So, Thursday rolled around and we got this peek at Ghost of Yōtei from Sucker Punch Productions. Sony dropped it during some Yōtei-themed State of Play thing. I was half-paying attention, so don’t quote me. Anyway, they gave us this deep dive into Atsu’s arsenal, like what she’s working with over in Ezo. Plus, they showed off these presentation modes—some old, some fresh.
Remember that Kurosawa Mode in Ghost of Tsushima? That nod to Akira Kurosawa who made classics like Seven Samurai? Well, it’s back in Ghost of Yōtei. Think black and white, film grain, dubbed Japanese dialogue—kind of arty vibes.
But wait, there’s this new Takashi Miike Mode, which, I mean, gets bloody. The camera gets up close and personal, muddy fights and all. Miike’s the guy who did 13 Assassins—rings a bell, right? Also, they’ve got Shinichirō Watanabe from Samurai Champloo adding lo-fi beats to the mix. Not expecting that in a samurai game, right? But somehow it works for those moments when you’re kind of just wandering after a tough scrap.
Weapons? Oh yeah, they’ve got some slick stuff here—dual katanas, ōdachi, kusarigama. Atsu’s all about weapon versatility, swapping them mid-combat. And yep, she can disarm baddies, but every now and then, she might just lose one too. They’re pushing for a big focus on wandering, like follow a fox—or whatever furry thing shows up—and uncover those secret spots like in Tsushima. Apparently, Yōtei’s got these wild, off-the-beaten-path places too. Kind of Elden Ring-ish, if you think about it.
Then, wrapping it up, they unveiled these Limited Edition Ghost of Yōtei consoles and controllers. Console’s got Mount Yōtei plastered on it, and Atsu’s face is on the controllers. Honestly, they look pretty slick.
One thing to share though, Ghost of Yōtei? Not a sequel to Tsushima. It’s more like, way later—300 years later—and in Ezo, aka today’s Hokkaido. Atsu’s on this reveng—her family, the Yōtei Six, yadda yadda. Sounds dark but intriguing. Oh, and there’s more of that “choose your path” freedom; take down those Yōtei Six folks however you like. Seems like it’s going to be quite the journey.
