Summary
Ghost of Yoteiwill feature the Guiding Wind navigation mechanic. The return of this ingeniousGhost of Tsushimafeature was confirmed as part of the game’s latest trailer.
Ghost of Tsushimaearned tremendous praise following its 2020 release. Among its most acclaimed features were the art direction and the Guiding Wind mechanic—a system for communicating waypoints via visual cues, enabling smooth navigation without relying on HUD elements. Sucker Punch Productionsannounced theGhost of Tsushimasequelin September 2024, though it did not confirm whether the acclaimed feature would return in the upcoming title at the time.
This question has now been answered with the game’s latest trailer, which premiered on April 23 andrevealedGhost of Yotei’s release date. In the final few seconds of the three-minute video, protagonist Atsu is seen returning to what appears to be her childhood home beneath Mount Yotei. As she approaches a large ginkgo tree, distinctive white wind trails swirl in her immediate vicinity—an unmistakable hallmark of the Guiding Wind system. The lines are most obvious at the 2:51-minute mark in the new trailer.
Before this confirmation, there was widespread onlinespeculation about whetherGhost of Yoteiwould replace the Guiding Wind featurewith a different mechanic. Some fans opined that embracing a new system would help the game differentiate itself from its predecessor, theorizing that perhaps the wolf companion that the first trailer hinted at could be used for navigation. However, it would appear that Sucker Punch did not want the sequel to stray too far away fromGhost of Tsushima’s gameplay formula.
Guiding Wind’s Return in Ghost of Yotei Makes Sense
At the end of the day, the Guiding Wind mechanic was a core part ofGhost of Tsushima’s identity and a clear contributor to its widespread acclaim, soits return inGhost of Yoteimakes perfect sense. The upcoming game will still differentiate itself from the original in a variety of ways, including a new setting and the ability to dual-wield certain weapons like katanas and ōdachis. Based on the marketing materials shared to date, Atsu also seems to be much less concerned with honor than Jin Sakai was, which will presumably result in different character dynamics.
Ghost of Yoteiis scheduled to hit the market on October 2. Pre-orders will open on May 2. The game will be available in Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. The first two will be priced at $69.99 and $79.99, respectively, while the price of the Collector’s Edition has yet to be announced.
