Deliverance 2 Could Inspire a Ghost of Yotei Feature

With the introduction of a new protagonist to Sucker Punch’s Ghost franchise in Ghost of Yotei likely comes a substantial number of other changes as well. Many of those potential changes are still hanging in limbo as fans await another reveal of Ghost of Yotei, but others — like the game’s fresh approach to Tsushima‘s open-world formula, its renewed emphasis on player agency, and some new weapons — have already been confirmed. Among those new weapons is the matchlock gun, which the new protagonist, Atsu, can be briefly seen using at the end of Ghost of Yotei‘s announcement trailer.

Given the fact that Ghost of Yotei takes place three centuries after Ghost of Tsushima, during Japan’s Edo Period, the revealed matchlock guns (otherwise known as “tanegashima”) are appropriately placed. By 1603, when Ghost of Yotei is set, matchlock guns would have been in use in Japan for over 50 years, so to see one in the hands of Atsu makes sense. However, as historically accurate as they may be, the presence of matchlock guns in a Ghost game, which is meant to emphasize stealth gameplay, raises some questions about its power. As such, Ghost of Yotei may benefit from looking to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for inspiration regarding its firearms.

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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Commitment to Authenticity Helps its Narrative Beats Stick the Landing

Since Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 relies so heavily on realism and authenticity, it ultimately means players are forced to sit with their choices.

Ghost of Yotei’s Matchlock Guns Should Look to KCD2’s Guns for Inspiration

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Guns Are Hard to Master

While Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 does a vast number of things to simply improve upon the formula of its predecessor, it also introduces plenty of new elements for players to discover as well. One of those new additions is the pistole, a powerful gun that wasn’t present in the first game and can prove to be very effective in subduing enemies. There’s only one very small problem: the gun in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is incredibly difficult to use. In fact, using a gun in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is almost never recommended, as it’s almost impossible to hit a target that is more than two feet away.

Of course, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s guns are actually bad on purpose. This isn’t necessarily to discourage their use so much as it is to provide a more accurate depiction of what it would have been like to use a gun in medieval Bohemia. Firstly, the guns take an awfully long time to load, to the point that it’s best to anticipate fights and load a gun ahead of time, rather than attempting to reload in the middle of a fight. Secondly, they are unbelievably inaccurate, as previously stated, meaning players are usually better off just avoiding their use altogether.

Ghost of Yotei’s Matchlock Guns Could Be Balanced Following KCD2’s Lead

Unlike in Ghost of Yotei, realism is a core part of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s DNA, so it doesn’t have to put too much thought into ensuring its guns don’t overpower the rest of its arsenal of weapons. With Ghost of Yotei‘s matchlock guns, however, they could render the rest of Atsu’s weapons obsolete if they are too powerful and easy to use. As such, if Ghost of Yotei leaned more into historical accuracy, which would result in its matchlock guns having lengthy reload times and being difficult to use. This would ensure the rest of Atsu’s weapons remain necessary parts of her arsenal and therefore prevent wasted space.

If Ghost of Yotei wants to introduce matchlock guns without undermining its stealth and melee-focused gameplay, it will need to balance power with practicality. Making them too strong risks turning them into an overpowered weapon that overshadows the rest of Atsu’s arsenal, while making them too weak could also make them useless. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 offers a solid blueprint, showing how historical firearms can be both powerful and limited. If Ghost of Yotei follows suit, it can ensure its matchlock guns are a valuable option rather than a game-breaking convenience.

Game

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RPG

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Released

February 4, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios