Ghost of Yotei Improvements Talking Point
Image: Push Square

Now that Ghost of Yotei has a confirmed 2nd October release date, the wait for new gameplay footage and details has begun. But since we're still in the dark with regards to a lot of what developer Sucker Punch is doing with this anticipated sequel, we thought it'd be fun to talk about what we actually want from the game.

So, we've gathered the Push Square editorial team together to give their takes on where Ghost of Yotei needs to improve over (the already fantastic) Ghost of Tsushima. And once we're done waffling, we encourage you to share your own wishlists in the comments section.

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"Tsushima's copy-paste approach was excessive"

I’m really looking forward to Ghost of Yotei but I swear if the game makes me follow six million various animals short distances to hidden shrines, haiku spots, and places to play Atsu’s shamisen, I’m going to lose it.

It’s par for the course with the genre, but Tsushima’s copy-and-paste approach was excessive.

For Yotei, I don’t necessarily need the collectible content completely erased from the game — we all love a wee bit of open world fodder every now and again. However, I hope Sucker Punch puts in the work to diversify the process of finding these collectables, whether that’s more natural discovery, various puzzles, or some neat new mechanics.

- Aaron Bayne, video producer

"A much more involved combat system"

Ghost of Yotei

I absolutely love Ghost of Tsushima, so I had a hard time coming up with something for this Talking Point — but I've landed on the need for a much more involved combat system in Ghost of Yotei.

Tsushima's fights felt great and did a fantastic job of portraying the kind of tense, lethal action that's such a crucial part of samurai cinema. However, on a mechanical level, combat could become quite rote — especially towards the end of the game, when you were just going through the motions of switching between Jin's stances depending on the enemy.

My hope is that Yotei will be more dynamic overall. Sucker Punch has already confirmed that protagonist Atsu won't be limited to just her blade, with other weapon types adding depth and variety to fights.

With that in mind, I'd like to see more player freedom when it comes to actually engaging with your foes — it'd be great if Yotei offers up different ways to deal with specific opponents, rather than funnelling you into one style of play based on the situation.

In short, the combat foundations are already in place — Sucker Punch just needs to take the training wheels off.

- Robert Ramsey, assistant editor

"Give me more"

Sucker Punch has, in my opinion, always made games which feel great to play. While it may not have the cinematic chops of Naughty Dog or the technical chops of Guerrilla Games, I think from Sly Cooper to inFAMOUS it’s always crafted experiences where the controller more or less melts away in your hands. Ghost of Tsushima was no different!

But for as much as I loved Jin Sakai’s historical affair, I did feel like it had run out of steam by the time I rolled the credits on expansion Iki Island. I think part of that is because I slipped into a successful gameplay approach which I ended up recycling through the entire release; while it certainly felt fun, it did get a bit tedious.

So, my request for the sequel is simple: give me more. I want more combat options, more stealth scenarios, a larger arsenal of weapons, and just generally more things to think about. The Seattle studio has a great track record when it comes to iterating on successful titles, so I think it’ll deliver. And honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ghost of Tsushima feels like a prototype by the time Yotei launches.

- Sammy Barker, editor

"A truly riveting story"

Ghost of Yotei

I had a great time with Ghost of Tsushima, and that largely comes down to the beautiful open world and the fun combat. To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to Ghost of Yotei because I more or less know what I'm getting — a very pretty period piece with picturesque locations and slick slice-and-dice gameplay.

However, what will make the difference for me is the story. I enjoyed Jin Sakai's solo mission against the Mongol army, but I was never that attached to any characters, frankly. Despite all the bloodshed, I found the narrative quite dry in the end.

From what we know so far, Ghost of Yotei will tell a tale of revenge as Atsu hunts down the people responsible for killing her family. It sounds fairly typical, but I'm hoping for some twists and turns, as well as a fleshed out cast of characters, to provide more variance and keep players guessing.

I know Sucker Punch can pull off some excellent traversal, combat, and presentation, but a truly riveting story would really tie it all together for me.

- Stephen Tailby, assistant editor

So, what do you want from Ghost of Yotei? Are there any specific areas where it simply must improve over Ghost of Tsushima? Vote in our poll, and then share your opinions in the comments section below.

What improvement do you want most from Ghost of Yotei? (646 votes)

  1. Better story / characters15%
  2. More in-depth combat13%
  3. A more dynamic open world33%
  4. Better side quests and activities35%
  5. Other3%