Summary
- Ghost of Yotei features new protagonist Atsu and a different weapon arsenal than Ghost of Tsushima.
- Atsu's weapons revealed so far include a katana and a matchlock rifle, hinting at diverse choices.
- The Edo period offers a wide array of weapons for potential inclusion in Ghost of Yotei, making its gameplay unique.
Based on the small amount of information revealed about it so far, Ghost of Yotei already looks like it will be a much different experience than Ghost of Tsushima. Not only does Ghost of Yotei not feature Jin as its protagonist, but it also takes place 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, essentially leaving Jin's story behind to start a new one with Atsu. Furthermore, Ghost of Yotei looks to shake things up in the weapon department as well, having already shown Atsu firing a matchlock rifle at the end of the game's announcement trailer.
The first trailer for Ghost of Yotei was fairly cryptic about its story and the diverse array of weapons Atsu will likely have access to, but the game's time period and setting suggest enough to speculate on which weapons the new protagonist might be using. It's clear that Sucker Punch wants to do something fresh and original with Ghost of Yotei, which means anything is possible.
Ghost of Yotei Likely Still Has More Weapons to Reveal
Atsu's Main Melee Weapon and Matchlock Gun Have Been Revealed So Far
So far, only a couple of the weapons Atsu will be using in Ghost of Yotei have been revealed. Among those is the katana, which was expected, given the nature of samurai with the blade and the fact that it was Jin's primary weapon in Ghost of Tsushima. However, what was slightly unexpected, as the time period for Ghost of Yotei wasn't known before its reveal, is the inclusion of matchlock rifles in Atsu's arsenal. Because Ghost of Yotei takes place during the Edo period, Atsu's use of a matchlock rifle makes sense, although it will be interesting to see whether there is a story behind it in the game.
Many Other Weapons Were Used During the Edo Period That Ghost of Yotei Could Include
While it will undoubtedly be satisfying to use both the katana and the matchlock rifle in Ghost of Yotei's combat, there's reason enough to assume there will be plenty of other weapons to choose from. Jin, for instance, in Ghost of Tsushima, had several different weapons available for players to use, including the Tanto (dagger), the Half-Bow, and the Longbow. With Ghost of Yotei taking place more than 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, samurai culture has shifted, and so too has technology. As such, there is plenty of potential for Atsu to have an even more diverse arsenal than Jin.
During the Edo period, samurai were known to use several different weapons, despite relying primarily on their katana. As a companion sword to the katana, samurai would often don a wakizashi, which was usable for close-quarters combat and as a backup weapon. Jin is actually shown wearing one in Ghost of Tsushima, but he never makes use of it. Perhaps Atsu will use one, especially since she will apparently be able to dual wield weapons in Ghost of Yotei. In addition to the katana and wakizashi, samurai would use a naginata and a yari, which are a polearm and spear, respectively.
While it will undoubtedly be satisfying to use both the katana and the matchlock rifle in Ghost of Yotei's combat, there's reason enough to assume there will be plenty of other weapons to choose from.
Japan's Edo period also saw the use of several other weapons that weren't necessarily used by samurai but could nonetheless be featured in Ghost of Yotei. The tessen, or "iron fan," was a weapon disguised as a folding or fixed fan used for self-defense, signaling, and as a status symbol. The jitte was a baton-like weapon with a single prong designed to disarm opponents. The kusarigama, or "chain sickle," was a sickle attached to a weighted chain, used for entangling an opponent’s weapon before attacking. Finally, the shuriken were throwing stars or blades used for distraction or surprise attacks.
It's highly likely Ghost of Yotei has plans to pull from this massive arsenal of weapons, and potentially venture into more creative playstyles that Jin never explored in Ghost of Tsushima. As it stands, Ghost of Yotei's secret weapon is its presumed secret weapons, as they could be one of the more defining factors of its gameplay and set it even further apart from its predecessor.
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
