Summary
Sony has finally held a deep dive State of Play showcase forGhost of Yotei, one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2025. Sucker Punch Productions has been hard at work for almost five years now, and whileGhost of Yoteiis clearly a follow-up toGhost of Tsushima, with plenty of familiar elements returning like seamless exploration guided by wind, climbing with a grappling hook, visceral combat, and side activities such as bamboo training grounds and hot springs, it will definitely expand on everything andintroduce new features for an even more excitingsamurai fantasy experience.
Ghost of Yoteiemphasizes player freedom like no other Sucker Punch open-world game before it, focusing on leisurely exploration at players' own pace, a comfortable experience even in the smallest aspects without the typical busywork of the genre, deep customization, and a cinematic story-driven appeal with fleshed-out characters. Below areall the new things confirmedforGhost of Yoteiduring the latest showcase, suggesting that the game is shaping up to be one of 2025’s biggest gaming hits.
1Advanced Free-Form Exploration
Building on a Unique Approach Without the Need for a Mini-Map
Ghost of Yoteiadopts the signature approach to exploring Japan fromGhost of Tsushima, expanding on the original feature of players not relying on a mini-map to navigate their surroundings. Instead, they can follow the wind or animals that lead to points of interest across Ezo, follow clues gathered during exploration, such as message boards or rumors, and use a spyglass to spot interesting places from a distance.
According to the devs,Ghost of Yoteiwon’t rush players toward any objectives, allowing them to tackle main and side missions at their own pacein any order they wish. This probably means there won’t be any locked areas like inGhost of Tsushima, except perhaps for a handful of small mission-driven locations.
2Seamless Flashbacks into Atsu’s Past
Travel Through Time with a Single Button Press
Ghost of Yoteiis a classic revenge tale, withAtsu searching for the Yōtei Sixwho murdered her entire family when she was a child. To explore her past more thoroughly, the game will show Atsu visiting familiar places from her childhood and allow players to relive important flashbacks of the protagonist’s past with a single button press.
As shown during the gameplay footage, thanks to the PS5’s capabilities, the transition between two versions of the same place happens instantly, without any interruption for players, resulting in a more cinematic and immersive experience that reflects the blistering memories rushing through Atsu’s mind.
3Night Campfires for Meeting Allies
No Need to Fast Travel Around the Map, as Key NPCs Will Come to Players Instead
One of the brand-new features inGhost of Yoteiis the ability to set upcamp for the night in the wilderness, akin toRed Dead Redemption 2. Here, players can learn or play music, practice cooking, rest under the stars, and even meet allies and NPCs. It’s a prime example of howGhost of Yoteiprioritizes player convenience.
According to the devs, the campfire system allowed them to ditch the busywork often seen in other open-world games, where players need to constantly fast travel back and forth to buy supplies, upgrade their arsenal, and complete side quests and assignments. InGhost of Yotei, night camps are used to bring NPCs, merchants, and blacksmiths to the player when relevant, allowing for a more dynamic journey without constantly tracking objectives in game menus and map screens. Also, judging from the reveal trailer, it’s possible that other bounty hunters, as Atsu is a wanted woman in Edo, could ambush her at the night camp as well.
4Expanded Weapon Arsenal
Five Melee Weapons and Several Ranged Options to Choose From
InGhost of Tsushima, Jin Sakai was asamurai who only used a katanain close combat. InGhost of Yotei, the combat system is significantly expanded, allowing players as Atsu to use five melee weapons: katana, spear, kusarigama (also seen inAssassin’s Creed Shadows), odachi blade, and dual swords — in addition to ranged weapons such as bows and even powder guns like teppo.
While the core essence of the combat system remains intact, with seamless transitions between stealth takedowns and open confrontations, as well as close and personal duels against bosses and elite enemies, each new weapon in Atsu’s arsenal has its own strengths and weaknesses, and players are encouraged to switch between them often mid-combat to gain an advantage over their opponents.
