After working with the inFAMOUS franchise for almost a decade, Sucker Punch shocked fans with the release of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020. It was a new era for them that was more historical, bloody, and less wacky than their other titles. It was the start of a brand new franchise, and now the second game in the series has finally arrived: Ghost of Yotei.
Ghost of Yotei: Things Atsu Can Do That Jin Can’t
Jin was a force to be reckoned with in Ghost of Tsushima, but Ghost of Yotei's Atsu possesses a few unique skills that the older samurai does not.
As always, there are fans debating over which is game better: Ghost of Yotei or Ghost of Tsushima? As one would hope from a sequel, there are things Ghost of Yotei does do better than Ghost of Tsushima. However, that’s only one side of the argument. So, let’s debate the two games and see who the real winner is, just for fun.
There will be some spoilers.
Ghost Of Tsushima: Jin As A Character
His Inner Struggles
While both main characters are great, Jin stands out, as his family conflict hurts him more over time. He lost his parents when he was young, and was adopted into his uncle’s family, who then became his father.
After the Mongolian invasion, Jin does what he needs to do to help his uncle and the island survive, which his uncle finds dishonorable. There’s not as much internal conflict with Atsu, even though she butts heads with her brother on occasion. Even in these moments, she is unshaken in her resolve to get revenge, making her out to be a colder killer.
Ghost Of Yotei: Broader Missions And World
More Open From The Start
Ghost of Tsushima starts very slowly, even though the opening battle is epic. While Ghost of Yotei has tutorials too, the world opens up much quicker and without Atsu being in a weakened state.
Beyond the quick start, the world is also bigger and has more content to explore, branching paths for story content, side quests, and addictive mini-games like Zeni Hajiki. Ghost of Yotei has beautiful visuals too, and some interesting content to discover, but pound for pound, Ghost of Yotei just has a more interesting world to explore.
Ghost Of Tsushima: The Villains
Invasions Vs A Civil Conflict
Atsu’s plight is a very simple one: as a child, she sees her parents slaughtered and vows revenge. The Yotei Six are Japanese, and they are engaging in a civil conflict within their country, which is interesting, but par for the course for this era of Japan.
Ghost of Tsushima’s overall plot is more engaging because the villains, the Mongolians, are foreigners who want only destruction. Lord Saito in Ghost of Yotei and Khotun Khan in Ghost of Tsushima have similar charisma as lead villains, but there is no light in Khotun, making him seem like more of a threat.
Ghost Of Yotei: Better Combat
Atsu Is Prepared For Everything
Perhaps the best thing Ghost of Yotei does as a sequel is introduce more weapons and active combat skills. Players have five melee weapons to choose from, including the samurai’s steadfast katana and a spear called a Yari, along with several tools like knives and bombs.
Players can disarm enemies in combat and then use that weapon against them, and on occasion, a wolf will join Atsu’s side. The laundry list of upgrades is immense, and while Ghost of Tsushima still feels incredible to control, Ghost of Yotei is a case where more actually is better.
Ghost Of Tsushima: The Stealth Mechanics
Jin Learns With The Rest Of Japan
The one caveat to Ghost of Yotei’s combat is Atsu’s lack of stealth skills at the start. Jin also lacks them, but through early tutorials, he will learn how to crouch in tall grass and assassinate his enemies with ease. He’s learning, as is the rest of Japan, because ninjas aren’t really a thing yet, which is a cool concept to dive into.
Jin is also aided by Focused Hearing, which allows him to see the outlines of his enemies. Atsu gets this ability too, but much later in the game. Ghost of Tsushima is a better ninja game, but Ghost of Yotei is a better samurai game because of the combat upgrades, so players can take their pick of what they prioritize here.
Ghost Of Yotei: Atsu’s Climbing Skills Are Unmatched
See That Mountain?
While Atsu isn’t as adept at sneaking around in the grass as Jin, she is a more versatile climber. It may be better to say that Ghost of Yotei gives Atsu more opportunities to be flexible thanks to the mountain shrines.
These shrines will put players' grappling and platforming skills to the test. While frustrating at times, the climbs are worth it for the rewards and views at the top. Ghost of Tsushima has some decent platforming sections, too, along with gorgeous environments, but Ghost of Yotei has more of them.
Ghost Of Tsushima: Jin’s Song
Amps. You. Up.
It may be odd to compare theme songs, but music is a core structure to the characters of Jin and Atsu. Jin gets to play a flute in Ghost of Tsushima, while Atsu gets a shamisen in Ghost of Yotei, which is arguably a cooler-sounding instrument. That said, Jin’s core character theme builds to such a powerful level that Atsu’s theme cannot even begin to touch it.
Both games overall have mesmerizing soundtracks, but thanks to Jin’s theme and several other tracks, they aid in the storytelling better than what Ghost of Yotei’s score achieves. It also just hypes players up to fight.
Verdict: Ghost Of Tsushima
Your First Will Be Your First
Both Ghost games are incredibly similar. Even with the notable improvements, Ghost of Yotei is essentially the same game but done slightly better thanks to a boost in visuals, speed, and combat. It’s a better open-world game for those who like to explore without much holding them back, but it is not a better game overall.
Ghost of Tsushima’s themes are stronger, from Jin as the central character to his struggles to defend his home from invaders, and the musical score helps boost the narrative to powerful heights. Whichever game players choose as their favorite may depend on which one they play first. That said, on a technical level, since Ghost of Tsushima came first, it feels more special. If they make a third game, Sucker Punch will really have to shift things to make it feel new.
Ghost of Yotei
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- October 2, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
