Feudal Japan (around1185 AD-1600 AD) has always been a popular setting for video games. 1981’s Kawanakajima no Kassen was a very early PC strategy game that dropped players in the Sengoku Period, and since then, there have been countless video games that have been set during the same stretch of 400 years or so, ranging from stealth games like Tenchu, to action games like Samurai Warriors, to large-scale open-world games like Ghost of Tsushima and its upcoming successor, Ghost of Yotei.
Set in the year 1603 AD, Ghost of Yotei technically takes place right at the very end of the Feudal Japan era. As such, players can expect to see plenty of era-specific iconography, such as the use of katanas and bows, but also the introduction of more modern weapons like the series’ new Matchlock rifle. There should be plenty of new features to keep Ghost of Yotei‘s historical setting engaging, and when compared to the rest of PlayStation’s upcoming first-party line-up, it’ll stand out by a country mile.
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Ghost of Yotei Could Walk the Path of Knights of the Old Republic in One Big Way
Ghost of Yotei could add even more depth to its progression system if it followed the path of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic in its design.
Ghost of Yotei’s Setting Should Set It Apart From PlayStation’s Upcoming Slate
PlayStation Is Going All-In on Sci-Fi
Though Kojima Productions isn’t owned by Sony, the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is being published by SIE, and it’ll be releasing exclusively on PlayStation 5 on its June 26 release date. Though Death Stranding doesn’t belong to just one genre, it has plenty of supernatural Sci-Fi themes and imagery, including suits of high-tech armor, mechs, robotic arms, and mysterious alien-like beings.
Naughty Dog’s long-rumored Sci-Fi project was finally revealed during last year’s Game Awards ceremony. Titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog’s new IP will see players take on the role of Jordan A. Mun, a bounty hunter who’s sent to the remote world of Sempiria. Intergalactic adopts a retro-futuristic aesthetic, where 1980s technology is given a space-y twist.
Sony’s February State of Play confirmed that Housemarque is working on another Sci-Fi game, this time being a sort of spiritual successor to Returnal that sees players trying to break from another time-loop, this time on the colony world of Carcosa. It’s also been rumored that Santa Monica Studios is working on a Sci-Fi IP alongside a potential new God of War game.
That’s not forgetting Bungie’s Marathon, a Sci-Fi live-service multiplayer shooter that’s had its fair share of alleged development issues but one that’s still on the way regardless. And, of course, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise is still going strong, with a multiplayer entry still believed to be in development, possibly alongside a third installment. PlayStation’s first-party line-up is filled pretty much exclusively with Sci-Fi-themed video games, which should allow Ghost of Yotei‘s Feudal Japan setting to stand out immediately.
Ghost of Yotei’s Setting Can’t Rest on its Laurels
But while Ghost of Yotei will have no problem standing out from PlayStation’s upcoming slate, it might have a tougher time standing out from the wealth of other games set during the Feudal Japan era. Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remastered are both due out in the coming months, and more games like them are bound to be on the way soon. This means that Ghost of Yotei can’t rest on its laurels, especially when it comes to its open-world design.
Action
Adventure
Open-World
- Released
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2025
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment