After Ghost of Yotei, This PlayStation Trend May Finally Be Coming to an End
Ghost of Yotei has finally arrived, and it has come out swinging, sharpened katana in hand. Protagonist Atsu is a compelling and complex protagonist that has proven to be a welcome addition to PlayStation’s roster of exclusive heroes. Ghost of Yotei had a significant challenge ahead of it with having to follow a title as beloved as Ghost of Tsushima, but developer Sucker Punch managed to pull it off.
Not only does Ghost of Yotei honor its predecessor across the board, but it one-ups Ghost of Tsushima in a lot of ways. The differences between Ghost of Yotei and Ghost of Tsushima don’t take away from their connected spirit, but the stories are where each title stands on its own. In Ghost of Tsushima, Jin struggles between honor and survival, while Atsu’s journey is defined by grief. Ghost of Yotei‘s story of loss is definitely an emotional ride, but it’s not exactly anything new for the recent PlayStation era, and Atsu’s narrative hopefully marks the end of this trend.
This article is free of spoilers.
After Ghost of Yotei, the Next Round of PlayStation Exclusives Hopefully Steer Clear of Grief-Stricken Protagonists
As much as I love Ghost of Yotei (which is a lot), Atsu’s motivation and emotional pain unfortunately doesn’t feel like fresh territory. With Ghost of Tsushima, Jin’s push and pull between the two paths laid before him was a breath of fresh air, but Ghost of Yotei‘s story of loss has become commonplace in PlayStation exclusives. This seems to have been kickstarted in 2018 with the arrival of God of War. Since then, several notable PlayStation exclusives have been centered around grief.
- The Last of Us Part 2
- Returnal
- God of War Ragnarok
The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the biggest of these, as the game’s shocking loss sets in motion the rest of the story and its events. Returnal remains an underrated offering that deals with similar themes. Naturally, God of War Ragnarok continues Kratos’ growth following loss, but it’s less prevalent of a theme than 2018’s chapter.
There are actually several ways that Ghost of Yotei feels like The Last of Us Part 2. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a game that isn’t afraid to be a tear-jerker, but it has also grown to be a little bit predictable at this point. Now that the PS5 feels like it’s finally hitting its stride with exclusives, the future lineup hopefully brings forth a change of pace.
Ghost of Yotei had a significant challenge ahead of it with having to follow a title as beloved as Ghost of Tsushima, but developer Sucker Punch managed to pull it off.
PlayStation's Upcoming Exclusives Are Teasing Compelling New Stories
- Saros (March 20, 2026)
- Marvel’s Wolverine (Fall 2026)
- Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet (TBD)
As of now, the deeper plots behind these three games remain a big mystery. When it comes to Saros, developer Housemarque has confirmed that protagonist Arjun Devraj is “a powerful Soltari Enforcer who will stop at nothing to find who he is looking for.” With Housemarque being the same developer who made Returnal, Saros is bound to be an emotional ride, just hopefully in a different way.
Insomniac’s Marvel’s Wolverine and Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic are even more mysterious. When it comes to the former, Logan is likely on a rampage or revenge quest, while the latter has been confirmed to revolve around a civilization on a planet called Sempiria that hasn’t made contact with the outside world for 600 years. It’s too early to say what the deeper stories within these three games are, but after Ghost of Yotei, I hope that there’s something fresh on the horizon.
