Ghost of Yotei is one of the best games Ive played this year, with beauty, style, and visceral action running through its veins

Date:
Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Ghost of Yotei is a superb and beautiful sequel that iterates on its predecessor in all the best ways.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

I have caught myself reliving riding my horse across Ghost of Yotei s landscape of 17th-century Japan almost every time Ive put the game down since starting it.

From the simplest of jogs between locations, or the longest of horse rides across sweeping lands, through fields, and over rivers, theres just something truly beautiful about it that has consumed me. Review info Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5
Release date: October 2, 2025

And while the world of Ghost of Yotei is one of the best Ive played in years, and one of the most spectacular things about the game, its only one of a number of highlights in the PS5 exclusive.

The worldbuilding and sense of place the lands offer is supported by an epic tale that twists and turns, an interesting protagonist who develops as the story goes, multi-faceted, immense, and bloody, moreish combat, and a smattering of enjoyable open-world and role-playing game (RPG) staples.
Which, even though they can be repetitive sometimes, also bring much value
and meat to the experience.

It wears the influence of its predecessor on its sleeve prominently, but
Ghost of Yotei has been more than worth the wait. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) A tale for the ages

Set a few hundred years after Ghost of Tsushima , you are Atsu an outlaw making a return to her homeland of Ezo with revenge on the mind. Be prepared to hear the phrase The Yotei Six an awful lot in the first half of the main story in particular, as that is who Atsu is chasing down: six masked-up baddies who inflicted great pain on her and her family when she was a child.

Complemented by intriguing flashbacks that give greater context to that original pain, the story of Atsu chasing after these six almost-mythical enemies is an epic one. It has twists and turns and is deeply cinematic and gripping, and Atsu and the change she experiences along the way make her a compelling protagonist. You can feel the anger and deliberation in her encounters, in her visceral combat actions; and you can see how her
relentless pursuit of justice changes her outlook along the way, too.

And while the premise of hunting down the six masked big bads is similar to Assassins Creed: Shadows , a linear revenge tale, and checking off an assassination hitlist, this is not. There are more layers to the story and to each of the narratives around the enemies to get stuck into. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Experiencing the beauty of nature

That stylish way that the story is delivered is indicative of the lands that it takes place in, too - as well as how you explore it.

Firstly, the scenery and sense of place in the games landscapes and environments are wonderful. From expansive, sweeping fields of grasses and flowers bathed in sunshine, to the icy mountainsides of an arctic, wintry region. And from the spring-like, verdant, and lush fluvial landscapes either side of meandering waterways to the gorgeous and blinding oranges and golds
of hundreds of trees in their autumn form, all four seasons are draped over the landscapes of Ghost of Yotei beautifully.

As well as offering sheer beauty, everything seems truly part of the environment; each location does seem purposefully placed, sprouting from the ground or perched on it intentionally.

Theres also a wider use of the landscape to create landscape moments as I
call them; using the wind for guidance is a sheer joy once again, throwing up thousands of flower petals as you bound across plains is a thrill, and theres a few moments where your ride across the countryside or along winding tracks is accompanied by wonderful and haunting songs. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Mapping an adventure

Taking the importance of the landscape and environment further is Atsus in-game map, the way objectives are presented, and also how exploration and discovery work.

In short, the map is outstanding. Its art style is gorgeous, and the way
icons and your travel route appear on it like paintings is great. Additionally, cartographers maps can be bought and placed over areas on your own map to reveal locations in an incredibly satisfying way that brings the map to life as opposed to being a static resource. This is echoed by other locations on the map being slightly animated, rather than just quest markers on a static background.

The details are excellent here, too. For example, if it's raining in the world, youll see a pitter-patter of raindrops fall on your map. Teaming this map with your spyglass makes for satisfying exploration that nails the see that over there, mark it, and go there incentive, which is key to a well-done RPG world.

Additionally, there isnt a smattering of side quest markers on the map or a list of text in your menu - theres a superb card system instead, which is stylish and artsy - and you can stumble across simple side encounters naturally through exploration. Its a world that demands to be explored, and its slowly revealing open zones in the open world are filled with things to see and do, and are more densely filled than massive, open, and empty. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Put them to the sword

However, its not just style and aesthetics and a stacked world; theres plenty of substance elsewhere in Ghost of Yotei, and at the forefront of that is Atsus violent, bloody, and super-slick combat.

