When Ghost of Tsushima came out in 2020, it showed us what cinematic samurai storytelling could be. Five years later, Ghost of Yōtei enters that legacy with its own take on honour, revenge and redemption. Will it rival the magic of Tsushima, or is it a mere shadow to it?
A Tale Etched in Snow and Blood
Set beneath the looming peak of Mount Yōtei, this samurai drama from Kyoto-based studio Hanabira Interactive follows Raiden Katsuro, a fallen retainer trying to reclaim his honor after the collapse of his clan. Unlike Tsushima’s bright island tones, Yōtei’s world is cold and muted — all snow, mist, and sorrow.
The opening hours are slow and meditative. You wander through frozen villages, listening to the wind and the soft hum of a flute. Then the calm breaks — and the duels begin. Each fight is sharp, personal, and charged with emotion.
The story doesn’t surprise much, but it doesn’t need to. It’s told with confidence, framed like a Kurosawa film: long pauses, perfect silhouettes, and storms of steel. Even small encounters feel dramatic. It’s one of those games where the camera work alone can carry a scene.
Combat: Grace and Brutality Intertwined
If Ghost of Tsushima was a dance, Ghost of Yōtei is a knife fight. Every movement is deliberate. Each swing of the katana feels heavy, dangerous, and final. Timing and patience matter more than aggression — rush in, and you’ll pay for it.
You can master two core styles: Kenjutsu, focused on precision and counters, and Kagejutsu, a stealthy approach built on traps and deception. Switching between them mid-battle opens a layer of strategy Tsushima never quite explored.
Enemies fight smart. They sidestep, bait you into mistakes, even mock you. Boss duels — especially the one against the Yōkai General on a burning bridge — are highlights, equal parts spectacle and skill test.
Combat isn’t flawless. The lock-on can get messy in group fights, and a few late-game upgrades make you overpowered. But when it all clicks — when blades meet and sparks light the snow — it’s one of the most satisfying systems in recent memory.
The Spirit of the Land
Yōtei’s open world isn’t huge, but it feels alive. Every ridge, shrine, and ruin tells a quiet story. You trail foxes to secret altars, confront spirits at midnight, and find remnants of misfortune in forsaken houses. We don’t believe in ticking boxes, but discovering.
On the technical side, it’s impressive. The game runs at a steady 60 FPS in Performance Mode on PS5, while turning the game into a painting, with ray-traced reflections and soft snow in Quality Mode.
The sound design is equally strong. The sound of ringing shamisen before killing a man, crunching snow underfoot, caw of a crow in the distance – it all makes for great things. You play this kind of game with headphones on just to be enveloped by the world.
Ghosts of the Past
The game Ghost of Yōtei does not shy away from comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima. There are some visual callbacks, familiar themes, even some cheeky ones. While Tsushima presents the idyllic view of the samurai, Yōtei portrays the real samurai.
This tale is not one of glory but guilt. It’s a story of vengeance and survival. The ending of the play does not give you closure rather it gets you unsettled. The play asks can a person at peace when at war with their past
Verdict: The Snow-Covered Successor
Ghost of Yōtei doesn’t reinvent the samurai game, but it perfects the parts that matter most — tight combat, sharp direction, and a world that feels both harsh and beautiful.
There are rough edges, sure, but few games capture this kind of emotional pull. When the credits roll, you might just sit there, watching the snow drift across the screen, thinking about everything you’ve lost — and everything you’ve gained.