Loaded with сontent for $15: Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition review

Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition is an enhanced version of Sucker Punch’s open-world action-adventure set in Japan. For the Complete Edition, the developers have added two expansions: the roguelike ‘Most Wanted’ mode and the full-fledged story expansion ‘Echoes of Sekigahara’. And just as I haven't been this curious for a long time: Ghost of Yotei review , it’s had the same effect on me this time round. Owners of the original can upgrade for $15 and lose themselves once more in the beautiful landscapes for dozens of hours, taking down bandits. For those who haven’t had a chance to try the game yet, now is the perfect time to do so. The ggeditorial team couldn’t resist – we’ve grabbed our katana once more and set off on horseback to face new challenges.

Synopsis

Atsu’s past challenges the path of vengeance she once chose. When Nagato – a figure from her past – appears in Ezo, Atsu finds herself in an uncharted valley that was once ruled by the Serpent and his loyal ‘Vipers’. Through memories of the Battle of Sekigahara and a pivotal event there, our heroine must re-evaluate the decisions that shaped her character before returning home, and decide whether the echoes of the past will ultimately set her free, or drag her back into the maelstrom of violence. Following this resolution, players can look forward to non-stop action in Most Wanted mode.

4 reasons to buy Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition

• You can upgrade for just $15
• You get both the story expansion and the roguelike mode straight away
• Slaying enemies and exploring the world is just as much fun
• You can throw sake tins

1 reason to skip buying Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition

• You’re already tired of saving Japan

Quick links:

• Echoes of Sekigahara: the path of vengeance continues
• Most Wanted: the new PlayStation trend
• Some things in Japan never change
• What will make the Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition memorable
• Five things you need to know about Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition

Echoes of Sekigahara: The Path of Vengeance Continues

The Echoes of Sekigahara expansion broadens Atsu’s story, spanning two timelines: present-day events on the island of Ezo and flashbacks to the years she spent on the Japanese mainland. In the present day, Atsu encounters Nagato – a figure from her past; his appearance leads her to a previously unexplored valley, once ruled by the Serpent, a member of the Yōtei Six, and his loyal ‘Vipers’. What begins as an exploration of this forgotten territory gradually turns into a confrontation with the past that Atsu had tried to leave behind.

Atsu has become a killing machine thanks to her military experience, and part of the expansion is built around this narrative. Illustration: Gagadget

Ta Nagato has arrived in these parts with one clear objective — rumour has it that there is enough gold hidden here to ensure a comfortable life for himself, his children and his grandchildren. And what fool wouldn’t take advantage of that? On top of that, Atsu is back in his life, so he can resolve some unfinished business and find out what the heroine was up to before she returned to her homeland to seek revenge.

To avoid any frustration, I recommend playing through the expansion before finishing the main game. Believe me, it makes for a much better immersion. Illustration: Gagadget

The story is generally quite interesting. It doesn’t portray the characters as valiant samurai: one has come to steal gold, whilst the other is plotting revenge for her family. At the same time, they’ll also get to the bottom of what actually happened there a few years ago. Yet the events of Echoes of Sekigahara are packed with action and moments that remind us why we love the Ghost series.

It’s fascinating to watch the chemistry between the characters, as you don’t know about their skeletons in the cupboard until the very end. Illustration: Gagadget

As for gameplay, don’t expect any major changes. The events take place during the main story, so it would be strange if *Echoes of Sekigahara* differed significantly. The most striking new feature is a new type of armoured enemy that must be defeated with specialised heavy weaponry. But the expansion is also packed with smaller details, such as traps and new abilities.

The gameplay is so smooth and dynamic that even without major changes, you won’t want to switch the game off. Illustration: Gagadget

I particularly liked the fact that they didn’t make the new region gigantic. It’s quite compact, with a high concentration of content. And that’s better than pointlessly dragging the game out just so we’d spend an extra 5–10 hours there. That’s precisely why exploring everything was so engaging. On one bank of the river there’s a side quest involving wolves, whilst on the other there’s already a camp where you need to complete a contract to eliminate a high-value target. And given that no one marks the way or holds your hand, and you discover most things for yourself, it was extremely hard to tear myself away from Echoes of Sekigahara — I didn’t even realise I’d completed everything to 100 per cent.

I love it when you’re not bombarded with a hundred identical question marks, but are allowed to discover interesting content for yourself. Illustration: Gagadget

So if you enjoyed Yōtei, there’s a very good chance you’ll love this one too. If you’re still on the fence about whether to play it or not: do you like an intriguing open world, stunning locations and intense combat? Welcome to Ezo!

There’s a certain magic to this franchise. It doesn’t seem particularly innovative, but all the elements work so well together that you can’t help but admire it. Illustration: Sony

Most Wanted: a new PlayStation trend

It’s becoming increasingly common to see Sony adding roguelike modes to its games. It started with *God of War* and its free *Valhalla* DLC, then we got my favourite, *No Return*, in *The Last of Us Part II Remastered*, and now it’s *Ghost of Yōtei*’s turn.

