When Ghost of Tsushima was released in 2020, millions of players fell in love with Jin Sakai’s adventure. Many believed that this game, which seemed a bit of a mix of genres, would not succeed (some even said it looked like the Japanese copy of an Assassin’s Creed).
To the surprise of many, the game was very well received. In my case, I liked it so much that I thought it was impossible for a sequel to be justified. Fortunately, I am dedicated to playing and analyzing games, not to deciding which video games are developed and which are not.
Today I come to tell you how much I enjoyed Ghost of Yōtei, the few flaws it has, and the reasons why you should be playing it right now (or ask for it as a Christmas gift, as I’m sure you’ll find some offer in a few months).
Atsu, a tormented protagonist who grows with us
While the story itself is not innovative: Atsu’s family is murdered by a group of masked outlaws called the Six of Yōtei, and she vows to locate them and take them down one by one, the protagonist playing Atsu (Erika Ishii) delivers such a strong performance as an unflinching killer that I was completely drawn into her bloody quest for revenge.
No matter how much other characters remind her seriously of the devastating nature of revenge, she continues to destroy her enemies. It seems that she enjoys it.
The story is also told at a very comfortable pace, as it adapts to us. If we go on certain main missions, we will unlock key memories from our past life, and if we play as a vigilante across the northern plains of Japan, the story will take a break, allowing us to proceed at our own pace for a while.
That said, the story is worth it. No matter how great the open world of Yōtei is (one of the best I’ve played), which can make us lose sight of the initial goal of the game, the main story is worth playing and enjoying. It’s an epic soap opera.
Brutal gameplay, especially its battles
The battles in Ghost of Yōtei are wonderfully brutal. While you can make your way through Ezo with some basic knowledge of dodging, blocking, and striking with a katana at the right moment, the frequent fights become more exciting as you learn to use the dual katanas, the spear, the bow, and the huge ōdachi.
Key confrontations never lose their challenge, as Atsu surrounds herself with imposing generals who are twice her size, knowing that a few blows are enough to finish her off.
I play many challenging action games, but after more than 30 hours of duels and fights, I still am not powerful enough for my enemies to fall before me with barely any effort, and therefore, I do not get bored.
The constant challenges of this game encourage you to improve in each discipline to ultimately become a completely relentless assassin. Additionally, the game urges you to learn with each weapon, as enemies are not defeated equally easily with all weapons; rather, each weapon has its preferred counter (for example, to defeat spearmen, nothing beats using dual katanas).
In that sense, the game does not force you to learn, but encourages you to do so to make the experience an easier and more enjoyable journey. And I believe that is the best way to treat a player who is striving to learn your rules and adapt.
Ezo is the most beautiful place you have ever seen in your life with a controller in your hands
Together with Assassin’s Creed Shadows (also set in historical Japan and analyzed here), Ghost of Yōtei is the game with the most beautiful graphics I have ever seen.
This delivery is a tribute to the natural beauty of Japan, in the ginkgo trees and distant mountains, the spring plains and rivers teeming with fish (which you can spear for dinner).
This is a world created to be admired: you navigate with sight and sound, instead of with a screen map. The wind tells you where to go to continue the story, but I really felt free to wander, and it is in that wandering where you find incredible side stories and moments of tranquility.
It is charming that you can use the PS5 controller to grill fish on your campfire, play the shamisen, or paint strokes on the canvas; returning to Atsu’s memories in familiar places allows you to relive his life before it was ravaged by violence.
The music, which combines rhythms of the Old West and traditional Japanese instruments, reminds me that it is about 17th century Japan seen through an American lens.
Yōtei complicates things too much: there are not too many distractions, things to collect, people to recruit, or bases to build. It is simple, and I have found it very easy to enjoy. Whenever I got bored of pursuing a goal, it was easy to find something else to do.
A game worth experiencing… at least once in a lifetime
It may be a simple story at its core, but it has absorbed me more than any other game of its kind. Even after hours and hours, I still feel a spark of excitement every time Atsu draws his sword with determination at the beginning of a battle.
And finishing it feels sad, not because the ending is, but because it means it’s time to move on to another adventure and I’m sure it won’t be as much fun. Playing the role of Atsu is one of those experiences that I will remember for many years.
