Ghost of Yotei
Sucker Punch
The embargo has lifted and now we have a look at what critics thought about Ghost of Yotei, a big release in one of the best years for gaming in at least a decade.
Its Metacritic score is not putting it in the top, top tier of the year, but it is reviewing better than its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima, though I would strongly argue those scores were much lower than they should have been.
As it stands, Ghost of Yotei has an 87 Metacritic score, compared to the 83 that the original release of Ghost of Tsushima had. Notably, however, that game had a much higher 9.2/10 user score on the site, and again, I feel like critics were off by at least points there (I’m speaking from my own bias in that it was my GOTY in 2020. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, however, got an 87 in 2021 when it was released for the PS5.
Here’s how Ghost of Yotei stacks up against the other heavy hitters this year, and somehow, that 87 puts it behind nine other games. That’s what kind of year it is:
- Hades II – 94
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – 93
- Blue Prince – 92
- Hollow Knight: Silksong – 92
- Split Fiction – 91
- Donkey Kong Bananza – 91
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beath – 89
- Monster Hunter Wilds – 88
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – 88
- Ghost of Yotei – 87
This is certainly not to say an 87 is a bad score. Anything over an 85 is considered very, very good in the industry, and there are loads of good games below that. But this just shows what an absolutely stacked year it is for gaming, and as such Yotei is probably not in the wider GOTY conversation, despite reviewing very well. Here’s what some critics are saying:
- Game Informer (9.3/10) – “Working your way through lists in a video game can be incredibly satisfying. Ghost of Yōtei understands this intimately and capitalizes on it by starting with protagonist Atsu literally writing out her hit list of the six men who took everything from her.”
- Press Start (8.5/10) – “While I don’t think Ghost of Yotei quite reaches the heights of its predecessor, it is another worthwhile trip to a lawless Japan. It sports a tonally distinct and cinematic story, a visually diverse open world chock full of activities, and is another fantastic showcase for the power of the PlayStation 5.”
- Metro (7/10) – “One of the best-looking open world games ever but the formula is beginning to feel increasingly outdated, despite the cool visuals, fun samurai gear, and surprisingly good plot.”
It’s a range, but a good one. It’s a game that has 9 perfect 10 scores out of just 56 reviews total, at the moment. It’s an obvious pickup for any PS5 player.
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