Ghost of Yotei is the Game Gen Z Thinks Tsushima Is

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It’s funny, my TikTok algorithm is constantly showing me gaming content. Beyond the usual trailers, essays, and streamer reactions, I see tons of “top 10 games of all time” videos. I’ve noticed a pattern: millennial creators usually pick games from the late 90s and 2000s, while Gen Z tends to go for stuff released in the last 10-15 years. Which, honestly, makes total sense-we all love the games we grew up with. But I always get a little surprised when I see Ghost of Tsushima on those lists, or even at the very top! Look, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and Tsushima is far from a bad game-I actually think it’s really good. It’s a beautiful open world with awesome combat and characters, but I think there are a lot of games that are just better. It wouldn’t make my personal top 10, that’s for sure. But if I started seeing its sequel, Ghost of Yotei, popping up on those lists? I’d be a lot less surprised.

Ghost of Yotei takes place centuries after the story of Tsushima and follows Atsu’s intense quest for revenge. She aims to eliminate the Yotei Six, the group responsible for murdering her family, razing her home, and leaving her for dead sixteen years prior to the game’s beginning. While Yotei’s core revenge narrative is straightforward, it’s made compelling by Atsu, a multifaceted character determined to avenge her family at any cost.

I found Atsu’s story more compelling than Jin Sakai’s in Tsushima, largely because it’s so skillfully integrated into the game world. Even taking out a minor, optional enemy camp could trigger a cutscene showing how Atsu’s actions were affecting the Yotei Six and their leader, Lord Saito. Almost everything connects back to Atsu’s pursuit of revenge, and combined with the diverse experiences while exploring, it makes each side quest feel meaningful – something Tsushima didn’t quite achieve. That, in my view, was Tsushima‘s biggest weakness, and it’s what prevents it from being a truly top-tier game worthy of all those Gen Z top 10 lists. The activities in Tsushima‘s open world felt bland, uninspired, and repetitive, while Ghost of Yotei offers a much richer and more engaging experience.

Ghost of Yotei Beats Tsushima in Every Category

Ghost of Yotei isn’t just stronger than Tsushima when it comes to open world activities and side quests. It surpasses the 2020 game in virtually every way, offering a more compelling story, more thrilling battles, and improved visuals. Yotei enhances combat by letting Atsu wield five different main weapons, and she can switch between them instantly. Atsu can also find a range of useful gadgets, giving her even more choices and making each fight more diverse.

Visually, Yotei simply has an edge over Tsushima. Yotei was specifically designed to showcase the power of the PS5, while Tsushima was originally created for the PS4. Yotei is arguably one of the most beautiful video games ever made, and it noticeably surpasses its earlier counterpart in terms of animations, textures, and how smoothly it runs. Both games are stunning to look at, but Ghost of Yotei is truly exceptional.

The Ghost of Tsushima GOTY Argument

I’ve noticed that, in addition to Ghost of Tsushima consistently appearing on Gen Z’s favorite games lists, many people believe it should have been named Game of the Year in 2020. The Last of Us 2 actually won that award at The Game Awards in 2020, winning many awards overall. However, a significant number of fans strongly dislike The Last of Us 2, primarily due to its story, and feel that Tsushima was unfairly overlooked. When considering the other games nominated for Game of the Year in 2020, I don’t believe Tsushima would have won, even if The Last of Us 2 hadn’t been in the running.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Hades were all contenders for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2020, along with Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima. Of those games, I think Tsushima is only better than FF7 Remake. Every other nominee received more positive reviews overall. Actually, compared to the other GOTY nominees, Tsushima has one of the lower scores, with an overall rating of 84.

I don’t believe Ghost of Yotei will win Game of the Year in 2025, though I think it’s more likely to be nominated than the previous game in the series and has a good chance of actually winning. Currently, I see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hades 2, and Hollow Knight: Silksong as the leading contenders, but Yotei is still definitely a game to watch.

I think a lot of why Gen Z loves Ghost of Tsushima is just timing – it came out when many of us were in high school. We all have a soft spot for the games we grew up with, and we tend to think they’re better than they maybe are! But Ghost of Yotei actually *delivers* on everything Tsushima promised. It’s an amazing open-world samurai game, and honestly, I don’t think anyone will be able to top it. It really feels like the game reached its full potential, and it might be Sucker Punch’s best work yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in about five years, Gen Alpha is making TikToks calling it one of the greatest games ever.

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2025-10-02 20:01