In a year overflowing with excellent samurai and ninja titles, Ghost of Yōtei had a big job to do. But I'm happy to say it's a hit.
Yōtei isn't reinventing the blade, but it continues to satisfy my sharp steel cravings — and fuel my photo mode obsession.
Set 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, you don't need to have played the first game to understand what's happening here. It's full of tightly written narrative, intense action, and spectacular landscapes.
The Ghost of Yōtei
When she was a child, our protagonist Atsu's family was slaughtered by a deadly group called the Yōtei Six. She dedicates the rest of days to training and taking them all out.
16 years since that fateful night, she's sharpened her blade and is on the hunt.
The story wastes no time, throwing you straight into the action. The opening sequence has you tracking down one of the Yōtei Six for a brutal showdown — a moment that cements Atsu's reputation as a deadly force.
By the time the credits rolled, I had tears in my eyes — the Yōtei narrative is truly spectacular.
The story is one of the game's strongest points; I was drawn in and found it almost impossible to put down (unless life forced me to). After 100 hours, I've completed and collected almost everything.
Ezo
The map gradually expands into a sprawling world. From the grasslands surrounding Atsu's family home to freezing mountain peaks, there's plenty to discover.
Each main zone has a town where Atsu can collect bounties, buy or sell resources and meet with local bow and armour merchants. You can also upgrade her health at hot springs, earn new abilities at altars, and gain charms from shrines.
Fox dens return, bamboo strikes make a comeback, and we have a new coin-flicking minigame called Zeni Hajiki — one of my favourite additions.
Combat and Gameplay
Atsu is an absolute beast on the battlefield. Where Tsushima relied on stances, Yōtei focuses on weapon choice — it's a nice change and I'm here for it.
The katana is best against other swordsmen, dual katana counter spear users, and the kusarigama excels against shields — while doubling as a brutal stealth tool. There's plenty more to find and embrace.
One of the most welcome additions is Atsu's bond with a mysterious wolf.
The wolf can leap in during battles to save your skin, and you, in turn, help it at dens across Ezo. There's also an ability to call the wolf to your side before taking on an enemy outpost.
Atsu's relationship deepens over time, and without spoiling anything, it becomes a core part of the journey.
Crafting activities such as cooking fish or forging steel are highly detailed, though largely cosmetic. Cooking up a mushroom or a fish (they're the only options) can give you a major or minor perk once a day. Though there's no consequences for burning the food.
Thankfully, you can skip these sequences — which I found handy playing on the PlayStation Portal. Didn't quite like the idea of using my Portal as a hammer…
Immersion and Performance
Ghost of Yōtei is a feast for the senses on PS5 Pro. Forests, mountains, and fields are brought to life with ray-traced lighting, smooth 60fps performance, and a refined UI that feels sleeker than Tsushima's, with softer prompts and cleaner alerts.
The world feels alive, with plenty of wildlife — deer, birds, and other creatures — adding to the sense of a living, breathing Ezo (you better believe there's a wildlife article coming).
Even minor details, like particle effects in the wind or the shimmer of sunlight on snow, enhance immersion.
Performance-wise, the game mostly runs beautifully. Load times are quick, and I thank autosave for keeping my progress safe. A few crashes dampened the vibe, and a handful of other bugs cropped up over 100 hours — invisible coins in the mini-game for one — but these were rare and didn't significantly detract from the experience.
The one major issue I came across was a bounty quest and altar locked behind a gate — I've submitted a report to PlayStation.
Should you buy Ghost of Yōtei?
Is it the ultimate open-world samurai experience? Not quite — but it doesn't need to be. Yōtei is one of the most beautiful PS5 titles yet, with stellar combat, a gripping story, and a deeply personal protagonist. While its immersion doesn't quite match other recent titles, it still holds its own.
If you loved Ghost of Tsushima, this is a no-brainer. With new weapons, fresh locations, refined systems, and an emotional journey, Yōtei is easily one of my favourite games of the year.
Ghost of Yōtei launches on PlayStation 5 on October 2nd and retails digitally for $124.95.
Julian Price was supplied with an early copy of the game for the purpose of this review.
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