With the latest State of Play, gamers got a look at the next chapter of the Ghost of Tsushima franchise. Titled Ghost of Yotei, the upcoming game is set to release in 2025, and it features a new cast, setting, and characters. There’s not much known about the upcoming game except for its new setting and the name of the new protagonist, who will be played by Erika Ishii.
For players who want to know more about Ghost of Yotei, it may be useful to study its setting, as Mount Yotei is an interesting location with a rich history that the upcoming game could draw from. Sucker Punch is also inspired by Shiretoko National Park, a location that contains both beauty and danger.
The History of Ghost of Yotei’s Mount Yotei
The upcoming Sucker Punch game is a standalone sequel set 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. It takes place on Mount Yotei, found in the heart of Ezo, today known as Hokkaido. In the early 17th century, this area was outside the control of Japan, and it didn’t feature the organized samurai clans of Tsushima Island.
Mount Yotei is also known as Ezo Fuji, due to its conical shape causing it to resemble Mount Fuji. The Ainu referred to the mountain as Makkarinupuri or Machineshiri, meaning female mountain. This could hint that Ghost of Yotei‘s female protagonist Atsu will be thematically represented by the mountain, just as Jin is the storm personified in Ghost of Tsushima.
The story focuses on Atsu, which means players are waving goodbye to Jin Sakai and his friends.
Ghost of Yotei is Set in an Interesting Time Period
During the early 17th century, Japan was entering the Edo period, which lasted until 1868 and is marked by Japan being under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. Though this is recorded as a relatively peaceful period, there were some conflicts such as the Seige of Osaka. This was also a time when the concept of ninjas was much more solidified, thanks in part to the Iga ikki confederacy of ninjas based in Iga Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. This gives Sucker Punch a lot to draw from historically when fleshing out the “ghost” aspects of the new protagonist.
Ghost of Yotei Features the Natural Sounds of Shiretoko National Park
Nature is an important element in Ghost of Tsushima, and this is seen with the prominence of the wind, used for stylistic purposes and to help players navigate the island. The importance of nature is also highlighted by the wildlife that Jin interacts with to find points of interest. It appears that nature will be a prominent part of Ghost of Yotei, and developers have recorded nature sounds at Shiretoko National Park.
The park can be found at the northeastern tip of the island of Hokkaido, which is one of the most remote regions of Japan. When speaking to The New York Times, Sucker Punch creative directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell claim that seeing Mount Yotei was the inspiration for setting the upcoming game in the region. Shiretoko National Park is also listed as an influence, and Fox describes it as an “incredibly beautiful park with jagged cliffs and water.” Despite its beauty, the park is a dangerous place, as Fox highlights, and visitors are warned about bears.
Sucker Punch has chosen an intriguing location and time period when it comes to Ghost of Yotei, and it leaves much to be speculated over in regard to how much the upcoming game will draw from real-world events. If the sequel is anything like Ghost of Tsushima, the studio will do its research and deliver an experience that is historically faithful while not sacrificing the fun factor of video games.
