New Details on Ghost of Yotei: Non-Linearity, Improved Combat, Visual Modes, and More

Last night, Sony held a State of Play presentation fully dedicated to its main exclusive of the year — Ghost of Yotei. This was the first full-fledged gameplay showcase for the project. As expected, the game heavily channels the DNA of Ghost of Tsushima, yet a number of innovations and thematic distinctions give Ghost of Yotei its own identity. Here's everything the developers at Sucker Punch Productions revealed and showed.

In Ghost of Yotei, you play as a young woman named Atsu — the daughter of a blacksmith and the sole survivor of an attack on her family by a gang called the Yotei Six. Years later, the grown-up Atsu travels across the lands of Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), tracking down and eliminating the gang members one by one as she hunts for their leader — Lord Saito.

As the game progresses, more and more samurai, bandits, and common folk learn of Atsu. She becomes something of a local legend — or even a Boogeyman. People start to believe she’s an onryo: a vengeful spirit from Japanese folklore. And her thirst for justice truly runs so deep that she’s willing to do anything to achieve her goal. Unlike the protagonist of the first game, Atsu is neither a samurai nor a ninja. She’s bound by no code of honor or fabricated laws. She’s a mercenary who’s not above using the dirtiest tricks in combat to come out on top.

Even back during the development of Ghost of Tsushima, the devs acknowledged that they were heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This time, the influence of BotW is even more pronounced, as the very structure of Ghost of Yotei is built around granting the player as much freedom as possible. It's up to you to decide in what order to complete story missions and explore the map.

One of the key new mechanics supporting this non-linearity is the clue system, where Atsu can interrogate enemies to uncover leads on where to go next. Each interrogation grants you a special clue card that gets stored in a separate menu and serves as a kind of guide. These clues are usually tied to a member of the Yotei Six or other hidden secrets. They contain bits of information and mark new objectives on the world map. Following these leads might unlock side quests, new weapons, special locations, or further story progression.

This approach makes exploration feel more organic and greatly enhances immersion. Points of interest don’t just appear on the map — you have to earn them. You need to extract clues, gather intel, and find the thread that will lead Atsu to the next gang member or some other captivating mission.

Another major innovation is the Wolf Pack system. Over the course of the game, Atsu encounters various NPCs — many of whom are willing to join her cause. These characters gradually form a group of loyal companions known as the Wolf Pack.

When Atsu sets up camp during her travels, the player can choose which Wolf Pack members will join her by the fire. Need a sensei to teach new combat skills? Call him in. Need a merchant? Invite them over. It’s a handy mechanic that makes the player's life easier — no need to roam the map searching for key NPCs when they can come to you.

Interestingly, one member of the Wolf Pack is literally a wild wolf, who can accompany you on missions and help take down enemies.

Ghost of Yōtei ditches the stance system. Now, your moves and attack types are tied to the weapon you're wielding: single katana, dual blades, odachi, spear, or kusarigama. Each weapon excels in specific situations. For example, the heavy two-handed odachi is perfect for dealing with slow enemies, while dual katanas are ideal for handling spear-wielding foes. Enemies can switch weapons mid-fight, so Atsu must do the same — creating a rock-paper-scissors-like system.

Atsu also has access to ranged tools, including various bows, a musket, kunai, blinding powder, and incendiary bombs.

In addition to the black-and-white visual filter inspired by the classic films of Akira Kurosawa, Ghost of Yotei introduces two new visual modes.

The first is based on the style of director Takashi Miike, known for 13 Assassins. In this mode, the game looks even more brutal: the camera zooms in during combat to emphasize the action, while the amount of dirt and blood on screen increases dramatically.

If ultra-violence isn’t your thing and you’d rather soothe your nerves, the third mode may be more your style. It’s inspired by the works of director Shinichirō Watanabe. In this mode, even the soundtrack changes to relaxing lo-fi beats.

It’s still too early to judge the quality of Ghost of Yotei, but this first full gameplay reveal is quite impressive. It’s not just the features mentioned above — the overall tone of the game also stands out. It feels like a samurai action film directed by Quentin Tarantino: you can sense his influence in the narrative, visual aesthetics, and soundtrack, which mixes traditional Japanese melodies with western music.

But what do you think about the new details on Ghost of Yotei? Share your thoughts in the comments.