Ghost of Yōotei Review

Narrative & World

You step into the shoes of Atsu, a wandering sellsword with no noble standing—no scripted path to glory. Driven by vengeance against the enigmatic Yōtei Six, her journey is personal, raw, and unmoored from grandiose destiny. The storytelling skews narrower than Tsushima’s sweeping epic, but that intimacy works to its benefit: you feel the scars, the losses, and the hunger beneath every decision.

Later in the game, powerful moments of regret and sacrifice hollow out the edges of what might have been a simple revenge fantasy.

The world is a character too: from frozen tundras to misty forests, it’s lush, varied, and alive. Technical fidelity is impressive—Sucker Punch reportedly renders “millions of assets” at once: snow dancing off branches, auroras flickering, deep draw distances unfurling in cinematic scope.

Push Square

It’s not just pretty—it feels vast and forbidding.

Gameplay & Mechanics

If you’ve played Ghost of Tsushima, many of the bones feel familiar: horseback traversal, stealth, parries, bow usage. But Yōtei refines, rather than reinvents. You gain a broader weapon arsenal—dual katanas, kusarigama, ōdachi—and can mix your playstyle fluidly.

The AI combat has its moments of friction, though—on harder difficulty settings, enemy telegraphs sometimes feel too generous, and at times fights turn into pattern memorization rather than visceral confrontation.

Exploration is rewarding. The optional “Watanabe Mode” (with lo-fi beats) transforms journeys into ambient soundtracks for reflection.

Campsite mechanics, side missions, and environmental storytelling enrich rather than dilute the core path. That said, some side missions still fall victim to repetition or underdeveloped supporting characters.

Presentation & Audio

Visually, Yōtei is a stunner. The leap to PS5 is tangible—not just in resolution or frame rate, but in how the world breathes. The auroras, atmospheric lighting, snow effects, and distant mountain ranges all blend to evoke something painterly.

Directors added presentation modes—in homage to Kurosawa (black-and-white, dramatic frames), Takashi Miike (grittier visuals), and Watanabe (lo-fi vibes)—that let you tailor the tone of your playthrough.

The audio design is equally strong. The clash of swords, footsteps on snow, distant wind—all feel alive. Voice acting, particularly by Erika Ishii as Atsu, captures the simmering rage and vulnerability at her core.

Though I occasionally wished for more breadth in emotive range (especially in quieter dialogue scenes), the performances anchor the game’s emotional weight.

Failings & Friction

To be clear: getting 9/10 doesn’t mean perfection.

Narrative familiarity: Some of the revenge tropes feel worn; even as Yōtei seeks to carve its identity apart from Tsushima, it occasionally leans too hard on genre beats it can’t quite subvert.

Side content inconsistency: A few side missions feel perfunctory or undercooked. Their narratives don’t always match the power of the main plot.

Camera & pacing quirks: In tighter indoor spaces or heavy snowstorms, the camera sometimes fights you. And there are moments—especially mid-game—where pacing lulls.

Comparisons are inevitable: In a year stacked with blockbuster releases, Yōtei doesn’t always feel like the “biggest” in memory, even when it deserves to.

Final Verdict

Ghost of Yōtei is not just a successor—it’s a mature reinterpretation. It doesn’t erase what came before; it refines it. What it gains in thematic focus, emotional clarity, and visual poetry is immense. If you’re willing to forgive a few repetitive beats and narrative echoes, what remains is a deeply immersive, resonant, and technically bold journey. A perfect game? Not quite. But a game that demands your attention—and rewards it—abundantly.

Score: 9/10