Ghost of Yōtei Is the Game I’m Most Excited For This Year

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Each year, we see highly anticipated games generate a lot of buzz before they launch. Ghost of Yōtei is taking a different approach to building excitement, though. I’m really excited to play it, and with the release date almost here, I can’t wait to try it out on PS5. After watching Sucker Punch Productions’ detailed presentation, it’s obvious the studio is positioning Ghost of Yōtei as something more substantial than just another open world game filled with battles and complex storylines.

The developers are striving for something unusual in open world games: a strong atmosphere created through beautiful visuals and a cinematic approach. Yōtei’s foggy hills bring to mind the quiet, powerful scenes in Kurosawa’s films, and the intentionally tight combat spaces feel as intense as the action in 13 Assassins. The game’s unique style, even drawing inspiration from the renowned anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, suggests it’s aiming for greatness. Ghost of Yōtei isn’t just hoping to be one of the year’s biggest releases, it wants to redefine what open world games can be.

Before we continue, please note that all information in this feature comes from official sources.

What truly makes this sequel captivating isn’t how it *plays*, although the exploration, fighting, and story all show promise. In Ghost of Yōtei, like a leaf falling softly in the wind, a strong, cinematic feeling is present in every little thing. You push aside drifts of cherry blossom petals to uncover pathways leading to puzzles, and flocks of birds swirl above waving fields-everything is crafted to pull you into the atmosphere before anything else. The game isn’t about finishing a list of tasks, but about connecting with a vibrant, realistic world in a way that feels organic. Ghost of Yōtei’s rhythm, visual style, and sound design all work together to enhance its detailed, cinematic quality.

It’s not unusual for games to be inspired by Japanese settings and filmmaking styles, and Ghost of Yōtei isn’t alone. Silent Hill f, which everyone is also looking forward to, also uses Japanese culture to create its atmosphere. However, the two games do things differently: Silent Hill f takes beautiful images and twists them using Japanese folklore, while Ghost of Yōtei focuses on showcasing beauty and honoring tradition. Ghost of Yōtei tells its story with a certain grace that really stands out compared to the more harsh style of Silent Hill f, even though both games share the same Japanese inspiration. The ability of Ghost of Yōtei to captivate players is what makes its open world so engaging.

Playing Ghost of Yōtei feels like stepping into a beautiful, historical Hokkaido, specifically the area around Mount Yōtei. It’s not about rushing from point to point; this open world is really about just exploring and discovering things at your own pace. The game is intentionally slow and peaceful – they really want you to wander, take it all in, and appreciate the scenery. Like Sucker Punch suggests, using the spyglass is the perfect way to really soak in the landscape. You’ll find your eye drawn to distant buildings, smoke stacks, and wide-open plains – it honestly feels like looking at a painting. Exploration is super inviting, but everything feels unhurried. Once you finish the main story, I can totally see myself coming back just to relax and appreciate the details of this world.

However, the game offers a relaxed and thoughtful structure. Instead of bombarding players with a cluttered screen or a minimap full of quest markers, Ghost of Yōtei uses a Clue Card system. These cards serve as story hints, giving players leads, pieces of the narrative, or directions to new locations, and letting them decide where to go next. Whether it’s a valley burned by fire and filled with challenging, samurai-inspired foes, or icy tundras ideal for testing the skills of stealthy ninja, players are always in control of their journey. This approach creates a natural, cinematic pace. Similar to how a film director carefully chooses each shot, Ghost of Yōtei’s Clue Cards guide the player’s exploration.

This personalized system makes sure that exploring near Mount Yōtei always feels purposeful. The subtle clues on the Clue Card turn players into both observers and active participants; every puzzle you solve, every reward you pursue, and every route you take makes each moment in Ghost of Yōtei’s open world feel uniquely your own. It’s in this balance between helpful direction and complete freedom that the game’s cinematic style truly comes to life.

Ghost of Yōtei’s fighting feels intentionally realistic and impactful, trading the peaceful feeling of exploration for a more intense, hands-on experience. Sucker Punch has emphasized that they’re focusing more on what weapons you choose than on the different fighting stances in Ghost of Tsushima. Our hero, Atsu, has access to a variety of swords, bows, and other weapons. Each swing, block, and move feels significant, with every action having a clear result. Battles feel like tense one-on-one fights, rather than flashy, pre-planned performances.

Before every fight, there’s a moment of complete calm – a tense assessment where fighters grip their swords and lock eyes. These moments are reminiscent of the graceful sword fights in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, where every clash of blades is carefully planned, deliberate, and visually striking. Ghost of Yōtei’s combat builds on Ghost of Tsushima’s need for precise, deadly attacks, but simplifies the process. To put it simply: warriors in a Kurosawa film wouldn’t use quick, repetitive button presses to perform flashy moves, and neither does Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei. Instead, patience and timing are far more important than ever.

Sucker Punch makes the combat even more intense by taking inspiration from the close-up, chaotic battles in Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins, putting viewers right in the middle of the violent action. This creates a combat system that feels both calm and exciting, while always fitting the game’s cinematic style. While your weapon choice guides the fights, the deliberate speed allows you to strike with accuracy and freedom.

While combat firmly establishes the cinematic feel of Ghost of Yōtei, the special director modes truly turn the game into a work of art. The standout mode is Kurosawa Mode, which presents the game in black and white with the look of classic film – including film grain, audio effects, dramatic wind, bright highlights, and deep shadows. Each scene is carefully framed. In footage released by Sucker Punch, this mode reimagines Ghost of Yōtei as a tribute to mid-century Japanese cinema, reminiscent of the stunning visuals and disciplined style of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, Seven Samurai, or Yojimbo.

Miike Mode brings to mind the intense, confined feeling of Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins. The film uses close-up action shots to create a visceral impact, and the exaggerated blood effects are reminiscent of the over-the-top gore in Miike’s horror films like Itchi the Killer and Audition.

However, Watanabe Mode offers a fun, though possibly divisive, change of pace. Taking inspiration from anime director Shinichirō Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo, the game’s exploration will now be accompanied by lo-fi beats, blending visuals from the Edo period with modern music. While many players will likely appreciate Sucker Punch’s willingness to creatively combine classic settings with contemporary styles, others might feel these chillhop sounds diminish the impact of the game’s original music.

Even so, the unique director modes demonstrate that the studio wants players to have control not just over where they go and what they do in the game, but also how they experience it. This is further supported by a variety of language settings, from standard English with no subtitles, to fully-voiced Japanese with English subtitles. After all, sound is just as important as graphics, gameplay, and story when it comes to creating a truly immersive atmosphere.

As a gamer, I really appreciate how the game’s music uses classic Japanese instruments – you’ve got the shamisen and these powerful taiko drums that really make you feel connected to the game’s historical setting. But what’s cool is that, like with Watanabe Mode and all the different language options, *I* get to decide how much of that original feel I want. I can stick with the traditional sound, totally remix it, or find a balance between the two. Honestly, whichever way I go, it really changes how I experience the game!

Ghost of Yōtei brilliantly combines a carefully crafted, story-driven experience with the freedom to explore a vast open world – something few major games manage to do. The game’s unique setting and clear inspiration from cinematic storytelling position Ghost of Yōtei as a strong contender – and maybe the most widely recognized example so far – of video games being a true art form. Ghost of Yōtei will be available only on the PS5 starting October 2, and I’m really excited to play it.

Please be aware: The opinions shared in this article belong solely to the author and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt. Don’t assume GamingBolt agrees with or supports these views as a company.

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2025-10-01 20:13