Summary
- Ghost of Yotei's release date is confirmed for October 2, 2025, with a bounty system featuring dangerous targets.
- Bounty systems in open-world games must avoid feeling like repetitive checklists to impact the world meaningfully.
- Ghost of Yotei's bounty system should be narratively relevant, offer player agency, and tie each bounty to Atsu's pursuit of revenge.
Ghost of Yotei's release date has finally been confirmed, with the highly anticipated entry now slated to launch on October 2, 2025. With that announcement has also come further confirmation that Ghost of Yotei will be featuring a bounty system of sorts in which Atsu can hunt down "dangerous targets and claim bounties" in search of the Yotei Six — the group responsible for the murder of Atsu's family. While the idea of a bounty system in Ghost of Yotei certainly sounds compelling, however, it may need to take some steps to avoid feeling like a gimmick.
Bounty systems are an increasingly common feature in open-world games, but they often risk feeling like little more than checklists that don't really impact the world in meaningful ways. As such, assuming Ghost of Yotei's bounties play out similarly to systems such as those, it will want to avoid feeling like little more than a repetitive, money-making gimmick. Ensuring each bounty is relevant to Ghost of Yotei's narrative and also adding a dash of player agency here and there in the bounty system might give it the depth it needs to be more than mere side activity.
Why Ghost of Yotei Could Still Go to the Mainland
While Ghost of Yotei has been confirmed to take place in Ezo, it could still take Atsu to the mainland for some unique storytelling opportunities.
Ghost of Yotei's Bounty System Needs to Be More Than a Gimmick
Each Bounty in Ghost of Yotei Should Be Narratively Relevant
One way that Ghost of Yotei can ensure its bounty system goes beyond feeling gimmicky is by tying those bounties to its narrative. Based on Sucker Punch's description, it currently doesn't seem like that will be the case, since Atsu is primarily after the Yotei Six and the bounties are merely described as "other dangerous targets." This implies that the game's bounty system will revolve around Atsu hunting down optional foes that might threaten Ezo but have little to do with her pursuit of revenge in Ghost of Yotei.
Bounty systems are an increasingly common feature in open-world games, but they often risk feeling like little more than checklists that don't really impact the world in meaningful ways.
On the other hand, perhaps Ghost of Yotei will see each completed bounty bringing Atsu one step closer to the Yotei Six. If the system isn't already set up that way, it arguably should be, as that would see each bounty directly tied to Ghost of Yotei's story in some way, and could even make the road to the Yotei Six a bit easier for those players who choose to focus on completing bounties first. Obviously, bounties will help Atsu earn the coin that she needs to progress, but it might be even better if they were to offer her something even more valuable — like information or creating a weak spot in the Yotei Six.
Ghost of Yotei's Increased Emphasis on Player Agency Should Play Into Bounties
Another way that Ghost of Yotei could make its bounty system more meaningful is by implementing its increased emphasis on player agency into the mix. Sucker Punch has already confirmed that Ghost of Yotei will put more power in the player's hands, and that could apply to the game's bounties as well. Maybe Atsu ends up accepting a bounty that eventually leads her to someone who has been falsely accused. From there, she can either go ahead and eliminate the target for the coin or spare them and either forego the reward or lie in order to still obtain it. This would ensure Ghost of Yotei's bounty system carries just as much moral weight as it does gameplay.
Ghost of Yotei's bounty system could add more depth by playing out similarly to Assassin's Creed Shadows' story, which allows players to choose whether to spare or kill certain targets.
If Ghost of Yotei's bounty system hopes to stand out, it needs to be more than just a way to fill out a map or increase playtime. In the end, it needs to matter — narratively, thematically, and mechanically. Whether that's through moral dilemmas, helpful tips that lead Atsu closer to the Yotei Six, or even bounty targets that challenge Atsu's morality in Ghost of Yotei, the system should feel like an extension of the story rather than a distraction from it.
Ghost of Yotei
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- October 2, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
