New “Ghost of Yotei” Gameplay Unveils Fresh Features and Presentation Modes

Alright, so here’s the thing. Sucker Punch Productions gave us this sneak peek of, what was it again? Oh right, Ghost of Yōtei, and it was during this whole Sony shindig they called the State of Play. I caught myself thinking, why am I so hyped? Maybe it’s those new deets about Atsu’s, uh, weapons and her wild journey across Ezo. They even brought in some old and new ways to play around with the game’s presentation, whatever that means.

Oh, remember Kurosawa Mode from Ghost of Tsushima? Total nostalgia trip. They’re bringing it back in Ghost of Yōtei! Seriously, it’s like being inside a classic Akira Kurosawa film — you know, the guy who did Seven Samurai. Everything’s in black and white, grainy, Japanese voices, the whole shebang. Anyway, they’ve also cooked up this Takashi Miike Mode. Who’s Takashi Miike, you ask? Apparently, he did 13 Assassins. This new style shoves the camera up close and personal, and let’s just say there’s more mud… and blood. But wait, there’s more! They’ve got some vibe from Samurai Champloo too, courtesy of Shinichirō Watanabe. Picture lo-fi beats while you’re, like, defeating enemies or whatever.

Okay, so they went all out Thursday with this showcase. New weapons caught my eye — dual katanas, ōdachi, and some kusarigama action. Seeing Atsu flip between these? Majorly cool. Oh, and she can yank the weapons out of someone else’s hands. Or, plot twist, lose hers. Classic. And exploration? Don’t get me started. Wildlife leading you to secret spots. How Tsushima of them, right? They even went on about this Elden Ring-style discoverability. Can’t lie, wandering off to see some mysterious spot sounds, well, kinda thrilling.

Oh, and those Ghost of Yōtei-themed consoles? Yeah, they exist. Limited edition stuff, with Mount Yōtei art and some Atsu-themed controllers. Not gonna lie, the collector side of me tingled.

And now, drumroll, it’s not exactly a direct sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. Fast forward 300 years, drop into Ezo — modern-day Hokkaido for those keeping track. This time we’re rolling with Atsu, who’s out for some good old-fashioned revenge. Her family didn’t have the best luck, really, taken out by the Yōtei Six. Get this, you can tackle these guys in any order. It’s seriously up to you how it all unfolds. Choices, man. They give this narrative some serious twists.

Totally rocking the Ghost persona through all this carnage too. It’s like, can I be Atsu for a day? No reason, just curious.