Summary
- Ghost of Yotei can benefit from incorporating Red Dead Redemption's immersive, realistic open world elements.
- Atsu's journey in Ghost of Yotei could be enhanced by embracing the slow, observant moments of Red Dead Redemption.
- Including life-sim activities like fishing and hunting can add depth and historical authenticity to Ghost of Yotei's world.
As one of the most anticipated games of 2025 and the successor to one of the best games of the last five years, Ghost of Yotei has a lot riding on it when it comes to its open world. Despite its repetitive activities and somewhat predictable structure, Ghost of Tsushima still offered players a fresh take on open-world video games, with a degree of immersion that many others in the genre have been unable to achieve. Needless to say, Ghost of Yotei has a lot to live up to and improve, but Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption series might have an element that could bring Yotei's world up a few notches.
Naturally, comparisons have been drawn between Ghost of Yotei and Red Dead Redemption, as Japanese filmmakers like Kurosawa have painted samurai in a Western light and therefore established a thematic relationship between the two. Even Ghost of Yotei's announcement trailer has a Western vibe to it, with appropriately themed background music to boot. While much of this might be on account of protagonist Atsu's outlaw status in 1603 Japan, it nonetheless opens the door even further for Ghost of Yotei to incorporate one of Red Dead Redemption's best elements.
Ghost of Yotei’s Wolf Should Follow the Trail of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Mutt
Ghost of Yotei's wolf already helps in combat, but it could deepen immersion if it adopts the mechanics of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Mutt.
Atsu's Journey Could Use More of Red Dead Redemption's Stillness
Red Dead Redemption 2 Shows the Power of Slower Moments
In just about every way, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption series, particularly the second entry, boasts some of the most realistic and immersive open worlds ever crafted. To this day, players are still finding little surprises in Red Dead Redemption 2's world that prove just how far that realism goes, from NPCs appearing to take actual bites of food on the plate in front of them to fires spreading in realistic ways and puddles naturally forming when it rains. To complement this lifelike realism, Red Dead Redemption 2 features plenty of life-sim activities for players to do when they're not completing the game's more demanding and rigorous tasks.
Despite having a compelling narrative that is more than worth witnessing, Red Dead Redemption 2 all but demands that players slow down and enjoy the world around them. Even more than direct, materialistic rewards, Red Dead Redemption 2 is perhaps most rewarding when players practice patience and observation rather than blindly progressing through quest objectives and stories. With slow-paced, organic exploration and activities like fishing, hunting, and camping, Red Dead Redemption 2 shows the power of slower moments by fostering a seamless connection between players and the environment.
Ghost of Yotei Is Built for More Than Combat
Now, with the example of Red Dead Redemption 2 in front of it, there is little reason why Ghost of Yotei wouldn't also feature plenty of cozy, life-sim activities, as its world is built for more than combat. Ghost of Tsushima featured a variety of meditative activities for players to do — like haikus and hot springs — so it's safe to assume Ghost of Yotei will go down the same road. However, it would be remiss not to look to Red Dead Redemption 2 for even more inspiration.
Fishing, for example, would be a perfect activity in Ghost of Yotei. During the Edo period, fishing was one of the most prominent leisure activities, and samurai would use it for both recreation and meditation. Lower-ranking samurai, like ronin, would even use fishing as a means of survival rather than sport. Since Ghost of Yotei's Atsu is a ronin, fishing would fit her persona perfectly, regardless of whether it was for survival or meditative purposes. Red Dead Redemption 2's approach to hunting would also make sense in Ghost of Yotei's setting, as samurai would hunt for ceremony, sport, and prestige during that time period.
If Ghost of Yotei wants to raise the bar set by its predecessor's open world, then embracing the quiet, immersive design philosophy of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption series may be one of its smartest moves. Activities like fishing, hunting, and slow-paced exploration would give it a sense of historical authenticity while also connecting players to the environment and Atsu's journey. These moments could give players space to reflect, breathe, and live in the world Sucker Punch is building, ensuring Ghost of Yotei is remembered as more than a repeat of Ghost of Tsushima's open world.
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
