Ghost of Yotei Will Address One of Tsushima’s Biggest Flaws

Ghost of Yotei Will Address One of Tsushima's Biggest Flaws

Key Takeaways

  • Sucker Punch has confirmed that Ghost of Yotei will offer a less repetitive open world design than its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima.
  • Ghost of Yotei aims to balance out repetitive activities with more “unique experiences,” improving upon one of Ghost of Tsushima’s weakest links.
  • The confirmation of a leaner world design also bodes well for Ghost of Yotei’s Hokkaido setting, an island far bigger than Tsushima in real life.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming release of ‘Ghost of Yotei’. Having played my fair share of open-world games, I’ve grown weary of repetitive activities that often plague such titles.


The lead designer of “Ghost of Yotei” has affirmed that the forthcoming game will feature a more diverse and less monotonous open world compared to its previous version, 2020’s “Ghost of Tsushima”. Although “Ghost of Yotei” introduces a fresh map, era, and hero, it appears that developer Sucker Punch is also dedicated to providing players with a more structured and engaging variety of open-world experiences.

Despite the stunning visuals and diverse landscapes found in the open world of Ghost of Tsushima being commendable, some players criticized the game for its somewhat repetitive missions and activities. Critics argued that elements of its world design echoed Ubisoft’s open world tropes, such as clearing enemy strongholds, gathering various items scattered throughout the map, similar side quests, and so forth. Fortunately, Ghost of Yotei appears to be directly addressing these issues.

At present, there’s not a lot that’s clear about the Ghost of Yotei. We do know it features a new protagonist named Atsu, takes place in 1603, and showcases the stunning island of Hokkaido as its setting. Given that Hokkaido is larger than Tsushima in reality, gamers are curious about how Sucker Punch will manage open-world interactions for Ghost of Yotei. In a recent interview with The New York Times, creative director Jason Connell addressed this issue, mentioning that designing an open-world game involves dealing with repetitive tasks, but Sucker Punch is striving to create a balance and offer exclusive experiences in Ghost of Yotei rather than repeating the same activities.

Ghost of Yotei’s World Design Could Be Its Biggest Upgrade Over Ghost of Tsushima

It would have been great to get a bit more insight into exactly how Sucker Punch is enhancing the open-world design of ‘Ghost of Yotei’, but Connell’s positive comments are still encouraging news for the upcoming PS5 exclusive. Many players loved the narrative, visual quality, and freedom of movement in ‘Ghost of Tsushima’, yet found its repetitiveness to be a drawback. If ‘Ghost of Yotei’ can refine those strengths while providing a more varied world with less redundancy, it could achieve even greater success than ‘Ghost of Tsushima’.

In 2025, we can expect the release of “Ghost of Yotei”. At this point, it’s premature to predict specific details about the open-world gameplay. However, given Sucker Punch’s focus and success with environmental storytelling in “Ghost of Tsushima”, it seems plausible that they might further emphasize this aspect in “Ghost of Yotei”. While “Ghost of Tsushima” was praised for its intricate world design and the potential of its investigative tracking missions, some players criticized the extensive guidance provided. Given the significant differences between “Ghost of Tsushima” and “Ghost of Yotei”, Sucker Punch should be capable of striking a balance between maintaining player agency and avoiding excessive complexity.

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2024-10-02 20:03