Ghost of Yotei State of Play: The Deep Dive

A State of Play dedicated to Ghost of Yotei took place, and at the event, Sucker Punch Productions shared expectations for the game.

On the narrative side, it’s set 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. Ghost of Yotei centers on Atsu, a woman thirsty for revenge against a gang of assassins known as the “Yotei Six,” who killed her family in front of her. She takes on the pseudonym of Onryo (ghost) to begin her revenge in the mountains of Yotei, Japan.

Game mechanics include:

A task draw system among investigation cards, which will help you have alternate tasks and find both primary and elective objectives.
Rewards within Yotei through hunting wanted people.
Skills earned at relaxation/meditation sites.
An arsenal based on authentic Japanese weapons (Katana, Kodachi, Kunai, double-blade, bombs, and more).
Synergy with a mysterious wolf helps even in battles with multiple enemies.

A detail that adds realism to the game: depending on your performance in battle, you can even be disarmed if it’s poor, and stealth will be important, and its effectiveness will depend on the weapon in use.

Your arsenal is how you define your fighting style, and of course, the game will include cosmetics for visual preferences.

Additionally, the game will feature a resource and Atsu status upgrade system simulated as camp rest scenarios, which helps increase the chances of progression and also fosters allies.

Key Gameplay Mechanics

Feature	Details	Source
Investigation Cards	A card-based system tracks leads and unlocks bounties across Mount Yotei	2
Guiding Wind	Waypoint-free breeze mechanic returns to subtly direct you	2
Camp System	Establish camps to cook, play music, and recruit NPCs	2
Combat Arsenal	Dual katanas, ōdachi blade, kusarigama sickle, plus a wolf companion	2
Disarm Mechanic	Perform quick parries to strip enemies of their weapons	2
Special Visual Modes	Kurosawa-style black-and-white filter; Samurai Champloo lo-fi beats mode	2

Built from the ground up for PS5, Ghost of Yotei showcases:

Ray-traced lighting, HDR bloom, and snow effects
Instantaneous load times via the PS5 SSD
Rich environmental storytelling in Hokkaido’s historic Ezo region, complete with dynamic weather and wildlife behaviors

The main soundtrack was directed by Toma Owora, relying heavily on traditional Japanese instruments along with lo-fi tracks composed by the director of the anime Samurai Champloo. The game also includes the ability to play the game with Japanese dialogue. There will also be a Photo Mode.

Ghost of Yotei will also feature a Kurosawa mode, which will apply a black and white image filter as a tribute to classic Japanese films.

The game will be released on October 2nd, and in addition to the standard, Premium, and Collector’s Editions (which will be sold exclusively through PlayStation Direct), there will be a limited-edition PlayStation 5 console inspired by the game. It will feature two color finishes and will include a digital version of the game with DLC additions, also available for those who pre-order the base game.

One will feature a gold finish in the kintsugi art style, which is based on repairing ceramic materials with gold coatings. The other will feature a black finish, based on the Sumi-e art style, which specializes in the use of black ink with a brush. This edition, like the Collector’s Edition, will be sold exclusively through PlayStation Direct, while the gold version will be available globally.