Set among cherry blossoms in 1600s Japan, Ghost of Yotei of course includes the menacing sparkle of Ghost of Tsushima’s katana – a necessity for any sepulchral samurai game – but developer Sucker Punch Productions is happy to report some bombs, too.
Speaking to Variety in a new interview, co-creative director Nate Fox says Ghost of Yotei has “the benefit of gunpowder being part of the combat mix.”
“While the katana is still the most valuable weapon,” he explains, “having some more opportunities to blow things up is never a bad addition for a video game.”
The bloody events of Ghost of Tsushima happen during the Mongol invasions in Japan, in the late 13th century. Both historically and in the action-adventure game itself, gunpowder bombs were present during this time period, but Japan wasn’t truly transformed by explosives until a few hundred years later.
So, here comes Ghost of Yotei, setting things on fire. A new trailer revealing the game’s October 2 release date is also almost completely saturated in orange flames – they flicker in pits, on torches, yes, but they also billow around tree trunks and gobble up a whole bridge while protagonist Atsu braces for impact.
“The weapons are a big deal, of course,” Fox continues in the interview, “because mastering a weapon is part of the feeling of samurai cinema. Becoming a master of that blade is integral to it. But we wanted to give players an even bigger connection to the weapons and the land.”
“Being able to play with such a different variety of weapons is so new for the game’s feel,” adds co-creative director Jason Connell. “Each one of them has their own benefits.”
