Despite never getting around to reviewing Ghost of Tsushima, it is a game I have found myself returning to again and again over the years.
With its great characters, excellent sword combat and some of the most beautiful visuals in all of gaming, it has slowly climbed the list of my favourite videogames of all time.
Needless to say, I was excited to see how Suckerpunch would continue the story of Jin Sakai and his friends.
So, you can imagine I was slightly disappointed to learn the sequel, Ghost of Yotei, would focus on a different main character centuries ahead of the first game.
Despite this, I still had faith that Suckerpunch would deliver a compelling story and, even if that tale did not live up to the original, the gameplay and visual style would more than make up for it.
Sure enough, this is exactly how I felt about the game by the end of my first playthrough.
Ghost of Yotei follows Atsu (Erika Ishii), a woman whose family was murdered when she was a girl by the notorious Yotei Six, led by Lord Saito (Feodor Chin).
After many years away, Atsu returns to Ezo, determined to see revenge.
Aided by a mysterious wolf and other allies, Atsu’s reputation grows with each member of the Six she executes, earning her the title of Onryo, a vengeful spirit.
I would say that the story of Yotei is an enjoyable one, although not as compelling as Tsushima’s.
Jin’s struggle with the samurai code and the necessity of the Ghost is just more interesting that Atsu’s standard revenge quest.
Just because Atsu’s storyline is nothing new does not mean it is not interesting, however, because I still cared about Atsu across her journey and the bonds she made with her Wolf Pack.
This pack is a collection of characters across Ezo, who range from important to the story to only involved in minor side quests.
The way these quests are tracked with a card system presents a rather unique way to keep track of everything going on in Yotei’s open world.
Speaking of that open world, it is just as gorgeous as I expected it to be.
I went wild with photo mode during my first playthrough, capturing the brutal fights and beautiful landscapes every chance I got.
Adding to these environments and confrontations are the different modes, like Kurosawa Mode from Tsushima, and Japanese dubbing with accurate lip syncing, providing a much more immersive experience.
The combat has also been advanced from the first game where, instead of stances, combat is tied to which weapon you are holding.
You can even be disarmed, leading the desperate choice of retrieving your weapon or switching to another one.
This choice is especially tense in boss fights, which hold a lot more challenge than they did in Tsushima.
The combat is not the only draw of the gameplay, though.
I have already said the beautiful environments offer a lot, but so do some of the side activities, like the Zeni Hajiki minigames.
I spent most of my first playthrough riding around on my horse, doing side quests, fighting alongside the wolf, and hunting down bounties.
That alone speaks to the quality of Ghost of Yotei’s open world.
Unfortunately, it also leads into my big flaw with the game, which is its pacing.
I would say I spent around 60% of my time playing Yotei in the first act of the game, leaving the second and third act with a mere 40%.
As a result, it felt like the game speeds towards a conclusion once you reach Act Two, making the final hours feel a little rushed.
This is not even due to the side quests because dealing with those left on Atsu’s list from Act Two onwards felt a lot quicker than Act One.
Overall, though, I would still say Ghost of Yotei is a worthy sequel to Tsushima, even if it is not as good.
Sure, the revenge story it tells is nothing new and the pacing between the first act and the other two is inconsistent.
But the characters are likeable, the gameplay is a lot of fun and, of course, the visuals are spectacular.
Say what you want about the Ghost games, but you cannot deny they are beautiful.
Fingers crossed we get DLC for Yotei in the future.
THE REVIEW MONSTER 