Ghost of Yōtei – Wasted Potential of a Sequel? (Review)

This should have been an unforgettable revenge story. Instead, Ghost of Yōtei delivers gorgeous visuals, weak payoff, and a feeling of wasted potential. But what exactly went wrong?

I remember it like it was yesterday, when during State of Play we saw the first trailer of the Ghost of Tsushima sequel… or at least that’s what everyone thought at the very beginning, until the moment we found out that we are no longer returning to the shores of Tsushima as Jin Sakai, but instead we will be fighting as an onryō, a full 329 years later.

Ghost of Yotei

Release Date: October 02, 2025

Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure

More Info

Did Atsu deliver me an unforgettable adventure like the predecessor of the series? Or did expectations surpass Sucker Punch studio and instead of a potential Game of the Year we got Slop of the Year?

Onryō’s Revenge

It probably won’t be a spoiler to anyone that the main story thread in Ghost of Yōtei revolves around Atsu’s revenge on the members of the “Yōtei Six” – which include: Lord Saito, The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider and The Dragon.

The main protagonist, driven by a thirst for justice, sets out to eliminate all of her oppressors for what they did to her family.

We open the game with a fight against the Snake, whom we defeat quite easily and take on the nickname Onryō
– symbolizing a “vengeful spirit” or “wrathful ghost” that returns from the dead to carry out its revenge.

And I’ll admit, at the start it sounded really interesting, because for a change we can actually feel like the titular “Ghost”, whereas in Tsushima, that nickname was more associated with elusiveness and stealth.

Disclaimer: in this review I will refer many times to Ghost of Tsushima, because I treat Ghost of Yōtei as a sequel, not a new entry. I had to clarify that, okay?

Gameplay Fundamentals Still Work!

I have a feeling that “Ghost of” might become Sony’s “Assassin’s Creed”. The gameplay we got in Tsushima was created perfectly – responsive parkour/climbing, the desire to explore the open world and check side activities, satisfying combat, and on top of that an unmatched atmosphere.

The difference we experience in the new installment is the “evolution” of combat – during fights, we no longer change the katana stance, but instead use new tools that actually correspond to what we already knew from the first part, and I feel like they are meant to give us the impression that this is something completely new.

Let me clarify;

Kusarigama – which serves best for breaking enemy shields, the equivalent of the Water stance.
Spear – works best against enemies using kusarigamas/sickles, I would compare it to the Stone stance.
Dual Katana – a nightmare for enemies wielding spears, quickly builds stagger, equivalent of the Wind stance.
Katana – the most basic tool that can be used on practically any enemy (and which I ended up using the least anyway)
Odachi – a giant katana that works best against large “Brutes”, the similarity is clear – the Moon stance.

And this is probably my biggest issue that appears throughout the entire game. The “new” mechanics, weapons, and moves are actually what we used in Jin’s arsenal, differing only in naming and animations.

During the reveal, I hoped that the impact of having not one but five main weapons would redefine how we approach combat, but unfortunately, this was one of the biggest disappointments.

A nice addition is a companion in the form of a Wolf (which we can name – Mikage, Kiba or Shunen), who helps us in combat regardless of approach – if we choose to provoke, she stands by our side, and if we choose stealth, she assists us in assassinations.

I am aware that some may argue that the Kusarigama also has a mechanic allowing for ranged assassinations, and that is indeed something new. That is true, but in my opinion, it is not something on the level of a “next-gen experience” for a sequel exclusively available on PS5.

Returning to the wolf, unfortunately, the development of her abilities is not nearly as satisfying as her assistance. Each time (and there are over 10 of these), it looks the same – we approach a body near a den, the wolf emerges and growls at us, we ride with her on horseback overcoming ONE TYPE OF OBSTACLE, which is a fallen tree, we reach a poachers’ camp, eliminate them, wolves are free.

The only thing that changes is the relationship between Atsu and the wolf, but it develops so slowly that new animations only appear after completing 75% of the activities.

What Happened to the Quality?

I mentioned the wolf activity animations for a reason, because it is something that looks really tragic compared to Tsushima. I don’t know what happened at Sucker Punch – whether it was deadlines, prioritizing other aspects of the game, or pressure from Sony to realize their vision – I don’t know.

Nevertheless, it is something that at some point started to frustrate me – every duel looks the same, enemy, katana, Atsu’s angry face, drawing the katana. Never any different.

Side missions that led to some action by NPCs – what did we see? A black screen and a transition to the moment when the problem is already solved.

Probably the best example is a side mission where we “fight” for the heart of a certain woman, and her admirer arrives at the duel with smoke bombs that he doesn’t handle very well.

Anyway, see for yourself:

We don’t even get a coughing animation here, any facial expression, nothing. And normally I wouldn’t be so nitpicky, but Ghost of Tsushima never once gave me the impression that something was done forcefully or without passion, and unfortunately Yōtei feels like a game created without passion.

Even certain elements of the environment have copied textures on completely different materials, which just looks sad and not like the work of such a great studio as Sucker Punch.

A Beautiful, Empty Open World

Ghost of Yōtei is certainly one of the most beautiful games of 2025. While playing, I often stopped to admire the views, climbing toward shrines, standing in open fields to admire the starry sky, or simply pausing in the forest, listening to the music and the sound of the wind.

Unfortunately, all side activities (side quests) completely fail to make use of how beautifully this world is designed. The only exception is the quest related to the Spider Lily Armor. Here we have a dedicated location, unique mechanics, a thriller atmosphere, and a satisfying ending in the form of a fight. And that’s it.

For an entire AAA game, one side quest made me feel excitement and curiosity.

Getting platinum in this title is my proof that I tried everything Atsu’s adventure had to offer.

Emotional Impact – Not Found

Returning briefly to the story, I’ll honestly admit that I was hoping for an adventure that would leave me as emotionally shaken at the end as Ghost of Tsushima did. Especially since Jin’s story, regardless of the ending chosen, was truly sad.

Here we have a woman driven by revenge, hatred, and a lack of understanding of why this happened to her – this is actually a great setup for an emotional story. Well, not this time. Atsu performs quite a lot of logical gymnastics, but that would require context and spoilers. I just can’t really get that she was driven by the hatred this much time and during the confrontation Atsu can simply forgive her foes.

This also applies to the rest of the main characters, of whom I only felt any sympathy for Kiku and Mad Goro – who, from a shady type, turned into one of the truly comedic characters that is very easy to like.

Is It Worth Going After the “Yōtei Six”?

Despite my strongly negative description of this title, Ghost of Yōtei is still a solid action game in which you can feel the atmosphere of Japan, samurai, and what Ghost of Tsushima delivered.

The gameplay foundations are so solid that honestly, I don’t know what would have to happen for combat and exploration not to be satisfying – but let’s be honest with ourselves, foundations are not what should sell us a sequel, especially an AAA game backed by the funds of the current generation’s leader.

That’s why I believe that for people who have not had any contact with Tsushima – Ghost of Yōtei will be one of the best adventures they will play on their PS5.

However, for those who were waiting for a sequel – well, sorry, in my opinion we received a DLC that is meant to feel like a new adventure.

That’s how I perceive Ghost of Yōtei and that’s why I rate it 68/100.

Ghost of Yōtei is a good title, but with such a high bar set by its predecessor, the feeling of disappointment appears already in the first hours of gameplay.

Sources: