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As expected, Ghost of Yōtei turned heads during the latest Sony State of Play focused entirely on Sucker Punch Productions' upcoming samurai adventure. The showcase revealed a fresh look at the game that is shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases of 2025. From its intense revenge-driven narrative to its flexible combat and exploration systems, there’s certainly a lot to unpack so here’s a full breakdown of everything we learned.
Atsu’s quest for revenge
At the heart of Ghost of Yōtei is Atsu, a wrathful ghost-like warrior on a mission to take down the Yōtei Six, a ruthless gang who murdered her family. After spending 16 years in the south, she returns home to set things right. Devs revealed that players will be able to manually activate flashbacks that flesh out Atsu's past and motivations. The story certainly doesn't sound like the most original one ever written but we don't have any doubts that Sucker Punch will manage to deliver something memorable.
Exploration and reactive world
The world of Ghost of Yōtei isn’t just a gorgeous backdrop - it actively responds to your actions. As you progress and build your reputation, the world changes around you, enemies and NPCs react differently when they spot you.
Exploration is designed to prioritise player freedom. You can force enemies to reveal important locations, follow golden birds to find hidden points of interest (POIs), or use a spyglass to scan for activities. Flower streams on sprawling meadows can give you a speed boost, and you can also buy maps from a cartographer, adding an extra layer of discovery.
Combat that honours samurai cinema
The combat system looks like a love letter to classic samurai films. Atsu can wield a variety of weapons - katana, spear, Ōdachi, and dual swords - each with their own strengths and upgrade paths. You can switch weapons on the fly, and some encounters may force you to adapt if Atsu loses her weapon in combat.
Stealth is still an important part of the game, with chain takedowns and environmental opportunities for silent kills. Sucker Punch showcased some battles, explaining that taking down big enemies requires big weapons like massive odachi blades, while dual swords are especially effective against spear users. There’s also a diverse set of ranged options, including the tanegashima rifle and a couple of bow variants.
Wolf Companions and Camping
Atsu won’t have to face the world alone - wolf pets can join her in combat, adding both companionship and tactical options. Camping is also a confirmed feature, allowing you to cook, rest, and prepare for upcoming fights. Vendors can visit your camp, meaning you’ll always have a chance to buy new stuff and upgrade gear no matter where you are.
An extensive armour and weapon customisation system has also been confirmed, giving you various options to give Atsu a proper fashion sense and a drip that fits your style.
Photo mode, Lo-fi beats music and other fancy modes
Ghost of Yōtei offers multiple modes you can activate if you want something different from the vanilla experience. “Samurai Cinema” and “Kurosawa” modes are both included for those looking to fully embrace the cinematic feel. The latter is well known to the fans as it brings the classic black and white palette to the game.
Sucker Punch confirmed that once again, Japanese lip sync and voiceover are included for authenticity, and a “Lo-fi Beats” mode is available for a more relaxed vibe during exploration and combat.
“Miike mode,” which features a closer camera angle during combat, aims to adds another layer of intensity and make the combat feel a bit more personal. It's created to resemble the feel of Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins film.
And last but not least, an extensive Photo mode is also confirmed and judging by the footage we've seen in the live stream, it's going to be similar to the one of the first game, which was already one of the best Photo Modes in video games.
Ghost of Yōtei is set to launch on October 22, 2025, and after this new State of Play, it’s clear it’s one to keep on your radar.
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