Summary
While Sucker Punch’s surprise 2020 hitGhost of Tsushimacertainly had a lot going for it in terms of gameplay and story, its prized possession is without a doubt its breathtaking open world, designed to capture the peace, magic, and wonder of feudal Japan’s countryside. To this day, it is one of themost immersive open worldsever crafted, which leaves its successor,Ghost of Yotei, with a lot to live up to. Fortunately,Ghost of Yoteialready looks to capitalize on something that its predecessor largely forewent, despite having a gorgeous world nonetheless.
While only a small amount of information aboutGhost of Yoteihas been revealed thus far, what has been shown and told makes it seem as though its world will place a significant emphasis on verticality — somethingGhost of Tsushimashied away from. Its setting in Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), for one thing, indicates that players will have more opportunities to witness its world from a vertical standpoint than they couldGhost of Tsushima’s. If that wasn’t enough, descriptions onGhost of Yotei’s website make it clear that its world won’t be as flat as its predecessor’s, which could be the secret ingredient that sets it apart in the end.
Ghost of Yotei Seems More Vertical Than Its Predecessor
Ghost of Tsushima Lacked Verticality By and Large
Unlike what fans have seen ofGhost of Yoteiso far,Ghost of Tsushimadidn’t place a heavy emphasis on verticality, at least not in the way that someopen-world gameslikeAssassin’s Creed ShadowsorThe Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wilddo. Jin could scale certain marked cliffs inGhost of Tsushimausing a basic climbing mechanic, but it was dependent upon context and rarely took players to extreme heights. Most of these areas were in the game simply to make Tsushima Island a little less flat and give it more character.
The lack of free climbing inGhost of Tsushimawas somewhat indicative of its lack of an emphasis on verticality.
That being said,verticality wasn’t entirely absent inGhost of Tsushima, especially when it came to Shinto shrines. Upon completing a Shinto shrine inGhost of Tsushima, and even on the path to completion, players could get an awe-inspiring view of Tsushima Island that would send chills down anyone’s spine. Additionally, players could occasionally climb lookout towers or attack from rooftops during missions, but even then the level design didn’t revolve around height.
Ghost of Yotei Will Feature ‘Massive Sightlines’
Fortunately, it appears that will likely change inGhost of Yotei, according to the game’s setting and some text on its official website. Firstly,Ghost of Yotei’s settinghas it taking place around Mount Yotei, which already implies an increase in verticality. The second indicator thatGhost of Yotei’s world will be more vertical is more reliable evidence, however, and it involves a description of the game’s world on its website. Specifically, according to an official description on its website,Ghost of Yoteiwill feature “massive sightlines that let you look far across the environment.”
Unlike what fans have seen ofGhost of Yoteiso far,Ghost of Tsushimadidn’t place a heavy emphasis on verticality, at least not in the way that some open-world games likeAssassin’s Creed ShadowsorThe Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wilddo.
Whether these “massive sightlines” are significantly different from whatGhost of Tsushimaoffered remains to be seen, but it doesn’t seem like they will disappoint. As such,Ghost of Yoteifans should expect to venture into a world with unprecedented verticality for theGhostfranchise and once again bear witness to some breathtaking landscapes in what will likely be one of the most immersive andbeautiful open worldsin recent memory.
