Sacred Symbols+, Episode 485 | Ghost of Yotei Review Discussion and Spoilercast
Added 2025-11-08 17:00:15 +0000 UTCIt's time! Please welcome Punching Up co-host Gene Park and Atari producer Jason Polansky back to Sacred+. Today, the guys join me (Colin) for a deep and wide-ranging conversation concerning Sucker Punch's newest PlayStation exclusive, Ghost of Yotei. A follow-up to 2020's PS4 swan song Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei takes place more than three centuries after the former game, in a wildly different part of Japan, with a fresh protagonist and an all-new plot focused on revenge. But the real question is: Is it any good? Join us as we discuss the story and characters, the gameplay and systems, the graphics and sound, and so much more. We really enjoyed our respective playthroughs of Yotei and suspect you did too. But just how great is it? Well... hit play and find out.
Comments
With you. A little late but just finished tonight. What a masterpiece
Tankbuster
2025-12-13 00:39:51 +0000 UTCJust rolled credits after 71 hours. Fucking fantastic. Spider Lilly was an awesome section
A Hind D
2025-12-04 12:30:04 +0000 UTCI finished the main story in about 30(ish) hours and immediately put it down. I don't know what is about this game but it bored the ever living crap out of me. I was constantly pausing the game, checking my phone, ect (pretty much anything but actually playing the game). Which almost never a good sign for a game or really any piece of media. There's just something about Yotei that feels painfully dull and sterile, there's no real grit or edge to it. It's trying to be serious and "adult" but it just comes off generic and uninspired. I didn't hate the game but I am completely indifferent toward it
Luke Oliveto
2025-11-25 20:55:59 +0000 UTCI think the story is better the Yotei Six lieutenants help pace the story in Ghost way more than mongol lieutenant #15 they create something cooler to takedown overall for me.
CarryOn my Gaywad Sons!!!
2025-11-24 13:03:42 +0000 UTCTheir is a sword called infamous strike that gets hit with a bolt of lightning
CarryOn my Gaywad Sons!!!
2025-11-24 13:01:43 +0000 UTCThis spoiler cast ruled, huge shoutout to Gene and get better soon, also a shoutout to Jason, with this being his first spoiler cast he absolutely nailed it and I love how much he loves video games, was refreshing. This game was fantastic. And also Genes impression of young Atsu got me laughing out loud real good. JUBEIIIIII
Andrew Walsh
2025-11-20 16:11:02 +0000 UTCBut who was the sniper?
Jam
2025-11-13 22:52:42 +0000 UTCI despise the term woke, it's a word that is warped into something bigots and racists can hide behind. Having a female lead character or having a gay character or having a black character is not woke. Those people's exist in society.
Wayde
2025-11-12 23:17:35 +0000 UTC@15:00 There are whole massive murals in game depicting something from their older games
Mark ?️
2025-11-12 18:08:04 +0000 UTCVery close to the end (I think). Just captured The Spider. Can't wait to listen. Unless the game completely shits the bed at the end, this is easily in my Top 3 for the year. Edit: just finished. This may be recency bias...but this is easily the best Sony exclusive I've played in ages....possibly ever. The combat was so fun, and the story just worked incredibly well for me. I loved the characters and all the interactions. The ending did break me a little, though
Ryan Zimm
2025-11-11 18:36:29 +0000 UTCPretty awesome podcast. Side note, I despise woke games, but I found zero wokeness in this game.
Joi_fan
2025-11-11 16:48:39 +0000 UTCHey guys. If you guys are interested, there is an western-coded anime called Golden Kamuy, which takes place in Hokkaido during the Meiji Era right after the Russo-Japanese War. The anime is about a veteran who came home from the war and is homeless, and is trying to make a living by finding a Ainu treasure called the Golden Kamuy. The anime also talks extensively about Ainu culture, Hokkaido at the time during the Meiji-Taisho era of Japan, and Japan-Russian relations post war.
Tacoyaki
2025-11-11 02:06:18 +0000 UTCWhen the brothers and the father show up on the beach, the choice is clear. Those yotei 6 are still an existential threat and you have an elusive one right in front of you, along with the brother, it would be Illogical to not kill him. Even if you decided to flee with your brother that dude's still gonna follow you.