5Deep Customization for Weapons and Armor
A True Paradise for Japanese Fashion Lovers
InGhost of Tsushima, players already had access to rich customization for Jin Sakai’s weapons and armor, including many color schemes for each armor set and distinct designs for katana and tanto decorations. Naturally, inGhost of Yotei, players can expect even more customization options, unique armor designs, and spectacular fashion for each of Atsu’s weapons. During the gameplay reveal, the team showcased many of the stunning armor and weapon looks that players can obtain inGhost of Yotei.
So far, the devs haven’t revealed exactly how new customization items will be obtained inGhost of Yotei, but most likely, the approach will be similar to the original game, where players could find many new designs in the world and buy dyes for specific gear from in-game merchants.
6Diverse NPC Companions
Fight Alongside Other Warriors, Including Non-Human Ones
While most of Atsu’s journey will be spent alone (excluding the trusty horse we hope won’t die this time) for that special solitary outlaw vibe, at times players will meet other characters who become allies and can accompany Atsu during specific missions, just like inGhost of Tsushima. The devs also showcased a special stylized companion screen for Atsu’s “pack of wolves,” featuring an easy way to track every character-related questline that players might be interested in.
On top of that, thewolf companion teasedin the very firstGhost of Yoteiteaser is indeed real, as Sucker Punch briefly showed howAtsu fights in combat back to backwith her unconventional pet fiercely attacking her foes. Exploring Atsu’s bond with a wolf is certainly an intriguing layer of the sequel.
7Detailed Photo Mode at Launch
Capture the Beauty of a Moment and Share It Online
Many modern AAA games launch without a dedicated photo mode these days, with developers adding the feature in post-launch updates. Fortunately,Ghost of Yoteiwon’t be one of them, as Sucker Punch hasconfirmed a detailed photo modewill be available for players from day one.
It’s easy to see why the inclusion of photo mode was so important for the team. GivenGhost of Tsushima’s legacy of providing one of the most beautiful and authentic open worlds, and withGhost of Yoteipushing the visuals even further, many players will certainly spend hours in the game’s photo mode, capturing the beauty of Japan’s diverse landscapes and visceral samurai combat, and sharing their captures with others.
8Additional Unique Game Modes
Not Just the Black-and-White Kurosawa Cinematic Mode
A black-and-white visual mode inspired by legendary movie director Akira Kurosawa returns inGhost of Yotei, alongside several brand-new game modes influenced by other renowned Japanese directors. As such, the sequel will also offer Miike Mode (Takashi Miike, director of 13 Assassins and Blade of the Immortal) and Watanabe Mode (anime writer and director Shin’ichirô Watanabe).
Playing in Miike Mode brings a closer camera perspective with increased blood and mud effects for a more brutal experience, while in Watanabe Mode, the game will be enhanced withoriginal lo-fi beats in the backgroundduring combat and exploration — a truly one-of-a-kind feature not seen elsewhere yet. Of course, players can also expect several difficulty options to tailor their personal experience for either more leisure or intensity with each of these special director-inspired modes.
9Full Japanese Voiceover and Lip Sync
An Authentic and Immersive Dive into 1603 Japan
Playing a game likeGhost of Yoteiwouldn’t be a fully immersive experience without Japanese voiceover, and fortunately, Sucker Punch has fans covered. The developers confirmed that in addition to English dubbing, the sequel will also feature fully voice-acted Japanese dialogue with character lip syncing and multi-language subtitles for an immersive journey across 1603 Japan.
In Japanese, Atsu is voiced by Ai Fairouz, known primarily for her voice acting in various anime, while in the English version, Atsu is voiced by Erika Ishii, who has also voiced characters in games likeDate Everything,Fortnite,Mortal Kombat 1,Dragon Age: The Veilguard,Deathloop,Apex Legends,Marvel’s Avengers, andCyberpunk 2077.
