When Ghost of Yotei launched last year I made no secret of the fact that I loved every minute of it, from the world and aesthetics to the combat, characters, story, and music. In fact, all I wanted from possible DLC was more of the same, and a new reason to become lost in the wilds of Ezo. Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition delivers exactly that: more of the same exceptional world-building and combat, but with a few additions to the established mechanics and features that really elevate it.
It takes place during the events of the main campaign. You have to clear a certain number of story quests to unlock it, at which point a new bounty will appear that leads Atsu into the company of Nagato, a rakishly handsome swordsman who enjoyed more than a few long hot springs sessions with our surly heroine during the Sekigahara campaign. Players of the main game will know this as the conflict in which Atsu honed her deadly skills before becoming a bounty hunter.
Nagato has returned to Ezo after the death of the Snake, the first member of the Yotei Six killed by Atsu in her quest for revenge. The Snake’s old crew, the Vipers, know the whereabouts of a stash of war funds used by Saito and the Six to fund their attempted conquest of the Shogunate. If Nagato and Atsu can get their hands on it, they’ll significantly destabilise the rebellion and, of course, have enough money to retire rich. It gives the excellent Erika Ishii a chance to show a little more range as Atsu, though she never was a cheery soul.
Narratively, Echoes of Sekigahara treads new ground for Atsu, showing a more vulnerable side of her during flashbacks that take place during the distant war, even as a new drama unfolds in the present. The Snake’s death has led to a power vacuum, and half a dozen new contenders have stepped up hoping to become part of the Yotei Six in his place. This leads to multiple new bounties and campaign missions in which Atsu must infiltrate various bases and storehouses operated by the Vipers.
The new missions slot right into the Yotei narrative, too, as do a handful of new Tales, side missions that see Atsu taking on new threats such a Samurai lord suffering such extreme PTSD that his mind has fractured into multiple personas, leading to one of the toughest boss fights in the game. The slight element of mysticism is still present, as Atsu develops an affinity for other wild animals like deer and bears alongside her wolf and fox allies. It teeters on the edge of silly, but then this franchise has walked that particular line since day one.
Mechanical additions include a new way of using Atsu’s bow to take out multiple targets at once, and Massive Weapons, a new class of melee weapon taken from defeated brutes, These huge weapons do devastating damage but break after a few hits so must be used sparingly. They also break open locked doors to aid in progress. Add to this a few new armour sets to track down within the new open zone, and there’s plenty of content to run you to around the dozen hour mark.
Ghost of Yotei: Echoes of Sekigahara launches alongside the new Most Wanted mode, and it’s this that feels like the biggest new mainstay. I only hope Sucker Punch are allowed to support it going forward. It’s essentially a solo or multiplayer roguelike mode, which sees you choosing one of 4 characters (Atsu, Oyuki, Nagato, and one other I won’t spoil even if marketing has) and taking on a series of combat challenges interspersed with boss battles and culminating in a fight against a member of the Yotei Six.
Most Wanted is pure combat, delivering on the best element Ghost of Yotei has to offer. Each character has a different pair of starting weapons and abilities, which can be built upon for the duration of a run by selecting buffs after each boss. Between runs, you spent gathered coin to unlock new weapons, consumables, thrown items and charms with which to permanently buff your character. A single player level allows you to spend points on Class-based skills to give each character new advantages in the coming runs.
The only worry with Most Wanted is that it could become stale after you’ve hunted every boss a few times. It’s a mode that needs fresh content, challenges and rewards and, given how little aftercare is afforded to the multiplayer Legends mode, I worry it just won’t get the support it needs as Sucker Punch moves onto the inevitable third Ghost of Whatever.
Along with Most Wanted and the Legends mode (which doesn’t get the love it deserves), Complete Edition is a great package and the new content is a fine addition to Ghost of Yotei. I question its existence as a DLC, though, when the additional story slots so effortlessly into the main campaign that it doesn’t have the same impact as Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island. Still, if you need more Atsu in your life (and who doesn’t?), this is essential.