Wayde
2025-11-11 01:24:17 +0000 UTCTook me 74 hours to plat, then I went back and took another 2 hours to finish every side quest and find every piece of gear. Waiting for them to release NG+, then might play on Watanabe mode and Japanese VA. I love Ai Fairouz, but had to do my story playthrough without subs, because reading subs in combat is too much for me.
TheHOOfan1
2025-11-10 15:11:01 +0000 UTCI agree. This switch in Atsu was really strange and took me out. Why couldn’t they just keep it basic and have her continue to be a badass. The final act seemed so rushed and also leaving the Spider alive was bizarre.
The Lizard King
2025-11-10 10:06:09 +0000 UTC122 hours in and a rare Platinum, for me, achieved. Started my second play through in Kurosawa mode and it’s awesome. GOTY.
Shaun Wilkinson
2025-11-10 07:06:51 +0000 UTCI am around 25 hours into Yotei but have put it down. It is profusely boring if you have played the first game. As a sequel this sets out to innovate on almost nothing, if that is your aim then the narrative needs to be sublime, it isn’t. Creation is a privilege, creation with the hundred million dollar budget? A dream. It seems western studios do not see that for what it is as they embark on hollow sequel after hollow sequel. Rebirth TOTK Alan Wake II (Western I know) Kingdom Come 2 Innovative sequels worthy of creation.
Sam
2025-11-10 01:04:21 +0000 UTCMy thoughts on Ghost 1 vs 2 mirror my thoughts on FF7 Remake vs Rebirth. Mechanically (especially in terms of open world design) Ghost 2 is far superior to Ghost 1. Also in terms of story presentation. However, I enjoyed the core story more of Ghost 1, and the pacing of the game. Act 2 & 3 were better than act 1. While Ghost 2 is the opposite (act 1 was amazing, but 2&3 were ok). Ghost 2 (and Rebirth) tried to be more clever with their 3rd act than their writers were capable of. I prefer a simple story done well, over a more complex story done ok. So I enjoyed Ghost 2 and Rebirth, but I preferred their predecessors more.
NinjaDC
2025-11-09 05:05:06 +0000 UTCWish cog was in this conversation
Mike1core
2025-11-09 01:33:27 +0000 UTCColin, you are wrong with your history on the first Mongolian invasion. The Mongolians did land on Tsushima, but not the mainland. They took over the island and intended to use it as a base for the invasion of the mainland. But the storm destroyed their fleet before they could launch their main invasion . Tsushima like the game, got absolutely razed to the ground (actually worse).
NinjaDC
2025-11-09 00:44:43 +0000 UTCGene, initially talking about the game was the only reason I bought it and I’m glad I did. I think the story being labeled as as just another revenge story is an injustice to a truly good story. There’s some great twists and even the stuff that comes off predictable still manages to end well. After I beat the game I was left only wanting to learn more about the world and the lore. Also I don’t care what anyone says but atsu and the kitsune look pretty pretty good
David
2025-11-08 23:59:17 +0000 UTC*SPOILER ALERT* Haven’t finished listening yet but I hope they talk about the narrative decision made with the Kitsune. Idk why but it really bothered me that Atsu just started to tag along with her and added her to the crew. Didn’t work for me at all and I haven’t seen much discussion on it so I assume I’m in the minority.
Jeff Willingham
2025-11-08 19:25:08 +0000 UTCDude, the combat, exploration, and visuals of this game are amazing. The story was fantastic but for whatever reason I could not give a shit about it. Just felt like I was so bored and noticed the grappling hook, painting, and shamisen parts so much. A great game, but hated by me for whatever reason.
Garrett Shelton
2025-11-08 17:46:14 +0000 UTCThe most fun I’ve had exploring a game this year. Really saying something when DS2, SHF, HK:S, E33 all came out this year too.
Spike Sméagol
2025-11-08 17:24:26 +0000 UTCThis game is fantastic. The gameplay is so smooth and I don't think there's a more beautiful game out there even on a base ps5 it's jaw dropping so often. It makes photo mode worth it.
Josef Barker
2025-11-08 17:18:44 +0000 UTCI look forward to listening to this when I finally get around to this game in like a year or so maybe
Eric the Human
2025-11-08 17:06:53 +0000 UTC
