Summary
- Ghost of Tsushima's Legends mode offers free additional content and unique gameplay through four distinct classes.
- Ghost of Yotei could benefit from a similar class system to enhance replayability and player agency.
- Character classes in Ghost of Yotei could replace Stances and armor-based playstyles for a more dynamic experience.
Ghost of Tsushima's Legends mode is by far one of the most surprising aspects of the game, as it offers a considerable amount of additional content for free, and a multiplayer, loot-driven experience at that. It's not only a great way to break up the standard gameplay loop of Ghost of Tsushima, but it also provides players with a more replayable way to invest in the game's world. Ultimately, this is all due to the many game-changing features that make up the identity of Ghost of Tsushima's Legends mode, one of which might find a perfect home in Ghost of Yotei.
In Legends, players work together to complete a series of missions inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore, earning new loot and upgrading their characters along the way. However, this is all made viable by the game mode's four distinct classes: Samurai, Hunter, Ronin, and Assassin. In fact, it's arguably Legends' class system that makes it such a valuable addition to Ghost of Tsushima, as it offers a unique approach to gameplay not found in the base game. While Ghost of Yotei is somewhat expected to maintain the traditions of its predecessor, perhaps it could also benefit from a class system similar to Legends'.
Ghost of Yotei Separating Itself From Tsushima Sets Up the Franchise for Long-Term Success
With Ghost of Yotei going a different direction from Ghost of Tsushima, the franchise is set up for a lengthy success it might not have had otherwise.
Ghost of Yotei Could Do a Lot With Multiple Character Classes
Ghost of Yotei Character Classes Could Feature Tailored Playstyles With Unique Skill Trees
Just as each class did in Legends, Ghost of Yotei character classes could feature tailored playstyles with unique skill trees. This could potentially increase Ghost of Yotei's replayability while simultaneously diversifying the experiences of players across the board, and it would give players a wider variety of ways to progress their character throughout the story. Furthermore, with a class system like that, Ghost of Yotei could enhance player agency, which is something Ghost of Tsushima garnered criticism for, despite delivering a compelling story in the end.
If Ghost of Yotei did feature a class system similar to Legends, the main question would be which classes would be available to players. Presumably, the standard class for Atsu in Ghost of Yotei would be Ronin, as she seems to be a rogue samurai, based on her portrayal in the game's trailer and what Sucker Punch has divulged about her character. Apart from that, perhaps players could be presented with various quests throughout Ghost of Yotei's story that would open up other classes to her — like the Samurai, Hunter, and Assassin classes.
Just as each class did in Legends, Ghost of Yotei character classes could feature tailored playstyles with unique skill trees.
The Samurai class could feature a quest that would take Atsu back to her roots, before she became a ronin, and adopting a more honorable approach to combat and survival. A Hunter (or perhaps Beastmaster) class would also make sense in the game, considering Ghost of Yotei's apparent emphasis on animal companions. Finally, an Assassin class is almost a given, and could potentially feature a quest directly tied to the legacy of Jin Sakai, whose Ghost persona made him a terrifying and deadly assassin.
Character Classes in Ghost of Yotei Could Replace Stances and Armor-Based Playstyles
The loudest argument in support of a class system in Ghost of Yotei is perhaps that it would be a natural evolution of Ghost of Tsushima's Stances and its armor-based playstyle system. It might feel a bit too repetitive to leave all the systems from the first game alone with no change, and a Legends-esque class system could be the solution to that. Rather than changing Stances on the fly in Ghost of Yotei, players could change their class to better accommodate their needs according to the situation. Classes could also be an evolution of Ghost of Tsushima's armor-based playstyle customization by embedding each playstyle into the classes themselves.
Ultimately, a Legends-based class system in Ghost of Yotei has the potential to change the way players interact with the game's world and its mechanics, while staying true to the foundation laid by Ghost of Tsushima. Rather than repeating systems like Stances and armor-based playstyles, Ghost of Yotei could offer a more rewarding experience that enhances both player agency and potentially the depth of the narrative. With the success of Legends as a blueprint, Ghost of Yotei could then take the best of what came before and transform it into something that feels fresh.
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
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