With access to five melee weapons when fully kitted out, Atsu can cut through hosts of enemies with ease and grace; it really can be like a dance, almost, and chaining together parries, strikes, weapon swaps, and dodges to
seamlessly work between enemies and cut them down is almost poetic.

The violence and bloodshed are incredibly graphic - something that Ive
greatly enjoyed upping the ante on by playing in the games Miike mode - but also arty and make for extremely reactive visuals to this dance too.

At the core of the combat is, of course, the weapons and toolset open to
Atsu. Yotei does away with the different stances to combat different enemies and weapon types, and instead gives you an arsenal of different weapons to use.

Each will work against anybody, but it pays to know your katana from your Kurasigama and who best to fight with each, for example - however, each
weapon is excellent, dynamic, and exciting to use and master. I greatly enjoyed the process of acquiring these weapons through quests, too. Each expert you find for the weapons feels organic and feeds into Atsu's learning and developing skills to be best equipped to fulfill her revenge mission.

The bows in Yotei are once again satisfying to use, and while the rifle is an option, I barely used it - though finishing a stand off with a quick, hip
fire shot of the pistol is dead cool. Complementing this are some ranged throwables you can use, such as firebombs to wreak havoc on groups of
enemies, and quickfire kunai knives.

Armor always plays a part by offering perks that can be boons to different play styles. You can gain new sets to obtain with mysterious side quests or tasks, and they can be upgraded - but your main Ghost one is upgraded through the main story. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) Style *and* substance

Theres plenty of opportunity to customize Atsus gear, too, and theres clearly an emphasis on this. You can work to find resources for weapon and armor upgrades, and a whole raft of charms - themselves upgradeable through in-game tasks or actions - can give you edges in certain play styles. However, you
can also enjoy a whole host of cosmetic upgrades to give Atsu the perfect look.

There are loads of skill trees and options to explore and acquire to enhance Atsu along your journey too. Each weapon has its own tree; there are some skills relating to Atsus survivor background (reducing fall damage, etc), and even some that relate to help you can sometimes get from a wolf companion.

Youll unlock these abilities by bowing in front of altars. These can be found out in the wild on their own, or be tied to clearing camps of badmen. I appreciate the simplicity of this, but to mirror the location-specific skills of those who can teach Atsu skills, it could have added a further layer by tying certain abilities to certain altars or locations to give some geography-based nuance - i.e., certain skills can only be acquired at
specific altars, for example.

Putting all of that to practical application is fantastic. Whether youre absorbing the main quest line, or going off the beaten track to hunt down challenging or intriguing bounties, exploring myths and legends, or simply clearing out bandit camps to rid the land of baddies, utilizing Atsus wealth of combat approaches - either stealthily or head-on - is a joy. (Image
credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) In an incredibly strong field, perhaps my favorite part of Ghost of Yotei that made me smile every time I did it was when dispatching a whole gang of goons while barely receiving a scratch. Changing weapons out seamlessly while knowing when to strike, when to parry, and when to go in for the kill is one of the things that makes Ghost of Yotei s combat spectacular. I have to add that the map itself could have been my choice here, or indeed the landscapes and how they affect and frame the gameplay.

On the whole, I have found myself preferring head-on combat. There is a good balance between stealth and combat - but I prefer the stealth found in Assassins Creed Shadows . Charging in and beating goons of all types and sizes, and bosses, with Atsus beastly weapons is so moreish.

Either way, whatever you choose, theres excellence and mileage in both approaches, Ive found. Utilizing tall grass to sneak around camps and pick
off guards with a bow or with distant assassinations with the Kurasigama - a personal favorite - is brilliant. However, nothing quite hits like taking out a few pesky ranged enemies before engaging in a standoff to dispatch a host
of guards. Throw in Atsus Onryo's Howl skill - a banshee-like scream you can blast toward your enemies, causing them to cower in fear. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) A near-perfect cut

Are there creases in all this bloody brilliance, though? Of course, but only
a few that I found that impacted my enjoyment. While Im always one to sink dozens of hours into an open world, checking activities off a list, I did
feel a bit of fatigue when stumbling across a vast number of the same activities such as bamboo cuts, hot springs, and altars.

The number of which also impacted the sense of exploration and discovery that the world is generally so good at. Elsewhere, the conversation options you
get dont seem to make a huge impact on encounters or quests Ive found, which is a shame, and there are some strange moves later in the story that reintroduce tutorial-like sections that affect pacing.

