Ghost of Tsushima at all times felt prefer it was late to the occasion. Whereas the sport offered extraordinarily effectively, and was beloved by not solely followers but in addition the folks of the Japanese island it portrayed, it was a decidedly mid-2010s open world recreation, releasing on the peak of open world fatigue.
That – together with chanted criticism about 100 fox dens and countless scorching springs – clearly knowledgeable Ghost of Yotei, and whereas a number of the echoes of open-world video games of the previous linger, Sucker Punch’s samurai sequel is a stronger recreation in each division.
Ghost of Yotei explodes into life with a degree of tempo and expediency that’s so missing from video games of its scale. You might be Atsu. Your loved ones has been slaughtered by the Yotei Six. You might be immediately on the hunt. This isn’t the story of how Atsu grew to become the Ghost; she’s already a self-trained killer. The sport’s opening sequence is likely one of the strongest in years, and is a intelligent, figuring out juxtaposition to the primary recreation’s opening. Jin’s battle was in opposition to a military, Atsu’s is private.
The sport’s foremost quest sees Atsu going after the Yotei Six, six lethal killers unfold throughout the map. Whereas the sport presents some non-linearity to the way you deal with the Yotei Six, this freedom isn’t actually there. Whilst you can select which of the primary two you go after first, this isn’t an Murderer’s Creed-style checklist of targets so that you can decide at everytime you need.
Whereas this degree of freedom might have been attention-grabbing, the prolonged questlines that result in every of the Yotei Six are teeming with nice characters and stellar performances.
Every of those quests is tied to a area, and infrequently tied to a brand new weapon, which you’ll select so as to add to your arsenal or ignore utterly. These lengthy chains of missions searching down the Yotei Six are enjoyable, however at occasions, they really feel like they go on for one or two missions too lengthy. This, sadly, slows down numerous the pacing and urgency the sport kicks off with, and doesn’t fairly wrestle again.
The areas are additionally populated with authored aspect content material that ranges from vital aspect content material like a protracted map-spanning quest to seek out an unkillable dueling grasp, to smaller issues like camps that may be taken down. Camps, bamboo strikes, fox dens, scorching springs, and extra are nonetheless right here, there are simply far, far much less of them.
Camps, for instance, tie in to a last huge aspect quest with the sensei who gave you that area’s melee weapon. Wolf dens have their very own storyline that provides Atsu entry to new skills. Gaining talent factors within the recreation is tied to discovering shrines. There’s a motive to do every little thing. Whether or not that motive is sufficient for a participant to take day out to do these issues can be as much as that particular person, however on the very least, Yotei makes issues a lot simpler for completionists.
An in-game cartographer will even promote you maps to notable places comparable to altars and scorching springs. A passerby will sometimes cease you and level you within the course of a bandit camp. It’s a extra pure, if nonetheless very online game method of populating an open world map.
Ghost of Yotei’s fight is much like the primary video games, however as a substitute of varied stances that correspond to enemy weapons, Atsu now has entry to a number of melee weapons through finishing aspect quests. These weapons don’t look like necessary, and might be acquired at any time when the participant needs, however they do make combating that area’s enemies far simpler. Whereas the brand new weapons are enjoyable, the sport’s fight is at its greatest when it’s one vs one with a katana.
All of that is in assist of Atsu’s story. Erika Ishii’s efficiency is stellar, and in Atsu, they’ve created a long-lasting trendy PlayStation icon. Ishii’s potential to convey to slightest sparkles of doubt and rage throughout their efficiency is unimaginable, aided in fact by the ridiculous visuals and efficiency seize.
Astu’s story of revenge and bloodlust isn’t something revolutionary from a storytelling perspective, nevertheless it’s the talent with which it’s executed that had us so hooked.
The sport’s aspect characters are additionally wonderful, with the story of the Kitsune being a specific spotlight. The sport’s nice writing extends all through even smaller content material like bounties. In different video games, bounties like these may very well be so inconsequential as to be procedurally generated, however in Ghost of Yotei, there’s usually harrowing, one-shot tales tied to them.
The Yotei Six themselves don’t get as a lot time to develop as we’d have appreciated, regardless of the size of their missions. Their standing as ruthless murderers is effectively established, and the Kitsune’s storyline will get enough time to develop; the others really feel barely undercooked.
Ghost of Yotei’s presentation is excellent. It should come as no shock to anybody who performed the primary recreation that Ghost of Yotei’s visuals are masterful. Greatest-in-class environmental artwork, an unimaginable color palette, and wonderful course make for some of the stunning video games on the platform. Sony’s first-party secure has been in a visible arms race for over a decade now, and we’re simply shocked this degree of constancy can nonetheless blow us away.
The sport gives 4 graphical modes. High quality, which targets 30 FPS in change for a better, non-specified decision. Efficiency, which targets 60 FPS at a decrease decision. Ray Tracing, which permits high-quality lightning and a non-specific “intermediate decision,” and Ray Buying and selling Professional, unique to the PS5 Professional, which targets 60 FPS with high-quality lighting. We performed by means of your complete recreation utilizing Ray Tracing Professional, and it’s a visible feast.
Ghost of Yotei’s loading occasions are nothing in need of ridiculous. Quick travelling from one finish of the map to the opposite is sort of actually a 1-second fade from location to location.
The sport’s music can also be wonderful. Atsu’s shamisen is each an necessary narrative machine and offers numerous the sport’s rating. The interstitial music whereas exploring the world is transferring, as are the occasional lyrical songs that seem throughout climactic moments.
It looks like there’s not far more a studio can wring out of the open-world components nowadays. Ghost of Yotei doesn’t completely reinvent open-world video games or throw away the style conventions totally. It most likely gained’t carry again those that’ve utterly turned away from the prospect of an enormous map and a dozen enemy bases to take down.
However by leaning extra closely into longer character tales that use the open-world framework as a storytelling machine, and tying content material that may be ancillary in Tsushima into foremost quests, Yotei delivers an open-world epic with out the vast majority of the bloat.
Whereas overlong at occasions, the sport’s presentational prowess, stellar performances, and vibrance make it a world we’ll proceed to wander by means of, lengthy after we’ve slaughtered the final of the Yotei Six.
