Video games: Ghost of Yōtei does not dare too much but strikes at the heart with its katana

Sucker Punch Production is an American development house that loves heroes very much. Since the launch of Ghost of Tsushima in 2020, it seems as if trapped in medieval Japan in the days of wandering samurai, cherry petals, and bloody katanas. Four years after the successful open-world, we return to the lawless Japan of the 1600s. The story follows Atsu, a lone mercenary, tormented and thirsting for revenge, as she hunts down the outlaws who killed her family years earlier.

In recent years, there have been not a few titles dedicated to perhaps the most beloved video game imagery. Compared to Sekiro, Nioh, Rise of the Ronin, Assassin's Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch Production's new creature does not add much: it is the ideal, but not narrative, sequel to a place that moves secret and powerful chords in the souls of many gamers, especially old ones.

If you loved Ghost of Tsushima, you will not be disappointed. If anything, that is the limitation of Yōtei. The game is definitely similar to its predecessor. The combat system, the user interface, the exploration seem almost unchanged. Those who accuse it of being almost a 'reskin' of the previous chapter have not played it to the full, because it has a well-defined personality, a precise artistic and narrative vocation that wants to tell a more intimate martial arts story.

Like Ghost of Tsushima, we liked the non-punitive approach, a fun and tame combat system, and the wildlife and natural beauty of Ezo. There's plenty to discover about Japan and the most picturesque things you can expect from this land. Revenge is the soul of this game, and Atsu is the perfect interpreter. The protagonist is a warrior so thirsty for revenge that the locals believe she is an onryō roaming the land. To tell the story of a spectre, an introspective and dreamlike setting was needed. At times, they succeeded.

The feeling is that they did not want to design something new. They were content to give fans what they liked about Tsushima and that is evocative locations, fluid combat, contemplative moments. In recent years, developers are not allowed to dare and make mistakes. The video game industry is experiencing one of its darkest moments. They wanted to play it safe and they succeeded.