Summary
Ghost of Tsushima’s sequel has finally been revealed asGhost of Yotei, which, to the surprise of many, has chosen to leave Jin Sakai out of the picture — at least, judging by what has been shown of the game. Rather than continuingJin’s story inGhost of Yotei, players will control Atsu, who has traveled far north on the path of revenge. Only small bits of whatGhost of Yoteiwill bring to the table have been revealedso far, but Sucker Punch has promised much more to come.
There has already been plenty of controversy stirred up about Jin’s absence inGhost of Yotei, but the game’s new protagonist, Atsu, seems like she may be a worthy successor.The trailer forGhost of Yoteirevealed several things about Atsu as the new Ghost, including one unique ability that will give her a leg up on Jin.
Atsu’s Dual-Wielding Ability Gives Her a Leg Up on Jin
Dual-Wielding Was a Highly Requested Feature in Ghost of Tsushima
While there is plenty to love aboutGhost of Tsushima’s combat, Jin Sakai was never given the ability to dual-wield weapons in the game. Dual-wielding has long been a fascinating concept in gaming, even from the days ofHalo 2until now, and that concept simply never found its way intoGhost of Tsushima. Of course, this was an intentional move by Sucker Punch, as the developer did its best to stay true to history inGhost of Tsushima’s bones while simultaneously creating a memorable work of fiction for players to enjoy that would separate them from the real world.
By and large, dual-wielding isn’t really necessary for Jin Sakai, especially as his identity centers around being a ghost that strikes from the shadows at every opportunity. The idea of dual-wielding almost brings with it a need for frequent direct combat engagements, and while that is more than possible inGhost of Tsushima, it robs the game of its core intentions, which are to portray a character who is dishonorably breaking the samurai code for the sake of his family. Furthermore, according to history, the technique of dual-wielding wasn’t even put into practice until around 300 years after theMongol invasion that took place inGhost of Tsushima. However, this is whereGhost of Yoteicomes in, as it is set three centuries after the events ofGhost of Tsushima.
Ghost of Yotei’s Trailer Confirms That Atsu Can Dual-Wield
Judging by what is shown in theannouncement trailer forGhost of Yotei, and assuming that what the trailer shows is an accurate representation of gameplay, Atsu will be able to dual-wield blades inGhost of Yotei. Since dual-wielding was such a highly requested feature inGhost of Tsushima, this givesGhost of Yoteia bit of an advantage, regardless of any controversy that has already attempted to surround the game’s debut. It’s unclear yet how this will impact gameplay inGhost of Yotei, but it can be assumed that dual-wielding will be one of Atsu’s stances, as that ultimately separated Jin’s combat styles against various enemy types inGhost of Tsushima.
One thing Atsu’s confirmed dual-wielding does suggest, however, is thatGhost of Yoteicould be taking a much less stealth-focused road thanGhost of Tsushima. Nowhere in the trailer is Atsu really seen trying to evade notice, and her dual-wielded blades suggest a more direct combat approach. Then again, if Sucker Punch truly wants to iterate on the concept ofthe Ghost to make it a fully-fledged franchiseas opposed to a limited series, then stealth would still need to be prioritized in some way to maintain the idea of the Ghost. Perhaps players will get to see Atsu perform some unique stealth assassinations with both of her blades in hand. If nothing else, it will certainly change her fighting style in direct combat compared to Jin.
Ghost of Yotei
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a bold, new story of a warrior in Japan who is on a mission of vengeance all her own.Set 300 years after the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei is standalone experience set in 1600s rural Japan. The story follows a haunted, lone mercenary named Atsu. Thirsty for revenge, she travels through the beautiful, rugged landscapes of northern Japan, hunting those who killed her family many years earlier.
