Ghost Of Yotei Review - Brilliance In Bloodshed
I will admit that when Ghost of Tsushima was first announced, I was impressed, but simultaneously, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. As a huge Infamous fan, the thought that my beloved IP was going to be left behind, and that with Sucker Punch seemingly taking a step towards the less fantastical, I wouldn’t again see Cole McGrath or Delsin Rowe again, overwhelmed the positive sentiments I felt towards what I saw. By the time Ghost Of Tsushima had arrived though, and I fortuitously had the opportunity to review the title, I had been converted. Though my heart yearned for more Infamous, I couldn’t deny the brilliance of the world that had been crafted, the love for the region that the game emitted, and the magnificence of the gameplay loop. Sucker Punch has more stories to tell from ancient Japan, and while Ghost Of Yotei is set more than 300 years after the events of Tsushima, and takes place in a new region of Japan, the lawless and largely uncharted Ezo region, the lead character in Atsu, the sublime combat and broader gameplay systems, a fascinating narrative, and stunning presentational elements make Ghost Of Yotei an exceptional game in its own right, bettering Ghost Of Tsushima in almost every facet.
Ghost Of Yotei is a story of trauma, and the quest for vengeance that this trauma spurs on. As Atsu, the player is witness to the heinous murder of her own family at the hands of the “Yotei Six”, and as the sole survivor, the grief and hatred has lain the foundations for her road to revenge. Years on, and an older, more mature Atsu is ready to begin her quest to take out each of the members of the Yotei Six, and after quickly executing ‘The Snake’, her journey through Ezo to eliminate the other members of the Six, including their leader, Lord Saito, begins in earnest.
Atsu, and consequently the player, will relive the fateful night that Atsu lost her parents time after time as you encounter new members of Yotei Six, and flashes of the night resurface to traumatise and motivate her further. The stories of the Six, from their involvement in the fateful night, to the way in which they control their pocket of Ezo, are among the most fascinating elements of the narrative of Ghost Of Yotei. While Atsu’s story is in the driving force of the game, the sub-plots of the Six are no less enthralling and will leave the player poking at the seams of the world, looking for more to extract from the tapestry that Sucker Punch has spun. Then it’s just up to you, and how you choose to interact with the world.
Much like its predecessor, Ghost Of Yotei plays out in a large open world, while there are a small selection of bottlenecks that separate various regions of Ezo from one another. Each space is filled with beautiful vistas, gorgeous wildlife, and explosions of colour. Sucker Punch has even taken on board the feedback from the previous game and dialed back the number of some of the more repetitious gameplay loops in the world (remember chasing foxes everyone?), while introducing other new loops to hook you. Threats are plentiful, and there are signs of the destruction wrought by Saito’s clan everywhere, from roaming scouting parties, to bounty hunters who are chasing your head for their income, and townships that have been completely overrun, but Atsu is equipped with the tools to navigate these situations.
Much like Ghost Of Tsushima, Atsu has a wide range of stealth tricks in her toolkit, and can skulk through tall grass, navigate tight passages, or even scale high buildings to get the advantage over enemies. Players who want to play a stealth-focussed style have all the tools to get the job done, from their ranged toolkit, to smoke bombs to flee when spotted, but if you’re willing to embrace the chaos of combat, Ghost Of Yotei’s gameplay really begins to shine. Different enemies will present you with different threats, from their physical size, to the weapons they’re using, or even the combinations of enemies and what they intend to kill you with. While working the R2 trigger and the face buttons, players will alternate between a handy selection of Atsu’s weapons to exploit the weaknesses of each enemy type. You can stubbornly push on with a weapon that is less effective than others, but it does prolong the conflict and leave you vulnerable to others. Being mindful of your surroundings, blocking effectively, and parrying when you can gives Atsu every chance to succeed in these combat encounters, but brazen approaches will often bring you unstuck.
Some of the most stressful combat moments come if you’re not paying attention, or your timing is off, and Atsu’s weapons are dislodged. The enemies sense the weakness and become more hostile in these instances as you scramble around to reclaim your weapons and get back on the counter-offensive. Paying attention to the world around you it’s just vital in combat, but it’s vital if you wish to explore the very best elements of Ghost Of Yotei. From birds that alert you to the existence of a nearby wolf den, bamboo cut opportunity, or hot spring, to features of the environment that can aid with traversal, Sucker Punch’s high attention to detail is clear to see, and it’s down to the player to take advantage of their great work. Speaking of paying attention, Sucker Punch have inserted a range of puzzles into the game, both as bottlenecks to missions and even for side-activities. In some cases the game overdoes it, pushing a particular puzzle type a little too often, but more often than not, the insertion of a puzzle box, or a series of symbols that if not followed will lead to immediate death are all effective in changing up the game’s pacing.
Much like its predecessor, Ghost Of Yotei is a presentational powerhouse. The terrain is arguably less variable in Ezo than on the island of Tsushima, but the expanses of lush grass, pierced by splashes of colour from fauna and flora, snowy mountaintops looming high in the distance, and creeks and rivers rushing nearby mean that there is always something beautiful to look upon. The guiding wind as a tool for gameplay looks great, but the way it washes over the environment, flinging pollen into the air, and stirring the trees also looks gorgeous. Meanwhile, the game’s audio design team have pulled together another gem through the combination of spoken word dialogue, and sound design. The clashing of swords, the whistle of the breeze, and the voice work of Erika Ishii as Atsu, the headline act, are all magnificent, and add to the incredible immersive elements of the game.
Despite some minor imbalancing with the inclusion of puzzles in the game, every other facet of Ghost Of Yotei shines brightly. Sukerpunch has once again taken us to a jaw-droppingly stunning region of Japan in a wonderfully fascinating time period. From the superb combat dance, to crafty platforming opportunities, a deeply engrossing story, and a stunning attention ot detail in both the visual and auditory artistic realms, Ghost Of Yotei delivers a wonderful package that is begging to be thoroughly explored. Don’t be at all surprised when a quick quest to tick off one small objective becomes several hours of many objectives, large and small as the game is extraordinarily addicting. Ghost Of Yotei at least matches, and often surpasses, the best that Tsushima delivered its audience, leaving me fascinated to see where Sucker Punch will go next.
Ghost Of Yotei was reviewed on PS5 Pro with a code kindly provided by PlayStation Australia.
