Frequently Wrong, Rarely in Doubt

I’ve played plenty of open-world games where a stoic hero in too many layers seeks vengeance for a dead village, family, or possibly an emotionally significant pet. But Ghosts of Yotei actually made me pause mid-battle just to admire the scenery. The game is absurdly beautiful – so beautiful it borders on emotional manipulation. The sunlight shouldn’t look that kind.

This is essentially a samurai-western fever dream, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Every landscape feels handcrafted by an overachieving art student muttering “just one more tree” before collapsing. There’s mist. There are cherry blossoms. There’s that one animal sanctuary you keep fast traveling to purely for the lighting. And to pet the foxes, obviously. It’s basically therapy, but with swordplay and ambient flute music.

The controls are seamless. Movement is fluid (even on horseback), combat transitions are effortless, and even the menus make sense. Everything just works, which lets you stay fully immersed in the stunning chaos around you. Once you’ve experienced the sheer power of galloping across a windswept valley like you’re late for enlightenment, there’s no denying that this is sexy game design. 

Now, I realize this is controversial territory in any game, and especially in a Ghost of game, but guns are simply better than swords. There’s an undeniable joy in skipping the entire “honor” debate and handling problems with the efficiency of modern ballistics. The swordplay is elegant and cinematic, but once firearms enter the picture, it’s hard to go back to the traditional way of politely slicing your enemies to death.

The story itself treads familiar ground: the haunted warrior, the heavy past, the quest for redemption. It’s a narrative you’ve likely seen before, but Ghost of Yotei executes it with enough sincerity and cinematic flair to make it feel fresh. You know exactly where it’s going, and yet you still find yourself emotionally compromised when it gets there.

Rating: 9.5/10. Would die honorably and respawn againGhost of Yotei is an exceptional blend of artistry, precision, and emotion. It feels like someone distilled the best elements of feudal Japan, western gunfights, and existential crisis into one perfectly rendered experience. I fully intend to platinum this game – not because I’m a completionist (I am), but because I genuinely don’t want to leave its world. And maybe because I need one more excuse to watch go pet those .