Summary
- Ghost of Yotei was showcased at the recent PlayStation State of Play event, revealing a detailed look at the game.
- The game adopts some features from Ghost of Tsushima with adjustments, such as immersive free-form exploration, rich customization options, a detailed photo mode, and Kurosawa mode.
- Additionally, Ghost of Yotei introduces brand-new features like night campfires, an expanded weapon arsenal, and a wolf companion for use in combat.
Sony has finally held a deep dive State of Play showcase for Ghost of Yotei, one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2025. Sucker Punch Productions has been hard at work for almost five years now, and while Ghost of Yotei is clearly a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, with plenty of familiar elements returning like seamless exploration guided by wind, climbing with a grappling hook, visceral combat, and side activities such as bamboo training grounds and hot springs, it will definitely expand on everything and introduce new features for an even more exciting samurai fantasy experience.
Why Ghost of Yotei Fans May Not Want to Get Too Attached to Atsu
Ghost of Yotei is paving the way for a fresh protagonist, but gamers will probably want to avoid getting too invested in Atsu long-term.
Ghost of Yotei emphasizes player freedom like no other Sucker Punch open-world game before it, focusing on leisurely exploration at players' own pace, a comfortable experience even in the smallest aspects without the typical busywork of the genre, deep customization, and a cinematic story-driven appeal with fleshed-out characters. Below are all the new things confirmed for Ghost of Yotei during the latest showcase, suggesting that the game is shaping up to be one of 2025's biggest gaming hits.
1 Advanced Free-Form Exploration
Building on a Unique Approach Without the Need for a Mini-Map
Ghost of Yotei adopts the signature approach to exploring Japan from Ghost of Tsushima, expanding on the original feature of players not relying on a mini-map to navigate their surroundings. Instead, they can follow the wind or animals that lead to points of interest across Ezo, follow clues gathered during exploration, such as message boards or rumors, and use a spyglass to spot interesting places from a distance.
According to the devs, Ghost of Yotei won't rush players toward any objectives, allowing them to tackle main and side missions at their own pace in any order they wish. This probably means there won't be any locked areas like in Ghost of Tsushima, except perhaps for a handful of small mission-driven locations.
2 Seamless Flashbacks into Atsu's Past
Travel Through Time with a Single Button Press
Ghost of Yotei is a classic revenge tale, with Atsu searching for the Yōtei Six who murdered her entire family when she was a child. To explore her past more thoroughly, the game will show Atsu visiting familiar places from her childhood and allow players to relive important flashbacks of the protagonist's past with a single button press.
Ghost Of Yotei's Protagonist: 6 Things We Know About Atsu
Atsu is the new fresh face on the block who will play the protagonist in Ghost of Yotei. Here's a look at what we know about her so far.
As shown during the gameplay footage, thanks to the PS5's capabilities, the transition between two versions of the same place happens instantly, without any interruption for players, resulting in a more cinematic and immersive experience that reflects the blistering memories rushing through Atsu's mind.
3 Night Campfires for Meeting Allies
No Need to Fast Travel Around the Map, as Key NPCs Will Come to Players Instead
One of the brand-new features in Ghost of Yotei is the ability to set up camp for the night in the wilderness, akin to Red Dead Redemption 2. Here, players can learn or play music, practice cooking, rest under the stars, and even meet allies and NPCs. It's a prime example of how Ghost of Yotei prioritizes player convenience.
According to the devs, the campfire system allowed them to ditch the busywork often seen in other open-world games, where players need to constantly fast travel back and forth to buy supplies, upgrade their arsenal, and complete side quests and assignments. In Ghost of Yotei, night camps are used to bring NPCs, merchants, and blacksmiths to the player when relevant, allowing for a more dynamic journey without constantly tracking objectives in game menus and map screens. Also, judging from the reveal trailer, it's possible that other bounty hunters, as Atsu is a wanted woman in Edo, could ambush her at the night camp as well.
4 Expanded Weapon Arsenal
Five Melee Weapons and Several Ranged Options to Choose From
In Ghost of Tsushima, Jin Sakai was a samurai who only used a katana in close combat. In Ghost of Yotei, the combat system is significantly expanded, allowing players as Atsu to use five melee weapons: katana, spear, kusarigama (also seen in Assassin's Creed Shadows), odachi blade, and dual swords — in addition to ranged weapons such as bows and even powder guns like teppo.
