Ghost of Yōtei Review – Atsu-loutely fabulous

I have spent 60 hours exploring Ezo in Ghost of Yōtei, experiencing Atsu’s story, hunting bounties, tackling side missions, searching out the side activities, and of hunting the forces of the Yōtei Six. After all of that time, I can say Ghost of Yōtei is a game that is engaging with a world that feels so natural to explore and it is a near perfect experience.

Ghost of Yōtei follows the story of Atsu on a quest for revenge after her family was killed by the Yōtei Six. She was just a child when that happened and managed to survive and flee Ezo, becoming a mercenary and soldier for hire before returning sixteen years later. In that time, Ezo has changed. The Yōtei Six now hold significant power in the region and are facing off against Clan Matsumae. Atsu has to navigate the politics of this new war while trying to fulfil her mission of revenge. It’s a familiar narrative set up, but while not wholly original, Ghost of Yōtei draws upon classic twists and turns through its story in excellent ways. Atsu is a fantastic lead with a lot of depth to her characterisation, going from a serious hunter to showing vulnerability and humorous sides.

Combat in Ghost of Yōtei is much deeper than its predecessor Ghost of Tsushima. The game is set a few hundred years after Jin’s story, and firearms have now come to Japan. Atsu starts off with a katana, but that will be one of five primary melee options which include dual katanas, the yari spear, the odachi, and the kusarigama, each of which must first be earned by visiting weapon masters across Ezo to learn how to wield them effectively.

Ezo is split into different areas, each one introducing enemies that wield different weapons and employ different techniques to try and take Atsu down. You can use any weapon against any enemy, but specific weapons are more effective against others. For example, the katana is always best to use against other katana wielders, but the yari is more effective at breaking the guard of dual weapon wielding foes. When you’re surrounded by enemies you will need to think on your feet, quickly swapping between weapons to deal with the most pressing threat.

If it gets too much you can put some distance between you, before then using a bow or rifle to attack from range. Atsu will also gain knowledge about throwables like kunai, smoke bombs, and scorch bombs that deal fire damage. Standoffs are also back so you can take down a couple of enemies before jumping into the fray, or if you prefer, sneak and assassinate your enemies, and once you’re in the thick of it, some enemies drop weapons that you can then launch at others to take them out. Heck, you can even use a newfound bond with a wolf to your advantage, who might appear to take down enemies – a fine reason to build your bond by visiting wolf dens and rescuing wolves from trappers as you explore!.

As you make progress you will unlock new abilities and skills, primarily getting a chance to upgrade your skills by visiting altars of reflection. Atsu also finds and earns charms which can provide additional bonuses in combat, and as you perform certain actions these charms will level up. There are quite a few different armour sets to find in the world, with each having its own pros and cons, so switching gear to meet a situation is advisable. Some provide better defence while others are better for melee damage, while others are better to wear in colder environments.

Outside of combat, Ezo has a lot of things to discover and people to build bonds with, including merchants, a cartographer, and the bounty broker. They are not just people to visit for upgrades and to get jobs from, but also have their own stories that Atsu will get involved in. Bounty hunting is handled very well in Ghost of Yōtei. You can pick up jobs from the bounty broker, or you may stumble upon a bounty in the wild. Some of the bounties have their own stories, which you may think ends once the bounty is completed, but a couple weave themselves into the main thread later on.

Atsu is not just a fighter, though. Where Jin would compose haikus in Tshushima, Atsu paints and composes songs on her shamisen. When you find a painting spot, you use the touch pad on the Dualsense to draw the lines to create the pictures, while composing songs turns the touchpad into more of a fret board to touch place your finger on.

Fox dens and hot springs are also back, though fewer in number compared to Tsushima. There are even a few Legends that are told by a storyteller and add a slightly otherworldly element to an otherwise grounder world. I could spend ages telling you about all the things Ezo holds, but my advice is to just get on your horse, pick a direction and discover things for yourself.

Ezo is absolutely stunning setting from the grassy plains to the snowy peaks and forest areas. There is a ton of colour across the island and it all just comes together so well, making the world a joy to explore. The cinematic instances of duels and the various settings they take place in look fantastic, and even just riding your horse across the plains looks cinematic. There is so much attention to detail in both the natural world, buildings and people including the Ainu, the indigenous people of Ezo. Atsu engages with them, takes on some missions for them, and you can find Ainu items around the map to gain more information about their culture.

As exceptional as Ghost of Yōtei is, it makes the minor flaws stand out. Sometimes the line delivery comes across as stilted, which could be down to the performance, directing or how it’s been edited into the game. There were also moments when liberating prisoners who would cower with their hands loose, but then suddenly they would be tied up and ask to be untied again. The sole blight on getting around the world is climbing, which comes off as being a bit awkward.