However, one thing that is a fierce double-edged sword for Yotei is the game that came before it, as it wears the influence of Ghost of Tsushima and all that made that game excellent proudly on its sleeve. As a result, in a
similar way to Horizon Forbidden West , theres a lot of iteration on established features and facets.

Golden birds and foxes are present again, breaking guards in combat with
heavy attacks is key again, and acquiring charms from shrines up broken pathways are back, to name a couple of examples. This might disappoint some, but it also offers more of the same of one of the most memorable and
enjoyable games of the last five years.

This is simply a world worth committing dozens of hours to

Technically, however, Ghost of Yotei does a lot to make itself feel like the PS5 exclusive weve been waiting for. The Ray Tracing Pro mode available on
the PS5 Pro is superb and has offered a fault-free and technically excellent experience for my entire 55+ hours, but its the DualSense integration that is a real highlight.

Those raindrops I mentioned earlier falling on your map? You can feel those
on the controller, along with rain on Atsu in the world; the balance of your instruments music coming from the main speakers with that of the DualSenses speaker is a delight, painting sumi-e with flicks across the touchpad is superb, and you can even blow in the microphone to help light your campfires.

If there was any other indication needed to show what I think of Ghost of Yotei , then its the fact that I have kept playing the game, long after finishing the story and almost all of the quests, and am committed to going for the platinum trophy.

Yes, those few slight gripes hold it back from true generational greatness, but Im already planning my way mentally across the map, strategizing weapon swaps and attack combos in my mind, and this is simply a world worth committing dozens of hours to, and I'm going to drink it all up. Should you play Ghost of Yotei? Play it if...

You loved Ghost of Tsushima
Its an obvious one, but this is a sequel done excellently, and if youve been waiting for the next instalment in the series, then this will not disappoint. It channels a lot of the features that made Tsushima a superb open-world action-adventure game, and iterates on a few key areas to augment it in
places while offering another gripping story.

You want to play one of the most stylish film-like adventures on PS5
Theres style and chic draped over everything Ghost of Yotei does, and even in its base style, this is an extraordinary cinematic experience. Throw in the Japanese film-inspired modes, Atsus narrative and character growth, and you have an immersive, film-like experience.

Youre after some blistering Samurai combat
With its wide range of weapons and host of cool moves and combos, the combat in Ghost of Yotei is truly excellent. Combine this with the attention to detail in graphics, Atsus movement, and the parrying and blocking mechanics, and you have all the ingredients for moreish, excellent, visceral combat.

A games world and setting are important to your gaming experience
If youre always one to appreciate and look out for a wonderful game world to explore and just exist in, then Ghost of Yotei does not disappoint. Using the map to aid you in this never feels like a chore either, and its a joyous, detailed thing. Don't play it if...

You bounced off the first game
For those that didnt gel with Ghost of Tsushima , youre likely to have the same broad experience here as, despite the change to combat and the robust story, this is a sequel that wears its predecessor on its sleeve proudly.

You tire of similar activities
If you are one who often tires of repeating open-world activities, then Ghost of Yotei may grate on you with its many hot springs, bamboo cuts, and altars to engage with, which, for the most part, are very similar within this game and to Ghost of Tsushima . Accessibility

Ghost of Yotei 's accessibility features are a little lighter than some of its PS5 first-party contemporaries. There are no colorblind options, which is a shame, for example.

Elsewhere, you do have options for subtitle size and color, you can increase gameplay clues and visibility, and simplify control schemes for things like campfires and forging, and also get some assistance for combat, such as projectile indicators. (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch) How I reviewed Ghost of Yotei

Totalling more than 55 hours of testing, I reviewed Ghost of Yotei on a PS5 Pro teamed with a Samsung Q6F 55-inch 4K QLED TV and Samsung soundbar, and carried out some brief testing on a PS5 Slim combined with an Acer X32QFS gaming monitor and a Yamaha SR-C20A soundbar . On both machines, I used a standard DualSense Wireless controller , and I also spent many hours playing the game on my PlayStation Portal . When using a headset, I used a Drop +
EPOS PC38X wired gaming headset combined with a Creative Sound BlasterX G6 on my PS5 Pro, and a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 wireless gaming headset on the
PS5 Slim.

I tested the game thoroughly in all its graphics modes and found its Ray Tracing Pro mode on PS5 Pro to be the best way to play on Sonys premium console. I also played chunks of the game on several of the difficulty levels to explore and experience the different challenges in the combat, and tried out the different filmic modes too, with my favorite being hte Miike mode by far.

First reviewed September 2025



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