Ghost of Tsushima’s gorgeous PlayStation 5 sequel Ghost of Yōtei is inching ever-closer to release, and ahead of its October arrival, developer Sucker Punch has shared its best look yet at what the revenge-soaked action-adventure will bring – including, it turns out, a lo-fi beats mode for a more soothing saunter through Ezo.
Ghost of Yōtei, of course, features a brand-new protagonist in Atsu, a “lone wolf mercenary” so single-minded in her mission to punish the Yōtei Six – the ruthless gang who slaughtered her family – she’s believed to an Onryō (a Japanse spirit of vegeanece) by the local people.
Atsu returns to Ezo after 16 years in the south as Sucker Punch’s gameplay deep dive begins, travelling back to her childhood home in order to put the spirits of her family to rest. Here, she can revisit the “cherished times” of her youth, switching between the past and present at the push of a button, before venturing out across the stunning open world in her relentless quest for blood.
And with each victory Atsu secures against the Yōtei Six, the more her renown grows, increasing the bounty on her head and leading to encounters with deadlier foes. But Atsu can also take on bounties of her own in order to make money and fuel her quest. Which brings us nicely onto Ghost of Yōtei’s expanded combat.
Atsu can wield a katana, spear, kusarigama, odachi, or dual swords – and can switch between weapons on the fly – with each being uniquely effective against particular enemies. The odachi, for instance, is best against massive enemies, and when opponents switch weapons, players will need to do the same in order to adapt – unleashing their dual swords, say, to better counter spears. All weapons feature their own upgrades to discover and master, and Atsu has access to variety of ranged abilities too, including throwing weapons such as bombs and blinding powder.
As to how players can find themselves in these sorts of sticky situations, Sucker Punch says Ghost of Yōtei is more focussed on player freedom than any of its other games, and there’s a clue system – based on interrogating enemies and collecting new mission cards – that can take players everywhere from snow covered heights to a landscape scarred by fire. But there’s said be ample space for players to simply grab their spyglass, pick a point of interest, and forge their own path across Ezo, taking in its golden fields, shimmering lakes, swaying trees, and endless valleys of fallings leaves and rising mist.
They might, for instance, stumble across Altars of Reflection. These provide Atsu with inspiration and unlock new abilities – such as perfect parry and disarm counter – that’ll help her on the journey ahead. Alternatively, players can buy travellers maps from a cartographer if they’d prefer to focus on forward momentum rather than languid exploration. Either way, they’ve the option to set up camp under the stars throughout their adventure, resting up, play shamisen, cooking, and preparing fight ahead. Camping also brings important characters and upgrades straight to players. Replacing Ghost of Tsushima’s journal, this is said to provide a “more character-driven way of managing allies and vendors”, so you “don’t have to leave where you’re exploring, the game comes to you”.
Elsewhere in Sucker Punch’s deep dive, there was talk about customisation and finding the right combination of armour, charms, gear that works for different play-styles, be that the stealthy approach of more melee focused. And of course armour and weapon looks can be customised too. That means you’ll be able to look your best as you crank out Ghost of Yōtei’s returning photo mode.
That’s not the only returning feature, though. It’s possible to select a Japanese voice track with full lip sync and subtitles from the beginning, if you want a more authentic representation of the samurai movies Sucker Punch’s series is inspired by. And you can go even further with the returning Kurasowa mode, which emulates the legendary film director’s movies with a distinctive black and white palette, film grain, audio filters, and increased wind.
Kurasowa isn’t the only Japanese movie director being represented this time though. THere’s a new mode taking its cue from Ichi the Killer and Audition director Takashi Miike, that puts the camera closer during combat for a “more intense, raw experience” that also features increased mood and blood splatter. Alternatively, you can opt for the mode created in conduction with Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe. This is where the lo-fi beats come in, switching out Ghost of Tsushima’s usual music in favour of more relaxed tunes created by Watanabe that play during exploration and combat.
And that pretty much all we’re getting for now. Ghost of Tsushima launches for PlayStation 5 on 2nd October, and it’ll arrive alongside a newly announced limited edition console and controller.