Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima was a popular game back when it was released in the blurry days of 2020, telling a gripping story of a samurai sacrificing his honour to save his home. Tsushima was scenic and beautiful, the combat was fast and brutal, and the activities were a driving force behind keeping your attention when exploring.
That left the sequel, Ghost of Yotei, with some big shoes to fill. It would need to build upon the first game, offering up ways to evolve the formula in the five years since, feeling the same while also adding elements to keep it feeling fresh and interesting. It’s pretty standard fare as far as sequels are concerned, and luckily, Yotei does a few particular things to make it succeed.
In the time between Sucker Punch’s announcement and actually getting our hands on the game, however, I was worried Ghost of Yotei might fall into this trap that sequels face. The very trap that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 fell into a couple of years ago.
The Sequel Trap That Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Failed To Avoid
2018’s Spider-Man was great. 2020’s Miles Morales was also great. 2023’s Spider-Man 2 was… fine. It felt far too similar to the previous games, only adding wingsuits and Queens (both of which felt like unremarkable additions) and serving up an unmemorable story. I didn’t hate the game, but if I want to play a Spider-Man game again, it’ll be one of those first two.
So I felt a little bit of hesitation when Sucker Punch announced Ghost of Yotei, as it seemed like it was going to walk a familiar path. The first game was a lot of fun to play and had a solid story to experience, but if the sequel was only going to retread the same ground, I expected it to meet a similar fate.
However, I’m 30 hours into Ghost of Yotei, and it has avoided the repetition that dragged Spider-Man 2 down. It’s an equally enjoyable experience, a prettier world, a compelling story, and – what I feel is the core reason for it feeling different enough – a new lineup of weapons.
Combat This Good Deserves More Weapons To Play With
Ghost of Tsushima gave us a katana and a couple of bows. Outside of tools, that was it. At the time, it was enough, because playing as Jin and taking down waves of enemies, whether in open combat, stealth, or standoffs, it all felt satisfying. The game also offered up various stances with the katana, allowing you to adjust your fighting style on the fly in order to match different opponents.
If Ghost of Yotei had done the same thing, it would have felt much more tiring, even with the improvements in other areas. Fortunately, Sucker Punch opted to give us more, as now we have the katana, dual katana, the odachi, the yari (a spear), and a kusarigama. You even get some guns in the late game.
Each weapon is suited for different situations, offering its own skill trees to expand what it’s able to do. As of writing, I don’t even have the kusarigama yet, but just swapping between the ones I do have makes combat feel so refreshing, without feeling like it’s retreading the steps it took five years prior.
I have seen clips of the kusarigama in combat. I can’t wait to get it. I need it.
What is already a greatly cinematic and satisfying experience is even better when you’re able to pull out a second blade when you need to be quicker, switch out your swords for a spear when you want that range and sweeping power, and bring out the kusarigama to yank enemies closer or make that kill from a distance. From a gameplay perspective, it feels new and fun, but even from a visual perspective, it goes way beyond Ghost of Tsushima.
I’m not sure what Insomniac is going to do with the future of Spider-Man games, but Wolverine should at least offer a departure from rehashing the same issues. However, much to my surprise, and though I’d love nothing more than to see the return of Sly Cooper or Infamous, Sucker Punch managed to pull me right back in with Ghost of Yotei, subverting my worries for the sequel entirely.
Ghost of Yotei
4.0/5
- Released
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October 2, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
