A surprise but a welcome one at that, fans who tuned into Sony's State of Play event were treated to a cinematic reveal trailer for the sequel from Sucker Punch Productions, revealing a new setting, a new protagonist, and a new story, being more of a thematic sequel than a direct one. The new female protagonist is named Atsu, a wandering ronin who serves no lord. However, much of her story is yet to be revealed. It is assumed that the "Ghost" moniker is similar to that of Jin Sakai from the first game, who is trapped in a hostile environment and must abandon his strict code of honour in order to survive against the threat of Mongol forces. A detail revealed in the trailer: Atsu has targets that she appears to be hunting, suggesting the plot may revolve around revenge and retribution against her enemies.
Fans can expect another visually stunning map following on from Ghost of Tsushima's immense graphical splendour with a rich, detailed environment.
The geographical setting of Ghost of Yōtei is Hokkaido, the northern most island belonging to Japan. This is quite a shift from the first game's setting, Tsushima, which is located between the southwest coast of Japan and South Korea. Hokkaido is known for heavy geothermal activity, where daunting volcanoes and relaxing hot-springs are prevalent; along with stunning natural scenery and national parks, which are crowned by Mount Yōtei, a Mount Fuji lookalike. This means fans can expect another visually stunning map following on from Ghost of Tsushima's immense graphical splendour with a rich, detailed environment.
The appearance of firearms in the trailer confirms that there is a significant time gap of 329 years between the games, with Atsu seen wielding a flintlock musket, which was yet to be invented during the events of the first game. This again reinforces the thematic link between the games rather than a narrative one. However, keen eyed fans will be looking out for easter eggs and call backs to the original game integrated into the story and open world setting.
The trailer focuses on a wolf and its connection to Atsu; the wolf appears aggressive but calms at the sight of the protagonist, therefore fans can hope for updated mechanics like a new companion system involving animals. Jin's allies in the first game were mostly human, but there is a narrative point involving the bond he has with his horse.
One detail that can be confirmed by the time gap is a change in antagonist, with the first game's Mongol empire no longer existing in the period of the sequel if the game is to be historically accurate. It is left to be seen who will be hunted by Atsu in the new game, but the trailer hints that she may be an outlaw herself, battling the corrupt lords of feudal Japan during that era. This is exciting news for fans of the series and history buffs alike.
Ghost of Yōtei is set to release for the PlayStation 5 in 2025.
