New Ghost of Yotei gameplay reveals new details, presentation modes

Sucker Punch Productions shared an extended look at PlayStation 5 game Ghost of Yōtei on Thursday during Sony’s Yōtei-specific State of Play. It offered future ghosts more details about Atsu’s weapons, her journey across Ezo, and new and returning presentation modes.

Ghost of Tsushima’s Kurosawa Mode was a wonderful homage to the great Akira Kurosawa, director of some of samurai cinema’s best films, like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, and it’ll return in Ghost of Yōtei. It features a black and white presentation, film grain, and Japanese dialogue with lip syncing.

The new presentation style, Takashi Miike Mode, puts the camera closer to the action and features more blood and mud during fights; Miike has directed a wide range of films, and western audiences might recognize best him from his 2013 samurai film 13 Assassins. Sucker Punch has also partnered with Samurai Champloo director Shinichirō Watanabe for a presentation mode that adds lo-fi beats to exploration and combat, for when you need a slightly more relaxed vibe in between Atsu’s revenge kills.

Thursday’s deep dive showcases new weapons — dual katanas, ōdachi, and kusarigama — in action. Atsu can switch between them on the fly during combat, and can disarm opponents during fights — or be disarmed herself. Exploration was a focus in the trailer; like in Tsushima, Atsu can follow wildlife to discover hidden areas. Sucker Punch also emphasized Yōtei’s Elden Ring-like discoverability, encouraging players to travel to cool areas off in the distance to see what they might have in store.

Limited Edition Ghost of Yōtei-themed consoles and controllers were shown off at the end of the presentation. The console plates showcase Mount Yōtei while the controllers feature Atsu.

While retaining the Ghost title, Ghost of Yōtei isn’t a direct sequel to Ghost of Tsushima; it takes place 300 years after the first game and is set in a different part of Japan, Ezo (now called Hokkaido). Ghost of Yōtei follows new protagonist Atsu as she sets out for vengeance against those who killed her family, called the Yōtei Six. As she wracks up a body count, both from her Yōtei Six targets and from bounties you can take on, Atsu will fully embrace the Ghost persona. Ghost of Yōtei will offer more narrative freedom for the player than the first game as you’ll be able to take down the Yōtei Six in any order of your choosing.