A Conglomeration of Infamous and Ghost of Yotei Could Actually Be a Match Made in Heaven

Sucker Punch has been having a strong few years, which is expected to continue with the release of Ghost of Yotei, the long-awaited follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima. Though the Ghost of Tsushima series seems to be Sucker Punch’s primary focus right now, there was once a time when the studio was known for a very different sort of franchise, though one that was no less exciting.

Infamous is tragically overlooked, it would seem, at least by the powers that be in the games industry. The franchise hasn’t seen a proper release since Infamous: Second Son in 2014—an open-world action title that was one of the most underrated showcases of the PS4’s improved power over its predecessor. It followed two other impressive and ambitious games, both centered on unique superhero mechanics and mature storytelling. It would be a shame to let such a robust experience with superpowered gameplay go to waste, and the Ghost of Yotei formula could be a good outlet for it.

Ghost of Yotei’s Reveal Still Leaves One Major Question Lingering

Ghost of Yotei’s recent reveal revealed several aspects of its gameplay and features, but one major question remains about its future on the PS5.

The Benefits of Marrying Infamous and Ghost of Yotei

Infamous and the Ghost Games Showcase the Greatest Strengths of Sucker Punch

Ghost of Tsushima isn’t exactly committed to realism, as it features a number of implausible special abilities and quasi-supernatural elements, but it’s a fairly grounded game overall; the same can probably be expected to be true for Ghost of Yotei. This certainly cannot be said for Infamous, which is a series built around bombastic, magical, and sci-fi-influenced concepts, which inform both its narrative and gameplay.

This has drawbacks and benefits, naturally. On the one hand, the more outlandish plot of Infamous allows for more creative narrative ideas, while the historically grounded premise of the Ghost games is inherently more restrictive. Conversely, Ghost of Tsushima is able to highlight intimate character relationships and the human condition a bit better than Infamous, as its connection to historical trauma and themes like honor lend itself to more nuanced storytelling.

A similar dynamic can be observed when looking at the gameplay of each franchise. Infamous‘ traversal and combat mechanics are expressive, flexible, and explosive (sometimes literally), while Ghost of Tsushima‘s gameplay is far more conservative, but also focused, making for a tighter and more engaging experience at times. By merging the two franchises, Sucker Punch may be able to extract each of their strengths, mixing them together to create something spectacular.

How the Ghost Games Could Be Combined With Infamous

A literal crossover between these two franchises would be a bit overboard, but a new Sucker Punch IP, years down the road, that recontextualizes the best aspects of both Infamous and Ghost could be surprisingly great. This game would lack the urban fantasy elements of the original Infamous games, but it could instead leverage real-world mythology or folklore, either directly or in a more ambiguous way, with NPCs assigning the player-character mythical status based on their cultural beliefs, similar to how Ghost of Tsushima‘s characters christen Jin as the “Ghost” for his exploits.

In terms of gameplay, a number of Infamous‘ mechanics and features could play key roles in a Ghost-like historical setting, including:

An explicit morality system
Quicker, more fleshed-out traversal mechanics
A better blend of ranged and close-combat options

By the same token, Ghost of Tsushima‘s satisfying open-world design would synergize quite well with the gameplay staples of Infamous. It’s hard to know what the future holds for Sucker Punch, but with the studio’s penchant for compelling storytelling, historical settings, and power-based gameplay, a release that combines these aspects could be genre-defining.

The sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei is a PS5 exclusive scheduled to drop at some point in 2025. Taking place in 1603, the story will feature a new protagonist and a new Japanese region that is far removed from Tsushima’s setting.

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