I loved Ghost of Tsushima, but it was also very clear there was lots of room for improvements.
– More weapons. Jin was basically limited to just swords for combat. Makes sense, of course, as a Samurai, but I think in Nioh 2 we see what else is possible in terms of many weapons, styles, etc. I don’t expect that kind of depth in Yotei, of course, but a bigger variety of different weapons would be cool.
– Tsushima had some tiny villages and settlements, but it didn’t have big, lively towns. The NPCs were mostly just farm-folk, fishing-folks, etc. Definite room for improvement in that area.
– Modes of transportation. Jin had his horse, sure, but couldn’t use boats on his own. Some gliding mechanic would be nice to cover larger distances. Or using coaches, etc.
It could also take some pages out of the Persona & Yakuza series playbook, in terms of side-activities, mini-games, social links, etc. It could have a kind of ‘base-builder’ where you form your own town/settlement. You could make your own little paradise.
Looking forward to Yotei. If it manages to reach the highs of Tsushima, I’ll already be satisfied and happy. If it builds on those foundations and is even better, then it’s potential GOTY material.