Ghost of Yotei was one of the most anticipated games of 2025. Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, the game is the sequel to the incredibly popular game, Ghost of Tsushima, which came out in 2020. Ghost of Tsushima was praised for its riveting emotional story and engaging gameplay. The game sold incredibly well and was even a nominee for Game of the Year. Then, during the 2024 PlayStation State of Play, Ghost of Yotei was announced, featuring Atsu, the game’s female protagonist. The game takes place in 1603 on the island of Ezo, north of Japan. Though it is a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, taking place around 400 years after the first game, Ghost of Yotei takes a completely different storyline. Yotei follows new, unheard-of characters and explores new regions of Japan. In this spoiler-free review, I will first address my thoughts on many different parts of the game, such as the graphics, gameplay, and story.
Graphics
First and foremost, the majority of the aspects of this game are incredible. The first thing you will notice when booting up the game is the visuals. The game’s graphics are stunning, with Sucker Punch working incredibly hard to ensure they look as good as possible. Everything from the shading to the water, as well as sunlight, looks incredible and extremely realistic. Even the blood in the game looks very realistic, which is very important, given how much blood you see! There are several points in the game where I would stop and just take in the breathtaking scenery when exploring, and take a screenshot. From the ripples in the water to the huge mountains in the distance, everything about this game is incredible.
Gameplay
Another important aspect of the game was its gameplay. Gameplay is what makes or breaks most games, and it’s very important for the developers to get it right. Ghost of Yotei keeps the majority of the gameplay from Tsushima and improves on it. The gameplay is solid and engaging, with the same formula as the first game. One major difference is the shift from stances in Ghost of Tsushima to weapons in Ghost of Yotei. In Tushima, you would use different sword stances to deal with specific types of enemies, and your primary weapon was a Katana. In Yotei, instead of stances, you equip different weapons to counter specific enemies. You use your Katana when fighting other Katanas, dual Katanas when fighting a Yari (spear), a Yari when fighting a Kusarigama, a Kusarigama when fighting a shield-bearer, and an Odachi when fighting brutes (big enemies). I personally love this change, as in my opinion it’s much more fun to use and wield all the different types of weapons (my personal favorite being the dual Katanas). Besides your primary weapons, you also have ranged weapons, such as Bows and Arrows, just like in Tushima. A new ranged weapon added to the game is the musket, allowing you to kill most enemies in only one hit. But to compensate, the musket takes much longer to reload than Bows. You also get quick-fire weapons to disorientate or damage enemies. Your quick-fire weapons are blinding sand, smoke bombs, throwing knives, scorch bombs, and a pistol. Your primary weapons have the same mechanics as Tsushima, with basic attacking, blocking, and parrying. A new feature added is disarming your enemy, which is done by holding the triangle button and releasing at the right moment to make your enemy drop their weapon. But if done incorrectly, you run the risk of becoming disarmed yourself, making it a risk to attempt. Overall, the gameplay is very well done and just flat-out fun.
Story
The story is where the game really shines. Keeping it spoiler-free, you play as Atsu, a loner whose family was murdered by a gang of criminals when she was a little girl. She fled from her home island of Ezo to the south into the Japanese mainland. There she learned to fight and became a mercenary. Now, after 16 years, Atsu has returned to Ezo and has become an Onryo (a vengeful spirit that wanders the land). All she wants to do is bring her family peace by hunting down and killing the people who slaughtered her family, the Yotei Six.
The members of the Yotei Six are the Snake, the Oni, the Kitsune, the Dragon, the Spider, and Lord Saito. The Snake is a crazed opium addict that occupies the grassy plains of Ezo. The Oni is a disgraced war general in the Ishikari Plain who has an obsession with fire. The Kitsune is a stealthy assassin that resides in the snowy mountains of Teshio Ridge and ambushes unwary travelers. The Dragon and Spider, also known as the Saito brothers, are the sons of Lord Saito. They both have a taste for firearms and fight on the Oshima coast. And Lord Saito, the self-proclaimed “Shogun of the north”, and the leader of the six. He is an exiled clan leader from the south who fled to Ezo after a crippling defeat and took over the island. He uses his silver tongue to convince people to join his army and that he’s “protecting” Ezo. The Yotei Six and their army have taken control of Ezo, and are currently at war with the samurai of Clan Matsumae.
On Atsu’s quest for revenge, she meets many new faces along the way and obtains many different weapons and skills. The game has a very basic revenge story, and can sometimes be predictable, but it does have many unexpected twists and surprising moments. The game takes place on the island of Ezo, north of Japan, in 1603. The story is incredible and is just as good as Ghost of Tsushima’s story, if not even better. It really makes you reflect on your own values in life, and how you sometimes might take things for granted.
Ghost of Yotei is my favorite game of 2025 I have played, and it is one of my favorite single-player adventure games. The game contains spectacular visuals, engaging gameplay, a thrilling story, and an incredible soundtrack. As of right now, it’s a PS5 exclusive, so if you have one, I would strongly recommend you buy the game. You really connect with Atsu and travel along with her on her quest all across Ezo, through its grassy plains, all the way to its snowy mountains. Though it wasn’t a nominee for game of the year like its predecessor, it’s still an incredible and really fun game, and I definitely will be replaying it.