Once you’ve finished exploring Ezo, the single-player Most Wanted mode awaits. It’s built around repeatable bounty-hunting missions. Each attempt begins at the noticeboard, where you select one of the members of the ‘Yōtei Six’ as your target. You’ll then have to fight your way through successive waves of enemies and mini-bosses across various locations before reaching the final showdown with your chosen target. Death means the end of the attempt and a return to the start, whilst success allows you to tackle the mission again for new rewards.

Fortunately, the mode isn’t overloaded with dozens of mechanics. So you can start your introduction to the genre right here. Illustration: Gagadget

You can choose one of four in-game hunters, each with a unique fighting style: Atsu fights with two katana, Oyuki uses a kusarigama, Nagato combines the yari spear with firearms and a bow, whilst Jin Sakai returns with his katana, all four stances and the familiar Ghost arsenal. After each wave is repelled, you choose a perk, gradually building a temporary build focused on damage, defence, ranged attacks, stealth or support functions. The right choice can transform a hero who isn’t particularly strong at first into a mighty samurai.

Still, it was nice to reminisce about the old days (yes, it’s been six years already) and once again hack everyone to pieces as the Ghost of Tsushima. Illustration: Sony

For example, you can pick a perk that summons a wolf to your aid after throwing an item at an enemy, or poison opponents by throwing smoke grenades. So you have to think and keep everything in mind, rather than mindlessly spamming the square button. Do I have a spear that sets enemies alight? In that case, I should pick it up more often rather than the katana. Can I call for help by throwing a can of sake? I need to run around and see where it’s located in the map. Thanks to this, there’s always room for experimentation.

In one of the runs, a random enemy was marked, and I received a bonus for killing it. So you also have to plan who to take out first. Illustration: Gagadget

If anything, I’d like to see some extra challenges, like in No Return. For example, when there are more archers on the map or the enemies deal more damage.

Although the results of a specific attempt are reset upon death, your overall progress is saved. For successful runs, you earn currency that can be spent outside the runs on new outfits, permanent moves, weapon upgrades, amulets, temporary bonuses and unlocking additional characters. Thanks to this structure, failure isn’t seen as a waste of time: every run teaches you something new, expands your capabilities and brings you closer to fully mastering this mode.

So the ultimate goal is clear and engaging — to unlock absolutely everything, test your combat skills and defeat all the bosses.

It would also be nice to be able to explore the hub after runs, rather than having to switch between tabs. Illustration: Gagadget

Overall, I enjoyed the mode. As a treat after the story campaign, it works quite well and lets you linger for another ten hours or so if you really enjoyed the game. You can experiment with builds, play as different characters and revisit familiar locations, but with new challenges.

Some things in Japan never change

The optimisation hasn’t changed, as everything was already working perfectly. On the PlayStation 5 Pro in Raytracing Pro mode, the game maintains a steady 60 frames per second, and I didn’t encounter a single bug or crash.

As for the visuals and audio, I don’t want to repeat myself too much: as always with Sucker Punch, everything is top-notch. The studio creates visually stunning projects with music that enhances the atmosphere. All those waterfalls, mountains, forests, fields and camps, drenched in the blood of enemies, make you want to keep taking screenshots.

What makes Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition memorable

Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition stands out for the way the new content harmoniously complements the original adventure. Echoes of Sekigahara offers a rich story that delves deeper into Atsu’s past, introduces Nagato and leads the heroine to a previously unexplored valley where there’s plenty to do and the adventures simply never get boring. Meanwhile, Most Wanted lets you stay immersed in the game for even longer thanks to an uncompromising and highly replayable survival mode based on roguelike mechanics — featuring new rewards, enemies, bosses, abilities and playable characters. Together, they paint an even richer picture of a beautiful yet harsh Japan, offering players a thrilling new chapter and plenty of reasons to return to the game (or give it a go for the first time).

I’m absolutely delighted to be returning to the game a year on and having a blast, but next time I’d like the developers to come up with something completely new. Illustration: Gagadget

Five things you need to know about Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition

• The Complete Edition adds the new Ezo region with the story expansion Echoes of Sekigahara
• You can try your hand at the Most Wanted roguelike mode
• In Most Wanted, you can play as the main character from Ghost of Tsushima
• Owners of the base game can upgrade for $15. First-time buyers will unlock all available content
• The game is just as beautiful and epic that you’ll lose yourself in it for dozens of hours

For those who want to know more

• I haven't been this curious for a long time: Ghost of Yotei review
• Save the world, tear enemies to pieces: Marvel’s Wolverine review
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered review
• God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla review
• Epic demon slicing: Onimusha: Way of the Sword review