Ghost of Yōtei PS5 Gameplay Revealed in Epic New State of Play Deep Dive

As promised, PlayStation held the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play today (10th). Watch below with Brazilian Portuguese subtitles available.

Atsu’s Journey

The people of Ezo believe Atsu is an Onryō – a vengeful spirit. She doesn’t care whether she lives or dies, as her goal to eliminate the Six Yōtei remains her top priority. After 16 years in the south, she’s returned home to fulfill this mission.

Upon returning to Atsu’s childhood home, you can relive memories at the push of a button, toggling between past and present. The freedom to explore her past helps contextualize her personal loss.

Player freedom takes greater prominence here than in any previous Sucker Punch game, with exploration spanning Japan’s frontiers. The team aimed for players to craft their own open-world experience, featuring an underlying clue system that invites them to new adventures and potentially interesting areas.

Interrogating enemies about Oni may reveal challenging fiery areas leading to new abilities, while asking about Kitsune could direct players to snowy locales where stealth is essential. Atsu collects clue cards to track every potential quest.

As Atsu achieves more success, her bounty increases, attracting dangerous enemies – though she can also hunt bounties for monetary rewards.

Ghost of Yōtei’s World

The world hides Altars of Reflection that inspire Atsu and unlock new skills. While discoverable naturally, Traveler’s Maps can be purchased for guidance.

A crucial tool is her spyglass, revealing noteworthy horizons points of interest worth visiting for their own sake. Flower Rivers grant Atsu speed boosts while horseback riding. Developers assure players the game’s driving force is curiosity and intrigue over simple checklist completion.

Ghost of Yōtei’s Combat

In combat, Atsu may choose between a katana, spear, kusarigama, odachi or dual swords as primary weapons.

Each weapon excels against specific enemies and features unique upgrades. Atsu may be disarmed by a powerful enemy strike, but can similarly disarm foes herself.

Selecting context-appropriate weapons proves vital. Larger enemies are best fought with an odachi, while dual swords counter spears effectively. Throwables like bombs provide tactical advantages. Long-range weapons are available, including a new firearm.

During her journey, Atsu gains allies including a wolf companion. While setting up camp, she can rest, play her shamisen, and cook to prepare for battles. Key character upgrades are obtained here. Replacing Ghost of Tsushima’s journal, this system offers character-focused management of allies and merchants.

Eventually, Atsu can track her own wolf pack network, displaying resources available from NPCs. Her progression revolves around the player’s style through gear discovered across the world.

Modes

Photo Mode is confirmed with extensive customization options. Additional gameplay modes include full Japanese voiceovers with accurate lip sync, and Kurosawa Mode simulating his films’ black-and-white visuals.

The game also honors two directors who impacted the samurai genre: Takashi Miike with a combat close-camera mode, and Samurai Champloo‘s Shinichiro Watanabe who co-designed lo-fi battle tracks.

Finally, limited-edition Ghost of Yōtei-themed DualSense controllers and PS5 consoles were confirmed for October 2, 2025.

Ghost of Yōtei will release on October 2 for PS5.