Ghost Of Yotei

Platform: PS5

In 2020's acclaimed open-world action-RPG Ghost Of Tsushima, players could follow adorable foxes that'd lead them to character-progressing rewards. In Sucker Punch Productions' highly anticipated sequel, you're once again encouraged to track furry friends into the forest. But in Ghost Of Yotei, the animal is a majestic wolf and your reward is the snarling beast potentially saving your backside in battle by tearing into the throats of your foes. It’s a fresh take on befriending wildlife that is indicative of a game laudably separating itself from its predecessor.

On the surface, it seems to be giving fans more of what people loved about Tsushima: the opportunity to live out your Kurosawa dreams by carving a bloody path through picturesque feudal Japan from behind blade and bow. Supported by deep, satisfying combat, endlessly rewarding character progression, and the prettiest justification for a photo mode the medium has ever seen, Yotei indeed delivers a similar samurai fantasy. But rather than recycling its precursor's formula, Yotei evolves what worked the first time while also introducing plenty of welcome new wrinkles. Fans will recall that Tsushima eschewed the open-world genre's typical icon-cluttered map for a more natural approach to uncovering its sprawling landscape. Yotei leans further into this design philosophy, forgoing gamified features in favour of organic systems that support the story.

Earning a new weapon doesn't involve cracking open a glowing treasure chest, but tackling a lengthy, story-rich quest that'll see you seeking out and rigorously training with a sensei.

That wolf companion, for example, isn't just another weapon summoned by a button-press. Rather, you'll grow a natural bond with the beast, seeking out its dens to gradually broaden its abilities, as well as the chance for it to show up and save your bacon more often. Character progression is handled similarly, trading on the usual skill points, unlocks, and upgrade systems for more realistic paths. Earning a new weapon doesn't involve cracking open a glowing treasure chest, but tackling a lengthy, story-rich quest that'll see you seeking out and rigorously training with a sensei.

The new ability to set up camps embraces this same approach. While you still have the option to fast-travel to hub-like villages for all your wandering samurai needs, you can also pop a squat, cook some grub, and craft ammo wherever you like. Even better, these impromptu respites welcome visitors, so don't be surprised if vendors stop by offering new gear or map fragments marked with more goodies.

Of course, the elegance of the gameplay — including that esophagus-excavating wolf — is all in service to the storytelling, which also marks a significant departure from Tsushima's. _Yotei'_s narrative puts you behind the blades of Atsu, a mercenary with a dark past, a bounty on her head and a serious axe to grind with a group of animal-masked warlords called the Yotei Six. But more than another one-note, blood-soaked revenge story, her tale is incredibly nuanced, emotional, and engaging throughout. And, as evidenced by her toothy companion's appetite, it's also a grittier yarn that's not afraid to get gory.

Ghost of Yotei will feel comfortably familiar to anyone who wielded Jin Sakai's katana, but the sequel also does plenty to forge its own path, one that will very likely lead it to a Game Of The Year nomination.