Summary
It was initially believed by many thatGhost of Tsushimawould receive a direct sequel continuing Jin’s story. However,Ghost of Yoteihas now taken the stage, instead promising to make theGhostseries a franchise featuring various protagonists and the Ghost as an idea rather than an individual.Set in 1603 Hokkaido, over 300 years after Jin Sakai’s journey,Ghost of Yoteiintroduces a fresh protagonist, Atsu, who takes on the mantle of the Ghost in a vastly different cultural and geographical setting. While this premise offers plenty of room for innovation, it also presents a challenge: ensuring that Atsu’s narrative arc and transformation into the Ghost are distinct from Jin’s evolution.
IfGhost of Yoteiretreads too much familiar ground, it risks feeling like a reskinned version of its predecessor, potentially undermining its impact as a unique addition to the series. To avoid these pitfalls,Ghost of Yoteimust carefully balance honoring the original game’s themes with introducing fresh storytelling and character dynamics. Based on what has been revealed so far, it looks likeGhost of Yoteiis primed to repeatGhost of Tsushima’s trope, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Ghost of Yotei’s Narrative Needs to Distance Itself From Tsushima’s
There Is Potential for Ghost of Yotei’s Narrative to Be Too Much Like Tsushima’s
Now thatGhost of Tsushimahas been turned into afull-blown franchise withGhost of Yotei, as opposed to the first game receiving a direct sequel, it likely meansGhost of Tsushimahas set the pace for the series' narratives moving forward. Specifically, should eachGhostgame serve as an origin story for a new protagonist, each of these origin stories could run parallel to Jin’s in terms of his journey of growth from samurai to Ghost. As far as Jin’s story goes, he becomes the Ghost out of what he believes to be necessity, that he might be able to more effectively infiltrate and weaken the Khan’s hold on Tsushima rather than attempting to face him directly and thereby lessen his chances of success.
In the same way, with the franchise now using the concept of the Ghost rather than limiting the character to Jin himself, it seems likely thatGhost of Yotei’s Atsuwill end up following a similar development cycle. IfGhost of Yoteidoes go that direction with its narrative, something would happen to Atsu that would force her into a corner where she has no choice but to become the Ghost, either to survive, get the upper hand on her enemies, or both. So far, it has been confirmed that Atsu’s story is one of “underdog vengeance,” which makes it even more likely to bear strong similarities to Jin’s. In short,Ghost of Yotei’s narrative is arguably already showing early signs of being too much likeGhost of Tsushima’s.
Ghost of Yotei Should Evolve the Development Cycle for Its Protagonist
To avoid following a similar narrative arc toGhost of Tsushima’s explorationof the concept of the Ghost,Ghost of Yotei’s story approach would need to be carefully crafted to avoid feeling repetitive while still honoring the thematic core of the series. Presumably, Atsu will begin the game without the mantle of the Ghost and then later adopt it under extreme circumstances, much like Jin did inGhost of Tsushima. However, to avoid feeling too repetitive,Ghost of Yoteiwould be remiss not to at least evolve the development cycle for its protagonist, whether it be through creating an entirely different lens through which to view Atsu, establishing unique core themes for the game, or allowing players to dramatically shape the story through their own choices.
Firstly, perhapsAtsu’s origins and motivations inGhost of Yoteicould contrast sharply with Jin’s. Instead of being a samurai tied to feudal codes, Atsu could come from a marginalized background, such as a former servant, merchant, or even an Ainu warrior. This would help contrast her own dilemmas with Jin’s, thereby settingGhost of Yotei’s narrative apart from its predecessor’s.
So far, it has been confirmed that Atsu’s story is one of “underdog vengeance,” which makes it even more likely to bear strong similarities to Jin’s.
Secondly,Ghost of Yoteicould center around different core themes. WhereasGhost of Tsushimasaw the moral breakdown of Jin Sakai as he slowly drifted from samurai tradition,Ghost of Yoteicould instead celebrate Atsu’s growth from an underdog to a powerful warrior. Finally, any expansion of player agency, which the game has been confirmed to feature, would allow players to have greater influence over the outcome of the story and therefore provide more potential for it to differ greatly from the first game.
Ghost of Yotei
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a bold, new story of a warrior in Japan who is on a mission of vengeance all her own.Set 300 years after the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei is standalone experience set in 1600s rural Japan. The story follows a haunted, lone mercenary named Atsu. Thirsty for revenge, she travels through the beautiful, rugged landscapes of northern Japan, hunting those who killed her family many years earlier.
