Many of us thought that the “surprise” of Sony’s latest State of Play would be a well-known remaster of Horizon: Zero Dawn, and although it was part of the event, PlayStation kept the icing on the cake for the end: Ghost of Yotei. This sequel to Ghost of Tsushima will be a new open world based on the history of Japan, with the original Sucker Punch team behind it. No other creatives or external hands involved. However, this does not mean that the Americans will not make changes to the proposal. Beyond its new setting and protagonist, one of the most important adjustments is that it will be a less repetitive open world than the original.
Although many did not expect this announcement so “soon”, especially considering that a couple of months ago PlayStation released the PC version of the first game, the enthusiasm was palpable. This new title aims to expand on the legacy of its predecessor, which in 2020 became Sony’s fastest-selling new intellectual property, accumulating more than 13 million copies sold. Ghost of Yotei aims to surpass that success, polishing aspects of the first installment that did not satisfy everyone.
In an interview with The New York Times, creative director Jason Connell shared that one of the main changes will be a less repetitive world. This is a common problem in many open world games over the last decade, and it was a negative point that weighed on the development team in the first game. Connell himself is aware of this and commented: “We want to counteract that and find unique and varied experiences“.
While Sucker Punch managed to balance the experience of the first game with engaging combat and a visually stunning world, the surprise may have been diluted a bit for its sequel. That’s why the open world of Ghost of Yotei will be all-encompassing, designed to surprise both visually and mechanically. “One of the challenges of creating an open world game is the repetitive nature of doing the same thing over and over again,” Connell commented. That’s why the team will opt for a more organic concept, avoiding the “to-do list” that characterized the first game.
The sequel will not be a revenge story
Finally, another interesting detail revealed by Sucker Punch is that Ghost of Yotei will be a story focused on the revenge of a “disadvantaged” individual. The protagonist, Atsu, will be played by actress Erika Ishii, and it seems that the plot will revolve around the power of the feudal system and its impact on the people. This narrative promises to offer a new approach, set in the year 1603, more than 300 years after the events of the original game.
Additionally, it was hinted that players will have “more control” over the course of the story, suggesting that there could be key decisions that affect the development of the plot. All of this, along with the elimination of repetitiveness, could position Ghost of Yotei as one of the most important titles in its genre.
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