Ghost of Yōtei’s gameplay deep dive shows the open world, combat, and chill beats

We recently got a thorough preview of PlayStation’s upcoming big exclusive. As promised, Sucker Punch’s PS5-only samurai game Ghost of Yōtei, which comes on October 2nd, was the focus of an event hosted by Sony. The broadcast was a thorough examination that covered everything from battle to the actual environment, and it appears to be a significant improvement over its predecessor. The presentation is available in its entirety in the aforementioned video.

The folklore creature known as an onryō, a kind of vindictive spirit that seems to fit the game’s themes quite nicely, served as some inspiration for the tale. A ronin named Atsu spends the game chasing down the six outlaws who murdered her family when she was a child, after all. Atsu adopts the onryō moniiker as the chase goes on, and her legend develops over time.

According to Sucker Punch, the open environment is meant to be player-chosen, allowing you to concentrate on particular gameplay aspects, such as fighting or exploration, according to your interests. The developers clarify that Ghost of Yōtei will not speed you through any of the game’s features. Set in Ezo (now Hokkaido) around 1603, the world appears to be as lovely as its predecessor, with a verdant landscape to explore. Regarding fighting, the group claims that the objective is to evoke the atmosphere of a “classic samurai film.” Oh, and you get to be paired with a wolf this time.

In addition to what appears to be an enlarged photo mode, Yōtei will once again have “Kurosawa mode,” which turns the game into a black-and-white film reminiscent of a great Akira Kurosawa film. However, Sucker Punch collaborated with other well-known filmmakers as well. There is now a lo-fi “Watanabe mode” with mellow beats inspired by Shinichirō Watanabe, as well as a “Miike mode” (influenced by Takashi Miike) for more visceral, close-up, and violent action.

In addition to the game’s information, Sony also unveiled a limited-edition PS5 and a few peripherals that will be available when it comes in October:

Ghost of Tsushima, which was a sort of swan song for the PS4 when it was out in 2020, is followed by Yōtei. Later, improved versions of the game were released for the PC and PS5, and it was so popular that the director of John Wick is working on a movie adaptation.

Given that 2025 has been a comparatively quiet year for significant PS5 exclusives, the sequel is especially noteworthy. There isn’t much else planned outside a restored edition of the biker zombie game Days Gone, but another sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, just came out last month. Originally scheduled for September, Bungie’s redesign of Marathon has been postponed.