Players are introduced to the protagonist Atsu, who survives the slaughter of her family when she's a young girl. A sword pinned her to a ginkgo tree, but she miraculously survived and escaped. Years later, she returns as a seasoned warrior having fought in the Battle of Sekigahara. Atsu has one goal in mine, the elimination of the Yotei Six, who brutally attacked her family. She wants to die, trying to kill them all.
After years spent cultivating an image akin to the HBO of video games through single-player franchises like The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn, the company shifted focus, jumping on the live-service bandwagon to mostly disastrous effect. Aside from a few standouts and a number of remasters, those beloved single-player games have slowed to a trickle: which is what makes Ghost of Yōtei so notable.
Laura is a successful filmmaker based in London. She and her husband, Howard, are parents to a medical resident, Daniel, of whom Laura is especially protective after her daughter, Rose, died of illness as a newborn. When Daniel begins dating a real estate agent named Cherry, Laura disapproves, suspecting that Cherry is only interested in him for his money. She's right to be concerned, because Cherry - who did not grow up with Daniel's privilege - is indeed obsessed with marrying Daniel to obtain his lifestyle, and tries to drive a wedge between him and his mom to do so.
Ghost of Tsushima tells a complicated and deeply troubling narrative about revenge, possible avunculicide, and a warrior pushed to commit atrocities in order to protect the people he loves.
Revenge is more than an emotion—it’s an addictive behavior. People get hyped about an epic revenge story or cheer for politicians seeking to 'get even'. This satisfaction of payback is a dangerous craving.