Summary
- Ghost of Yotei shifts focus to a new protagonist, Atsu, set in Ezo 3 centuries after Ghost of Tsushima.
- Mainland Japan may still be visited in Ghost of Yotei due to its proximity to Ezo and Atsu's revenge-driven arc.
- Mainland Japan offers unique storytelling opportunities during the Edo period for the Ghost franchise.
Despite only being the second entry, Ghost of Yotei represents a significant shift for Sucker Punch's Ghost franchise, as it was originally expected to be a direct sequel to Ghost of Tsushima and therefore a continuation of Jin Sakai's story. Instead, Ghost of Yotei puts players into the shoes of Atsu, a brand-new protagonist who has made her way to the land of Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido) a whopping three centuries after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. How Atsu becomes a Ghost and how or whether she is connected to Jin Sakai remains to be seen, but it is all nonetheless an intriguing setup for the next game in the series.
Ghost of Tsushima kept players confined to Tsushima Island, apart from what it offered in its Iki Island DLC expansion. In the same way, at least at first glance, Ghost of Yotei seems to keep players in Ezo for the duration of its story. However, there is reason to believe Ghost of Yotei could still take players to mainland Japan at some point during its narrative, which would be a big payoff for those who expected Ghost of Tsushima's sequel to do so. Whether it's the mainland's proximity to Ezo, how Atsu's story could lead her to the mainland, or the political upheaval happening during Ghost of Yotei's time period, mainland Japan may not be too far out of reach for players in the next Ghost entry.
Ghost of Yotei's Secret Ingredient Could Be its Verticality
Ghost of Yotei's apparent emphasis on verticality could be its secret to topping the open world and environmental standard set by its predecessor.
Ghost of Yotei Could Still Take Players to the Mainland
The Mainland Is in Proximity to Ezo and Could Tie in to Atsu's Story
One of the most prominent pieces of evidence to suggest Ghost of Yotei could still take players to mainland Japan is Ezo's proximity to the nearest of the mainland's islands. As opposed to Ghost of Tsushima's Tsushima Island, which was about 31 miles from the southernmost of Japan's main islands, Ezo was only around 12 miles from mainland Japan. Considering Ezo's nearness to mainland Japan in Ghost of Yotei, it's reasonable to believe that the game's story might eventually see Atsu traveling there, even if it's just in a DLC.
Even though Ezo was geographically closer to mainland Japan, it was still much more separate from the mainland than Tsushima Island was when it came to culture and politics.
It could be that Atsu's quest in Ghost of Yotei eventually drives her to the mainland, given what has been revealed about it so far. According to Ghost of Yotei's official description on PlayStation's website, "Atsu will hunt down those responsible for the death of her family and exact her revenge." Since revenge arcs typically ignite an unquenchable fire in those seeking vengeance, Atsu might be willing to go to the ends of the earth in search of those who wronged her. If she discovers at some point that her perpetrators have fled to the mainland, it's likely she will follow them.
The Mainland Could Offer Unique Storytelling Opportunities
At the very least, mainland Japan during Ghost of Yotei's Edo period offers some unique storytelling opportunities that it would be remiss to pass up. The early Edo period was a time of significant political shifts, most of which were seen and felt on Japan's main islands. In 1603, specifically, when Ghost of Yotei takes place, Tokugawa Ieyasu was appointed Shogun by the Emperor after winning the Battle of Sekigahara. This effectively established the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo (modern-day Tokyo and therefore mainland Japan), and could lead to some interesting narrative arcs if players were to visit mainland Japan in Ghost of Yotei.
It could be that Atsu's quest in Ghost of Yotei eventually drives her to the mainland, given what has been revealed about it so far.
If nothing else, since Ghost of Yotei's Ezo is less than half the distance from mainland Japan as Ghost of Tsushima's Tsushima Island was, it's possible the next entry could close that distance even further or entirely. In other words, if Ghost of Yotei doesn't take players to the mainland, it's looking more likely that the next entry will.
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