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While the core essence of the combat system remains intact, with seamless transitions between stealth takedowns and open confrontations, as well as close and personal duels against bosses and elite enemies, each new weapon in Atsu's arsenal has its own strengths and weaknesses, and players are encouraged to switch between them often mid-combat to gain an advantage over their opponents.
5 Deep Customization for Weapons and Armor
A True Paradise for Japanese Fashion Lovers
In Ghost of Tsushima, players already had access to rich customization for Jin Sakai's weapons and armor, including many color schemes for each armor set and distinct designs for katana and tanto decorations. Naturally, in Ghost of Yotei, players can expect even more customization options, unique armor designs, and spectacular fashion for each of Atsu's weapons. During the gameplay reveal, the team showcased many of the stunning armor and weapon looks that players can obtain in Ghost of Yotei.
So far, the devs haven't revealed exactly how new customization items will be obtained in Ghost of Yotei, but most likely, the approach will be similar to the original game, where players could find many new designs in the world and buy dyes for specific gear from in-game merchants.
6 Diverse NPC Companions
Fight Alongside Other Warriors, Including Non-Human Ones
While most of Atsu's journey will be spent alone (excluding the trusty horse we hope won't die this time) for that special solitary outlaw vibe, at times players will meet other characters who become allies and can accompany Atsu during specific missions, just like in Ghost of Tsushima. The devs also showcased a special stylized companion screen for Atsu's “pack of wolves,” featuring an easy way to track every character-related questline that players might be interested in.
The Case for and Against Ghost of Yotei Receiving Its Own Legends Multiplayer
It's unclear if Ghost of Yotei will offer its own version of Legends, but if it does, there are a few pros and cons to consider.
On top of that, the wolf companion teased in the very first Ghost of Yotei teaser is indeed real, as Sucker Punch briefly showed how Atsu fights in combat back to back with her unconventional pet fiercely attacking her foes. Exploring Atsu's bond with a wolf is certainly an intriguing layer of the sequel.
7 Detailed Photo Mode at Launch
Capture the Beauty of a Moment and Share It Online
Many modern AAA games launch without a dedicated photo mode these days, with developers adding the feature in post-launch updates. Fortunately, Ghost of Yotei won't be one of them, as Sucker Punch has confirmed a detailed photo mode will be available for players from day one.
It's easy to see why the inclusion of photo mode was so important for the team. Given Ghost of Tsushima's legacy of providing one of the most beautiful and authentic open worlds, and with Ghost of Yotei pushing the visuals even further, many players will certainly spend hours in the game's photo mode, capturing the beauty of Japan's diverse landscapes and visceral samurai combat, and sharing their captures with others.
8 Additional Unique Game Modes
Not Just the Black-and-White Kurosawa Cinematic Mode
A black-and-white visual mode inspired by legendary movie director Akira Kurosawa returns in Ghost of Yotei, alongside several brand-new game modes influenced by other renowned Japanese directors. As such, the sequel will also offer Miike Mode (Takashi Miike, director of 13 Assassins and Blade of the Immortal) and Watanabe Mode (anime writer and director Shin'ichirô Watanabe).
6 Improvements Ghost of Yotei Can Make Over Ghost of Tsushima
When Ghost of Tsushima was released it became a commercial and critical success, but how can Ghost of Yotei improve on its predecessor?
Playing in Miike Mode brings a closer camera perspective with increased blood and mud effects for a more brutal experience, while in Watanabe Mode, the game will be enhanced with original lo-fi beats in the background during combat and exploration — a truly one-of-a-kind feature not seen elsewhere yet. Of course, players can also expect several difficulty options to tailor their personal experience for either more leisure or intensity with each of these special director-inspired modes.
9 Full Japanese Voiceover and Lip Sync
An Authentic and Immersive Dive into 1603 Japan
Playing a game like Ghost of Yotei wouldn't be a fully immersive experience without Japanese voiceover, and fortunately, Sucker Punch has fans covered. The developers confirmed that in addition to English dubbing, the sequel will also feature fully voice-acted Japanese dialogue with character lip syncing and multi-language subtitles for an immersive journey across 1603 Japan.
In Japanese, Atsu is voiced by Ai Fairouz, known primarily for her voice acting in various anime, while in the English version, Atsu is voiced by Erika Ishii, who has also voiced characters in games like Date Everything, Fortnite, Mortal Kombat 1, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Deathloop, Apex Legends, Marvel's Avengers, and Cyberpunk 2077.
Ghost of Yotei
- Released
- October 2, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
