Summary
- Ghost of Yotei replaces Jin with new protagonist Atsu, but will likely still be maintaining core elements of Tsushima.
- Yotei looks to reprise Tsushima's love for animals with a variety of creatures to bond with.
- Ghost of Yotei appears to include a wolf companion and potentially other animals like Ezo deer and red foxes.
Ghost of Tsushima's successor, Ghost of Yotei, may already look like it's doing plenty of things differently from its predecessor, as its willingness to leave Jin Sakai and replace him with a new protagonist, Atsu, is enough of a massive change in and of itself. However, Ghost of Yotei will most likely still be maintaining some of the core elements of Ghost of Tsushima, with one of its predecessor's most charming gimmicks, a respect for animal wildlife, being among those elements.
With the wilderness of Ezo offering a wealth of potential, Ghost of Yotei has plenty of opportunities to reprise its predecessor's love and respect for animals, with potentially even more animals for players to get to know and bond with. The announcement trailer for Ghost of Yotei has already revealed what may be one of Atsu's companions, but it's likely the new protagonist will encounter many more on her journey through Ezo around the imposing silhouette of Mount Yotei.
Ghost of Yotei's Origin Story for Atsu Can Hopefully Side-Step Tsushima's Moral Landslide
Ghost of Yotei might feel compelled to repeat Jin Sakai's origin story from Ghost of Tsushima, but it would be better off going in a different route.
Ghost of Yotei Seems to Be Reprising Tsushima's Love for Animals
Ghost of Tsushima's Animals Are a Key Part of Its World
Despite everything else it has going for it, Ghost of Tsushima's love for animals is one of its standout features. At first glance, upon entering its world, it might seem like Jin Sakai's horse is the main thing to write about, especially considering the strong bond the two of them seem to share. However, Ghost of Tsushima's Tsushima Island is chock-full of wildlife, and Jin shares an intimate closeness with each one of them as well. This is especially realized in the fact that it's impossible for players to kill creatures that aren't hostile towards Jin, in order to preserve the game’s themes and cultural reverence for nature.
Aside from Jin's horse, there are golden birds in Ghost of Tsushima, which act as guides to almost anything and attempt to attract Jin's attention with their soft coos and gentle tweets. Ghost of Tsushima's foxes also share the stage as one of the game's more adorable and heartwarming animals. These cute and nimble creatures will lead Jin to Inari Shrines, and he can even pet them if they stick around long enough for him to have the chance to.
Even fireflies and butterflies help add to the atmosphere in Ghost of Tsushima, with the former occasionally guiding Jin to hidden secrets in the environment and the latter simply adding to the game's overall ambiance.
Ghost of Yotei Already Features a Wolf and Will Likely Feature More
While it hasn't been outright revealed yet, Ghost of Yotei will presumably feature even more animals for Atsu to bond with than the wolf shown in the game's announcement trailer. The wolf is likely a Hokkaido wolf, a now-extinct subspecies of gray wolf that roamed the forests and grasslands of Ezo during the Edo period Ghost of Yotei is set in. According to history, the Hokkaido wolf was an apex predator and had a mixed relationship with humans, so it will be interesting to see how Atsu's relationship evolves with her companion — assuming the two of them share a lasting bond throughout the game.
Despite everything else it has going for it, Ghost of Tsushima's love for animals is one of its standout features.
Other animals Ghost of Yotei may feature due to their presence in Ezo during Japan's Edo period are the Ezo deer, Ezo red fox, sables, Ezo mountain hares, and raccoon dogs, the animal that Mario's Tanuki outfit derives its name and appearance from. More than likely, both the deer and red foxes will be present in Ghost of Yotei, as they were in Ghost of Tsushima as well. However, sables and Ezo mountain hares seem like likely candidates as well, especially if Atsu makes frequent trips into the mountains and forests surrounding Mount Yotei. Finally, Ghost of Yotei adding tanuki to the game might offer players an opportunity to pet what is potentially one of the game's fluffiest creatures.
It's still unclear whether Ghost of Yotei will include all of Ezo's most common animals that roamed the lands during the Edo period, but given Sucker Punch's track record with Ghost of Tsushima, it certainly seems likely. If that's the case, players should expect to be surrounded by adorable animals in Ghost of Yotei, some of which they may even be able to directly interact with.
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
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
