Ghost of Yotei – Review

October 2, 2025 Off By Markus Norat

GAME INFORMATION
Release Date: October 2, 2025
Players: 1 (single player)
Genre: Open-World Action Adventure
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Available Languages: Dubbing and subtitles in multiple languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, English, and Japanese
Available on platforms: PlayStation 5 (with additional enhancements on PlayStation 5 Pro)
Rating: M (17+) / suitable for ages 16 and older in Brazil (intense violence, blood, inappropriate language, adult themes)
Game reviewed on platform: PlayStation 5

When I finished my first run through Ghost of Yotei , I felt like I’d experienced something beyond a simple action-adventure game. It was like diving into a cinematic epic, full of twists and turns, thrilling battles, and moments that make you stop and just admire the scenery. Sucker Punch has managed to deliver an experience that honors its predecessor while boldly renewing its ideas. Here, I’ll share with you everything I experienced, breaking it down into the fundamental aspects that make this game so remarkable.

Mechanics and Gameplay

The heart of Ghost of Yotei lies in its combat system, which surprised me with its depth and dynamism. Unlike the previous game, this time we don’t just deal with fighting styles, but rather with five main weapons that completely change the way we face enemies: the classic katana, the two katanas that accelerate the pace, the kusarigama that shatters shields, the yari that breaks the distance between opponents, and the odachi, which is slow but devastating. Each fight requires adaptation, and I often found myself switching weapons in the heat of the moment to respond to an enemy’s style.

Another incredible feature is the disarming mechanic. Enemies can snatch my weapon from my hands, forcing me to improvise with what I have, whether it’s running to retrieve the blade from the ground or grabbing another weapon to throw back. This creates real tension in combat. In addition to melee weapons, the secondary arsenal is packed with options: bows, rifles, kunai, smoke bombs, and even pistols. Each tool requires creative use, and it’s rewarding when the strategy works.

Stealth remains a valuable option. Hiding in flower fields, using silent arrows, or chain-killing enemies provided me with moments of pure adrenaline. But if stealth failed, direct combat was equally rewarding. Furthermore, Atsu no shamisen’s songs add an unexpected layer: some songs can summon your wolf, who appears in ambushes and even assists in direct combat. It’s a unique way to blend narrative and mechanics.

Graphics

Visually, Ghost of Yotei is stunning. Each region of Ezo is meticulously crafted, whether it’s a forest bathed in the red of autumn leaves or a snow-covered plain where the wind cuts like blades. I often interrupted missions just to use photo mode and capture the scenery. The artistic direction strives not only for realism, but also to convey emotion through color and lighting, creating scenes that feel like living paintings.

The main characters are incredibly detailed, with convincing expressions and costumes that carry history in every fiber. The enemies also have unique designs, and the members of the Yotei Six are especially memorable. The only drawback is some secondary NPCs, whose expressions are still limited, detracting from the overall high level. Even so, the world is so vivid that this flaw is lost in the grandeur of the whole.

Sound

If the eyes are enchanted by the game’s beauty, the ears are delighted by its sound. The soundtrack is truly impactful, alternating between soft shamisen melodies and grandiose compositions that explode during moments of battle. In several important duels, the music not only energized but also delivered a sense of intense emotion, as if it were part of the fight, completely immersing you… it’s fantastic!

The voice acting is another strong point. I played with the original audio and also tried the Portuguese dub, both excellent. Atsu’s performance conveys coldness and pain, but also courage and determination. The sound effects are spot-on: the metallic sound of blades clashing, the wood creaking under the horse’s weight, the wind cutting through the mountains. Playing with the DualSense, audio that comes from the controller, like the sound of the shamisen or the shot of an arrow, further enhances the immersion.

Fun

What impressed me most was the variety and the way the game kept me engaged for dozens of hours. The revenge story is intense and kept me intrigued until the very end. Atsu’s flashbacks, showing his childhood and the night his family was massacred, add emotional weight to what is, at its core, a journey of hatred and redemption. There’s never a moment when the narrative feels aimless.

The secondary activities are also fantastic. Side quests tell exciting stories, from NPCs’ personal vendettas to local legends intertwined with the mythology of feudal Japan. Each small quest feels important, and I never felt like I was just completing a checklist. The simple act of wandering the map and being surprised by a random encounter becomes an adventure in itself. It’s a game that stimulates curiosity, and when you let yourself go, you discover something unexpected and rewarding.

Performance and Optimization

Ghost of Yotei ‘s performance is solid. I played most of the time in Performance mode, which delivers a near-steady 60 frames per second, and fluidity is essential for intense battles. In some moments of intense battles, I noticed minor drops, but nothing that detracted from the experience. Quality mode is also fantastic, but the difference in fluidity led me to prioritize Performance. Ray tracing, while available, isn’t as impressive as one would expect from such a feature.

A highlight is the use of the DualSense controller. The haptic feedback is incredibly detailed: I felt the tension of pulling back the bowstring, the impact of a perfect parry, and even the vibration of the earth beneath the horse’s hooves. It’s a layer of immersion that only reinforces how much the game was designed for this generation.

Conclusion

After many hours immersed in Ghost of Yotei , I can say that this is one of the most intense and complete experiences I’ve ever had in an open-world game. Atsu’s journey is brutal, thrilling, and unforgettable. The combat is addictive, the narrative is powerful, and the visuals are jaw-dropping. Yes, there are minor flaws: some unexpressive NPCs, the camera that sometimes gets in the way in tight combat, and the ray tracing that could be more impressive. But none of this takes away from the overall brilliance.

If you have a PlayStation 5, Ghost of Yotei is undoubtedly a must-play. It’s one of those very few games that justifies spending your money on a new-generation console, offering a spectacle of action, emotion, and beauty. It’s a work that will mark this generation and will certainly be remembered for a long time.