Ghost of Yotei Review: A Samurai Story That Soars Despite Playing It Safe

"But what really makes a sequel great? That's perhaps harder to answer. There are some salient grounds a game must cover to best its predecessor. It must expand on the ideas and themes introduced in the first game. It must deepen gameplay systems in ways that feel connected to the previous game and independent from it at the same time. And it helps if the follow-up, somehow, is more fun."

"That's how stellar sophomore games stand out in a sea of more-of-the-same-but-better sequels. They surprise you. They challenge your expectations and provoke sentiments you perhaps didn't feel while playing the first game. Portal 2 did this. So did Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed 2. Sony's own The Last of Us Part II upended the coming-of-age, dad-daughter zombie road trip vibes of its very successful predecessor to tell a flawed but ambitious story about revenge and forgiveness. And more recently, A Plague Tale: Requiem took the innocence out of A Plague Tale: Innocence to deliver something devastatingly bleak and brave."

"Set 300 years after the events of Tsushima (and completely disconnected from them), Sony's next tentpole PS5 exclusive, which comes out October 2, is undeniably better than its predecessor in every single aspect: Ghost of Yotei tells a more personal and affecting story centred around a more compelling protagonist; it iterates upon gameplay systems of combat and exploration, delivering a familiar but improved experience on both fronts; and its recreation of a cross-section of untamed Japan feels much more intentional and lived-in."

A sequel should expand on the first game's ideas and themes, deepen gameplay systems while maintaining connection and independence, and increase fun. Truly transcendent sequels also tread new ground and subvert expectations to provoke new sentiments. Examples of strong sophomore efforts include Portal 2, Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed 2, The Last of Us Part II, and A Plague Tale: Requiem. Ghost of Yotei, set 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima and disconnected from it, improves on story, protagonist, combat, exploration, and worldbuilding, delivering a more personal and intentional experience, yet it still falls short of similar glory.

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