Ghost of Yotei Review: Exciting Samurai Revenge Guide

Introduction

If you want a ghost of yotei review that cuts through the hype, the short answer is that critics largely loved it. Sucker Punch’s follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima trades an island invasion for a personal revenge quest in the wild north of Japan, and it is one of the most beautiful games on PlayStation 5.

This guide covers what reviewers praised and criticised, who Atsu is, how combat and exploration work, how long the journey lasts, and what it costs in the UK now. There are no major late-game spoilers.

Ghost of Yotei Review at a Glance

Ghost of Yotei is a single-player open-world action adventure developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is a standalone sequel, not a continuation of Jin Sakai’s story, set more than 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima.

Fact	Ghost of Yotei detail
Developer	Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release date	2 October 2025
Platforms	PlayStation 5 only, PS5 Pro Enhanced
Genre	Open-world action adventure
Main character	Atsu, a wandering ronin
Setting	Ezo, now Hokkaido, in 1603
Age rating in the UK	PEGI 18

Atsu returns to Ezo sixteen years after her family was murdered, hunting the masked warriors known as the Yotei Six. The people of Ezo call her the Onryo, a wrathful ghost.

What the Scores Actually Say

A ghost of yotei review round-up is best read as a range, not a single score, because aggregate figures have moved slightly as more reviews were added. Metacritic lists the PlayStation 5 game at 86, while OpenCritic has sat around 87 to 88, with roughly 94 per cent of critics recommending it. The direction is clear: this is a critically acclaimed game.

Outlet	Score reported
IGN	8 out of 10
GameSpot	9 out of 10
Push Square	9 out of 10
GameRant	10 out of 10
Eurogamer	3 out of 5

IGN praised gorgeous landscapes and satisfying, fluid action, calling the story predictable but well executed. GameSpot called it a gripping tale of revenge, while Push Square described it as Sucker Punch’s greatest work to date. GamesRadar+ praised a vast, beautiful open world and one of the greatest protagonists in gaming. Eurogamer was the dissenting voice, scoring it 3 out of 5 and arguing that dated side quests held it back.

The Story: Atsu and the Yotei Six

Atsu was a child when the Yotei Six slaughtered her family at her childhood home. She survived, fled Ezo, and spent sixteen years as a mercenary before returning to finish what was started. Each member of the Six has a name, a mask and a territory, and hunting them down is the spine of the game.

The story is told in two timelines. Playable flashbacks return Atsu to her childhood and to the night her family died, so the revenge quest feels personal rather than abstract. As she closes in on each target, she gets drawn into Ezo’s wider conflict, where the Yotei Six hold power against Clan Matsumae. Reviewers praised Atsu herself above almost everything else, calling her fierce, funny and haunted in equal measure.

Combat: Five Weapons, No Easy Fights

Ghost of Yotei keeps Tsushima’s duel-focused combat but widens it. Atsu starts with a katana, then earns four more melee weapons from weapon masters across Ezo: dual katanas, the odachi, the yari spear and the kusarigama. Each weapon suits a different enemy type, so switching mid-fight matters, and firearms have also arrived in Japan by 1603.

Combat is built on parries, dodges and well-timed strikes, with duels that feel tense rather than button-mashy. Stealth remains an option, and Atsu can use a bow and throwable weapons to thin a camp before drawing her blade. Boss fights, especially the duels against the Yotei Six themselves, were singled out as some of the most gripping action on PlayStation 5.

Exploring Ezo: A Frontier, Not a Checklist

Ezo is the point of the game. The open world stretches from the grasslands around Mount Yotei to snowy peaks, forests, coasts and volcanic highlands, with the mountain a constant landmark on the horizon. Exploration feels less like ticking off markers and more like following a rumour over the next hill.

Atsu rides her horse across the frontier, and the world rewards wandering: bounty boards, hot springs, fox dens, shrines and side characters all sit off the main path. Between hunts, she can paint, play her shamisen, cook and trade. Some reviewers felt discovery still felt too curated, and that too many climbing sequences slowed the pace, but few disputed that Ezo itself is stunning.

How Long It Takes, and What It Costs in the UK

Length reports differ, so treat any single number with care. Most main-story runs are reported at around 25 to 30 hours, while a thorough playthrough with side content stretches past 50 hours. Completionists will go further still.

Edition	UK price reported
Standard Edition, launch	£69.99
Digital Deluxe Edition, launch	£79.99
Complete Edition, from 1 October 2026	£69.99

Treat those as reported prices, not a live quote. The Complete Edition bundles the base game with the Digital Deluxe content, the Legends co-op mode and the Echoes of Sekigahara story expansion, so check which edition a listing actually is before paying. PlayStation Store sales have discounted the game since launch.

What Reviewers Criticised

The story leans on a familiar revenge structure. Reviewers who loved the game still called its plot predictable, and its pacing can dip in the middle, especially when side quests interrupt the hunt. Eurogamer’s lower score rested on exactly that point: side quests that feel dated, and an open world that sometimes feels like it is holding back a tighter action game.

Discovery can also feel less natural than Sucker Punch intends, climbing sections crop up too often, and the final stretch does not land for everyone. None of this stopped the game earning high scores overall.

Is Ghost of Yotei Worth Playing Now?

For UK players reading a ghost of yotei review, the consensus says yes, especially if you own a PlayStation 5 and enjoy open-world adventures. The campaign is long, varied and gorgeous, and Atsu is a lead worth following for fifty hours. You do not need to have played Ghost of Tsushima first, because this is a new story with a new hero.

Play it slowly, follow the bounties, and let Ezo pull you off the road. Newcomers should know the combat demands patience and timing, but the game teaches its systems generously.

Conclusion

This ghost of yotei review leaves a clear verdict: Ghost of Yotei is one of the strongest PlayStation 5 exclusives of its year. It is not a revolution, and its revenge story will not surprise everyone, but Atsu, Ezo and the combat carry it to greatness.

If you have waited for a sale, the discounts since launch make this an easy buy. If you loved Tsushima, it is essential. If you are new, it is still a confident, beautiful samurai adventure.

For more PlayStation 5 reviews and guides, visit Game Horizon.

FAQs

Is Ghost of Yotei a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima?

Yes, but it is a standalone sequel with a new hero and setting. It is set more than 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, in Ezo in 1603, and you do not need to have played the earlier game to follow Atsu’s story.

What did critics score Ghost of Yotei?

The consensus was high: IGN 8 out of 10, GameSpot 9 out of 10, Push Square 9 out of 10, GameRant 10 out of 10, and Eurogamer 3 out of 5. Metacritic lists it at 86, OpenCritic around 87 to 88.

Who is Atsu in Ghost of Yotei?

Atsu is a wandering ronin returning to Ezo sixteen years after the Yotei Six murdered her family. She hunts each member down, one by one, while getting drawn into Ezo’s wider conflict with Clan Matsumae.

How long does Ghost of Yotei take to finish?

Most main-story runs are reported at around 25 to 30 hours, while a thorough playthrough stretches past 50 hours. Completionists will take longer still.

Is Ghost of Yotei on PS5 only?

Yes. It launched on 2 October 2025 for PlayStation 5 only, with PS5 Pro Enhanced support. There is no PlayStation 4, Xbox or PC version.

Is Ghost of Yotei worth buying for newcomers?

Yes, if you enjoy open-world action adventures. The story is self-contained, the combat is taught generously, and Ezo is beautiful to explore, even if some side quests feel familiar.