‘We Can Now Load Millions of Assets’: Ghost of Yotei Dev Explains Technical Leap on PS5

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Before its launch, Ghost of Yotei faced criticism for looking very much like the 2020 game, Ghost of Tsushima. However, the new sequel reportedly uses the power of the PlayStation 5 to deliver significantly improved graphics that weren’t possible on the older PS4.

Joanna Wang, the art director, recently spoke with Automaton about how the new generation impacts Yotei, and the interview offers a fascinating look at the technical side of the game’s development.

When developing Yotei, we quickly understood that we needed to significantly improve how far the player could see. To truly capture the scale of the Hokkaido map, we wanted to render distant landscapes with clear detail and a realistic sense of depth,” explains Wang. This was especially important because the sequel features much larger, more open environments compared to the smaller island setting of Tsushima.

Now, we’re able to handle an incredible number of elements – millions of assets total, with tens of thousands visible on the screen at the same time. This includes realistic effects like leaves, snow, ash, and fog, with hundreds of thousands of these particles appearing both close up and in the distance.

We’ve made significant visual improvements to things like starry nights, the Northern Lights, how time passes, grass, and even how the environment reacts to your actions – like snow falling realistically from trees when you kick them. All of this combines to create a world that feels more dynamic and engaging, and that’s what the PS5 allows us to achieve.

While Yotei might not appear drastically different visually compared to Tsushima, it seems the game’s open world has been significantly enhanced thanks to the more powerful hardware of modern consoles.

From a design standpoint, Wang explains that the game’s visuals are intentionally stylized. Real-world photos have random imperfections, but to achieve a painted appearance, the developers remove these imperfections from both the textures of objects and the scenes as a whole.

Imagine a grassy field – we could add just white flowers for horses to run through, keeping the color scheme simple. This connects to the idea of minimalism because it focuses your attention on the contrast between the white flowers in the front and the green grass behind them.

Every detail, from the smallest surface to the broad environment, is designed with a consistent approach. When combined with the stunning lighting, skies, and clouds created by our rendering team, it all comes together to create a beautiful and harmonious world.

When Ghost of Tsushima was first released, it wasn’t known for having cutting-edge graphics. Compared to games from other PlayStation Studios, like those made by Naughty Dog, it didn’t prioritize extremely detailed visuals.

Despite a few minor imperfections, the game excelled with its beautiful art style and stunning landscapes in its expansive open world.

What are your initial impressions of the game Ghost of Yotei? Do you anticipate using the Share/Create button on your DualSense controller frequently while playing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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2025-09-23 21:07