualSense speaker. These are just a few examples. Ghost of Yōtei is one of the best games that takes advantage of the DualSense features. I just wish that other developers made more use of it too.
Visually, Ghost of Yōtei looks even better than its predecessor, which is really saying something. You can tell that Sucker Punch has benefited from Ghost of Yōtei being developed exclusively for PlayStation 5 and not being held back as a cross-gen title.
Its massive open world has gorgeous and varied locations, from flowery fields illuminated by vibrant colours to misty mountains that treat you to stunning vistas, or snow-blizzards in the northern regions. Seeing the sun rise and set, while traversing on horseback, will have you frantically mashing the PlayStation 5’s capture button like few other games can.
As for the soundtrack, it’s sublime. You can tell that composer Toma Otowa has gone the extra mile to ensure that Ghost of Yōtei sounds as beautiful as it looks. The soundtrack perfectly captures each moment, whether it’s an intense boss battle, a heartwarming conversation, or simply listening to Atsu play her shamisen. Everything is a treat for your ears.
Ghost of Yōtei has a wonderful cast of characters, voiced by its talented actors, no matter the language. If you choose native Japanese, which is the most authentic way to play Ghost of Yōtei, it’s especially immersive when choosing the returning Kurosawa cinematic mode that replicates classic samurai movies of yesteryear with a stunning, slightly distressed black and white filter.
I will say that Erika Ishii’s delivery as Atsu is quite dry compared to Daisuke Tsuji’s Jin Sakai, but I feel that’s by design. Atsu is very blunt, sarcastic and, at times, a little bit cocky. Under that tough exterior, however, is a woman who just wants to show love, and Erika Ishii captures that tone with their performance wonderfully.
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. I’m somewhat torn between this and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, but without question, Ghost of Yōtei is one of the absolute best games of 2025.
Pros: Fun combat, stunning visuals, compelling story, sublime soundtrack
Cons: Atsu isn't quite as interesting as Jin
For fans of: Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin’s Creed Shadows
9/10: Exceptional
Ghost of Yōtei releases on 2 October 2025 on PlayStation 5. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Ghost Of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch, Sony, PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Preview