Ghost of Tsushima: Legends

As you’ve undoubtedly seen, Yotei was recently given a formal release date of 2nd October 2025. As a small-knit community, we’re all eager (and anxious) to see what this release will bring. Here is the official Playstation Blog Post if you have yet to read it

While thinking on this release, I have had the chance to talk with several other friends and acquaintances who are in the Ghost community and other communities. Their thoughts have got me thinking about game releases in general. One of the toughest challenges any studio faces is releasing a great game that becomes a fan favorite, only to be tackling a sequel that is met with several obstacles (unrelated to creating a game) that mean the pressure to perform is that much higher.

In no particular order:

1. Being a sequel – the challenge of out-doing the original by being its own unique thing, while still paying homage & fan-service to what was loved the first time
2. Changing the protagonist – the challenge of introducing a wholly new story, while society balks at the change as ‘virtue-signaling’ or some type of ‘inclusivity’ ploy
3. Introducing multiplayer – the challenge of ‘toxicity’ that is inevitable in multiplayer communities; if there is something that can be used to say X is better than Y, people will tease it out until it is beat to death (ie Kills in Survival)
4. Another ‘Japan’ Game – the challenge of AC Shadows, a similar storyline, a (possibly) overdone interpretation of historical Japan (as told by Westerners), and the underlying need for connectivity (how do players relate to your story)

Now, I think if we look at Sequels, one of the strongest elements that makes a good ‘anything’ is a good story. Storytelling is how we weave. In our earliest stages of civilization, history was oral, and told in a way to captivate its audience while imparting important information. As we look at how this plays into sequels, the most obvious stumbling block is a creator taking for granted what came before (using the original as some means to say the sequel is ‘good’ by default). Instead, if the creator starts from a neutral (or even negative) place and assumes they will have an uphill battle to fight with criticism from the sequel not being the original as well as new audiences looking to be engaged how the original audience was, we can see a path forward to create something beautiful and meaningful that will continue to captivate.

Now, in my opinion, changing the protagonist so ‘suddenly’ (from 1st game to 2nd game) does seem like a big leap. Without some type of transitory period, participants in the story will feel a myriad of emotions (what could have been, why change what is good, who is this new character and why should I like them, etc). The jarring nature of the change is what is throwing many players for a loop. For others, it’s the ‘controversial’ nature (in Yotei) of the voice actor and Sucker Punch’s choices in that direction. I think what bothers me about all of this chatter is that it is really just that, chatter. It is a lot of filler by many who are simply looking to fill the void with drama to stay busy without taking into account whether or not the story will be well-written and told. It is already set up for failure before we’ve begun, so no amount of top-notch delivery will satisfy (short of a literal rip-and-replace, which would only serve to further increase the tension of pandering to the ignorant or bigoted personalities). We’ll wait to see what this story brings and how it lures us in.

Multiplayer – do I need to say more? If you come from the classic multiplayer gaming background, then you’re amping yourself up for some new emotes, skins, and gestures that will enhance your ability to teabag your team member to assert virtual dominance as you eke them out for kills in the ever-perpetual dick-measuring contest that is gaming. If you’re from Legends or some other communities, you may be looking forward to the collaborative and team-building nature. Even in Legends, there exists toxicity to be ‘the best’. We’ve seen countless ‘world’s first’ and ‘first ever’ and ‘world record’ runs posted, beaten, re-posted, challenged, and shared throughout the years. I do not want to for a second take away from the accomplishments these players have completed.

Challenges such as solo’ing Nightmare Survival for the first time, completing Custom Platinum (Hellmode) taking no damage, and many others will be fresh in my mind for years to come as truly mind-boggling. Watching players of such skill, it is impressive what can be done with such patience and dedication (insert joke about advancing civilization). But inevitably, these types of feats also invite cricitisms, including ‘how’ players got to where they did (manipulating game environment elements, using questionable glitches/exploits, etc) vs those who believe in ‘purist’ gameplay. Such divides only harm the community and those around them. And as such, Legends has been in a state of decay for some time (especially with a lack of support or long-term iterations). That fact is not an attack toward SP, so much as it is looking at the community as those looking to keep themselves entertained purely through the exploitation and alienation of their fellow gamers. We can all do better.

Last, and certainly not least, shared story elements. The setting of ‘feudal Japan’ has been a well-anticipated and much needed genre in the gaming community. It was begged for from Ubisoft for Assassin’s Creed for ages, and now that we finally have it, it is truly something of a spectable. We’ve seen Shogun, the hit series led by star Hiroyuki Sanada, showcase the introduction of Europe to Japan. Ghost of Tsushima laid the groundwork for many things ‘that were to come’. Now that we are here….perhaps it is overdone? Yotei will take place some years in the future (~300), so there is ample room to be a new story with new elements not seen in these aforementioned settings. But it also means a wholly new setting that many are unfamiliar with. It will borrow a story that AC Shadows already told of revenge & exploration. What will be missing is the connection to the audience, what do we know of Yotei? Of the time period? Of the Ainu? SP will need to lay heavy groundwork to weave a history into our knowledge set that we are lacking, and show us why we should care so much, in order to better have us care about any of it at all.

My thoughts, Yotei could be something new that we’ve not experienced, it has ample room to create and tell a story we’ve not yet been told in this way but that we are familiar with being told (revenge as entertainment). What NPCs we meet, the combat mechanics that Yotei leverages, and the overall player immersion will show us if Yotei can be as powerful (or more powerful) than Tsushima was at winning our hearts. That opening cinematic on the beach, honor dying there, and our inner struggle with what is right versus what is just will forever be in my mind. Perhaps Yotei will do the same.

For those of you wanting to get ahead of things, be sure to check out the Collector’s Edition, which is available for pre-order now: Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition (PS5). As far as pre-orders go, it is boasting a lot of really cool merchandise that reflects the price-point while still delivering something worth investing in if you like collector’s bundles. In my opinion, the Sash & Mask really influence my thoughts that it’s a great value and worth buying. To each their own of course, I won’t say Collector’s Bundles are typically ‘worth’ the purchase, but this one is pretty cool. I am personally undecided if I will purchase due to the digital game copy (think I still want a physical copy) but am debating what to do.