Everything We Know About the Ghost of Tsushima Sequel

There’s a new setting for Ghost of Yotei

The name gives away the new setting for the game, but for those of us that skipped a few geography classes Yotei refers to Mount Yotei – translated somewhat unglamorously as “sheep-hoof mountain” – a volcano located in northern Japan. Specifically on Hokkaido, the second-biggest Japanese island, which would have been called Ezo in Atsu’s time.

“When we started working on a sequel, the first question we asked ourselves is ‘What is the DNA of a Ghost game?’” Creative Director Nate Fox told The New York Times. “It is about transporting the player to the romance and beauty of feudal Japan.” The Sucker Punch team visited a number of locations in Japan for research, including Shiretoko National Park where Fax made recordings of the ambient sounds to take back to the studio.

“Inside the park, you have to watch a video telling you about the dangers of bears,” Fox said. “Being in this incredibly beautiful park with jagged cliffs and water, yet all the time being aware there were dangerous bears, was electrifying. We strive to bring that into the video game — that feeling of danger.”

Ghost of Yotei is set in 1603, according to the PlayStation Blog. That’s 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima and a period when Ezo was home to the indigenous Ainu people and still outside the control of Japan. Perhaps not coincidentally, 1603 is marked the Tokugawa shogunate becoming the government of Japan after the Battle of Sekigahara.

Ghost of Yotei is Sucker Punch’s first game built completely for PS5

Ghost of Tsushima was notable for the way its incredible landscapes looked and felt as you explored the island, and it sounds as if we can expect the same from Ghost of Yotei.

“This is also Sucker Punch’s first game built from the ground up for PlayStation 5, and we’re excited to build on the visual foundation we established in Ghost of Tsushima by making the world feel even more real,” said Andrew Goldfarb, Senior Communications Manager at Sucker Punch Productions in a blog post.

“We have massive sightlines that let you look far across the environment, whole new skies featuring twinkling stars and auroras, even more believable movement from wind on grass and vegetation, and more improvements we’ll share in the future. Our new setting also gives us the opportunity to introduce new mechanics, gameplay improvements, and even new weapons.”

Rachel Weber is IGN’s Managing Editor.