Ghost of Yotei is the upcoming sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, and it’s a big departure from its predecessor. While the follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima was unclear for a while, the announcement of Ghost of Yotei surprised a lot of fans by jumping 300 years forward with a brand-new protagonist. Such a major change is an exciting turn, but looking back, it may not be as shocking for Sucker Punch to make such a bold move.
Through the years, Sucker Punch has developed several strong gaming franchises. The Sly Cooper series remains a nostalgic reminder of PlayStation’s mascot era, but its follow-up franchise, Infamous, marked a new path forward for Sucker Punch. While many were taken aback by Ghost of Yotei‘s protagonist change, Infamous is a great example of how this should have been expected all along.
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Ghost of Yotei May Just Be a Detour in a Long Journey
While Ghost of Yotei may chart a new course, it could still lead back to familiar shores, shaping what’s next without defining the journey’s end.
Ghost of Yotei is Repeating a Move That Sucker Punch Has Made Before
Games in the Infamous Franchise
- Infamous
- Infamous 2
- Infamous: Festival of Blood (expansion)
- Infamous Second Son
- Infamous First Light (expansion)
Between these expansions and mainline entries, Infamous has a strong roster of releases. The first two games were led by protagonist Cole MacGrath, but Infamous Second Son introduced the franchise’s first big shake-up with all-new protagonist Delsin Rowe. Many fans of the Infamous franchise were attached to Cole, and while his story after Infamous 2 seemed fairly wrapped up if players got the good ending, moving on to a brand-new lead character was still quite a surprise.
Now, with Ghost of Yotei, it seems as though Sucker Punch is retreading old ground. A significant protagonist change could be worrisome for a lot of franchises, but Ghost of Yotei‘s switch-up is far more promising. Thankfully, Sucker Punch has proven itself capable of introducing a new main character in a way that not only makes sense and serves the story, but also makes players forget about even missing past protagonists. Delsin is a strong character who is a solid successor to Cole, and Atsu has the potential to be on par with her predecessor Jin, as well.
Ghost of Yotei is set in the year 1603, which marks the beginning of the Edo period. In addition to a completely different era, Ghost of Yotei will add matchlock guns, as well, bringing stronger long-range combat.
Missing Jin in the role of lead is understandable, but after Ghost of Tsushima and its Iki Island DLC, his story may be best left as a singular venture. Sucker Punch’s franchise introducing a new story and era of Japan with every fresh installment can keep the series going for years to come. This makes the addition of Atsu and Ghost of Yotei‘s setting a stronger step forward instead of running the risk of Jin overstaying his welcome.
Ghost of Yotei Promises a Harrowing Adventure
Sucker Punch’s time with Jin may be done, but Atsu is carrying the torch into the future. Even more interesting, it will be exciting to see what the developer has in store for the series after Atsu. Imagining how Sucker Punch chooses to evolve its newest action-adventure franchise is a compelling line of thought, but only time will tell what awaits players next.
The Edo period was defined by a strict social order where the samurai were regarded as the top class.
As of now, Ghost of Yotei is set for a 2025 launch, but with a juggernaut like GTA 6 waiting on the horizon, there is still the possibility for a change in release plans. It’s early in the year, so anything can happen, but Sucker Punch will hopefully bring more insight to gamers soon, so players can get a sneak peek at what Atsu is like as a character.
Action
Adventure
Open-World
- Released
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2025
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment