Sucker Punch May Have Already Hinted at the Future of ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ by Putting Yotei Out of Traditional Japan

After Ghost of Tsushima‘s huge success, it was evident that we were closing into a sequel. That is why Ghost of Yotei was announced in the recently concluded PlayStation’s State of Play. The developers again have remained faithful to all the previous assumptions, as players will once again put their feet in the shoes of a samurai, traversing through Japan.

However, this time fans will be going beyond the story of Jin Sakai and the Tsushima island. The game will have a new protagonist and a new location as well in feudal Japan of the 17th century. Huge hype surrounding the game is surging day by day. But this time, the Ghost franchise might be setting its feet out of the traditional Japanese setting.

Story of Ghost of Yotei

In Ghost of Yotei, we are going to see a new samurai warrior, Atsu. This new hero will conceal her face behind the ghost mask as she embarks on her journey in feudal Japan in the year 1603.

This story plots 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, where we will find ourselves in the vicinity of Yotei Mountain, which is a towering peak in the heart of Ezo (presently Hokkaido).

This area is outside the rule of Japan and far from the organized samurai clans of Tsushima. The game will feature the 17th century’s Ezo as a land full of grassy plains and snow-covered tundra.

Now the whole storyline of the game is based on true events. That is why we might also predict who is going to be the potential villain of Atsu. As the game is based on 17th-century Japan, there will be no more Mongol invasions for sure.

So, portraying the real saga of feudal Japan, that too in the parlance of the Ghost franchise, is going to be exciting for sure. It will also critique Japan’s colonial past in a way only a non-Japanese studio can.

Hokkaido Is Out of the Traditional Japanese Setting

Although it is now the northernmost prefecture of Japan, Hokkaido was not always a part of the country. The indigenous Ainu people, who also lived among the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island, ruled over Hokkaido until 1869.

The native Ainu called the area Ezo at this time, and it wasn’t until it was conquered by the Japanese imperial government in 1869 as part of the Meiji Restoration—a period that has gained prominence in a number of contemporary games set in Japan—that the territory would take on its current name, Hokkaido.

The Chinese Qing dynasty and Japanese daimyo Matsumae Kinhiro were two external influences on Hokkaido between 1635 and 1799, even though the region was not formally acquired by Japan until 1869. Southern Hokkaido was eventually directly ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, which subjected many of its indigenous Ainu citizens to shogun law.

Although this time period is outside of Ghost of Yotei’s 1603 setting, Sucker Punch might be able to stray from the region’s actual timeline and incorporate some of the cultural features that result from these later interactions.

What’s your opinion on this? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.