The recently unveiled Ghost of Yotei will be grasping for the same success as its 2020 predecessor Ghost of Tsushima, and it seems to be following the route that many have predicted for it. Ghost of Yotei will likely mark the series’ transition to a loose anthology format, with a new protagonist and setting. This adoption of the anthology structure opens many creative avenues for Sucker Punch.

For one thing, there’s now no need to justify the continuation of Jin Sakai’s story, which is wrapped up nicely by the end of the first game. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly from a gameplay standpoint, the shift to a different part of Japan in Ghost of Yotei means an entirely new map to explore, avoiding the potential hurdle of making the original land of Tsushima interesting once again for returning players. It’s not clear how long the Ghost of Tsushima series (or whatever it will be called as a whole) will continue moving forward, but this decisive pivot could allow it to thrive for a long time, perhaps in virtual perpetuity.

Related
Best Games To Play If You Love Ghost Of Tsushima

After finishing Ghost of Tsushima, players craving a similar experience can try out a few of these games that share comparable attributes.

Ghost of Yotei Lets Sucker Punch Dodge God of War’s Current Franchise Debacle

God of War Needs to Move On from Kratos, Ghost of Yotei No Longer Needs to Move On from Jin

Jin Sakai is a solid video game protagonist, and the undeniable face of Ghost of Tsushima, much in the same way that Kratos is the driving force behind God of War. But no character’s story can last forever, and while God of War has managed to continually put Kratos in interesting narrative positions, it seems like his time in the spotlight has reached its natural conclusion.

Letting Atreus take over as the God of War protagonist might be the right decision, but that doesn’t mean that the transition will be perfectly seamless. Over the course of its long history, God of War has revolved around Kratos, making him the connective tissue between entries, and putting him on the back burner could feel weird after so many years of him defining the franchise. In other words, Kratos is the heart of God of War, and heart transplants aren’t easy.

Ghost of Tsushima could have been put in a similar position if Jin Sakai took center stage across several entries; his story could have been dragged out over several games, backing Sucker Punch into a narrative corner and making it hard to smoothly transition to a new lead, which would have to happen if the developer wanted to make Ghost its own staple franchise. But by firmly establishing the Ghost of Tsushima series as an anthology with its second entry, players can more easily move on from Jin’s story, letting it end with dignity and grace.

Ghost of Yotei Could Find Itself In a Different Sort of Conundrum

Though studios may unintentionally limit themselves by sticking to one protagonist across several entries, this decision comes with a host of benefits as well. One needs to look no further than the God of War series itself to see them: keeping Kratos in the protagonist role over several entries allowed Santa Monica Studios to develop his story over an extended period of time, introducing fresh internal conflicts, relationships, and challenges to overcome, thereby forming an interesting story that keeps audiences engaged for several years.

Ghost of Yotei can’t enjoy such a benefit, as its mythology has less in common with what came before it. By introducing a new hero every game, or even every few games, the Ghost of Tsushima franchise sacrifices its ability to build a long-running history with a consistent hero at its core. This could make future games, including Ghost of Yotei, more exciting and innovative, but it also means truncating the scope of Sucker Punch's narrative vision.

ghost of yotei

Your Rating

The sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yōtei is a PS5 exclusive scheduled to drop at some point in 2025. Taking place in 1603, the story will feature a new protagonist and a new Japanese region that is far removed from Tsushima's setting.

Action
Adventure
Open-World
Systems
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5
Released
2025
Developer(s)
Sucker Punch
Publisher(s)
Sony Interactive Entertainment