Ghost of Yotei – PS5 Review
Ghost on Yotei is yet another example of why Playstation Studios are the one and true king of the singleplayer console exclusive. Their unwavering support of studios like Sucker Punch, allows for not only some of the most technically impressive games around, but also the most beautiful and engaging.
Game director of Ghost of Yotei, Nate Fox, said one of the reasons Playstation Studios is so brilliant in supporting game designers, is that they still hold true to their “Sony Studios” origins. This is in reference to the early Playstation days, when Sony moved from being a music recording label to the video game world. Sony understood they were still dealing with artists, not corporate robots, so allowing for their creative freedoms was paramount. All these years later, that ethos remains under the surface for Sony.
Gerad from Koru-Cottage got to sit down with Ghost of Yoteis’ Campaign Directer, Rob Davis. Gerard also gleemed some awesome insight into the game. Check it out here!
My review of Ghost of Tsushima back in 2020 was one of positivity, tinged with a general recoiling from the inclusion of many open-world tropes. An exasperation at the Ubisoft-ification of what felt like all open world games at the time. But, upon reflection I don’t think I stand by that now. And certainly not through the lense of 2025 and Ghost of Yotei. I think the refinement Sucker Punch has bought in these two games, is actually the natural counter to what Ubisoft did to open world games.
What I mean is that, they have gone the other direction to a less is more. Not to the complete magic that is Elden Ring where NOTHING is explained. As the ghost games are still chasing a “mainstream appeal” type title. But the Tsushima and Yotei games have a map and world that has to be explored and unfurled, unlike Ubisoft games which are just covered in the detritus of map markers.
So, with that ham-fistedly explained, what is Ghost of Yotei?
Yotei is set in Japan a couple hundred years after Tsushima. It is totally unrelated and its own stand-alone title. The mechanics and world design use much of the same language and touchstones however. Yotei is the final refinement of Sucker Punches open world games, it is polished, beautiful to look at and has smoothed off any and all minor rough edges that Tsushima had.
As with Tsushima, Yoeti is an out and out Japanese cultural adventure. All be it this time more Mercenary/Ronin romp as opposed to Jins story of samurai honor versus doing what needs to be done. As in our interview with Rob Davis, the wandering Mercenary idea is at the heart of the game and the team was super excited about this new story. And it shows in the game.
Main character Atsu falls in the classic revenge story, told in many Japanese Samuri flicks. After whe watched her patrents murdered by the Yotei Six, she goes off to master her skills, returnig home to dish out some cold revenge years later.
I won’t spoil anything story wise, only to say, Atsu is a more enjoyable chacter to follow, than Jin was. She seems more brutal, more scarred and deeply flawed. There is no honor or regimented ideology to adhere too, which I liked. Jin was just a bit…well, stuffy for my liking.
After ariving home, Atsu explores the Northern island of Japan and quests to find Mercenary Bounties which pay the bills and also quests and leads to find the Yotei Six open up. But, it is so organic. The time and effort that Sucker Punch have put into making any and all missions or quests feel unique is to be applauded.
One of note for me, was a quest to locate a armour set. This started with a chat with a local story teller, then required finding wind charms, then ringing them and following the wind to the next clue. This culminated in a show-down under a cliff near the raging ocean. The whole thing was so organic and free flowing. No “Ubisoft” exclamation mark, no go here, do this flashing icon. Just follow ya nose navigation…
…which can only be achieved with stellar game design!
This top-teir game design runs through every aspect of the game. The obvious touch stones are the graphics, the mission design and the combat. Which are all stellar. But I want to give the User Interface (UI) and menu design a shout out. Strange I know, but I can not give “props” to this team. Ghost of Yotei has some of the most beutiful menus I have ever seen in a game.
Not just pretty however, but simple, functional and enjoyable to navigate. That goes even deeper, into the game systems too. Such as fast travel. Once again, it is a well thought out refinement of well trodden open world tropes. To make it more functional. As within the option to fast-travel to a town, for example. There is an extra step to go to what area of a town or Inn you need, to just “Bamf” straight to the sword smith or the bounty board etc… So easy, intuative and respectful of a gamers time!
Combat is similar to Tsushima, with its rock, paper, scissors, mix and match mechanic. But instead of the disiplined “stances” of Jin, Atsu has weapons she masters through her journey. So to suppliment her trustee Katana, there is a spear, dual katana and others. That can all be used in the right circumstances to make short work of enemies.
I didn’t like it as much as the stances from Tsushima. When Atsu pulled out a 7-foot spear from knowhere, it broke my emersion. But I suppose it plays into the narrative of a mercenary using every tool at her disposal, where Jin was a diciplined Samurai with years of traning in the Katana.
This world Sucker Punch have created, this stylised northern Japan, is gorgeous. I cannot understate how good this game looks, even on the standard PS5. The colours, the sounds, the feel of the world is so artful, so true to a vision! Few games in the AAA space get the freedom to do this, a even fewer could pull it off.
Ghost of Yotei is yet another earth shattering achievement for Playstation Studios. Hats off indeed.
