By definition, open-world games should offer nearly unbounded creative freedom to players, allowing almost every kind of action that comes to mind. However, as much as developers try to cater to these expectations, there are still hurdles that hinder the truly varied experience the open-world premise offers. Sucker Punch, the creator of the highly reveredGhost of Tsushima, is no different. Despite the remarkable success of the feudal era Japanese gameplay, one of the consistent areas of complaint thatGhost of Tsushima’s reviewshoned in on was its repetitive nature. AsGhost of Yoteiprepares to release at some point this year, the developer is reportedly planning to cut down on monotonous actions, but it should tread carefully when going down this path.
The age-old maxim for creatives, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” comes to mind when considering Sucker Punch’s approach to bringing a dynamic flavor toGhost of Yotei. While it’s easy to point outGhost of Tsushima’s (admittedly few) weaknesses in retrospect, the developer needs to retain much of its winning formula going into the sequel. That said, the lack of depth in the first game’s side quests, combat, and exploration might not be so well-received if repeated inGhost of Yotei, so there are a few fixes Sucker Punch could implement to build out its 17th-century Japanese world even more.
Ghost of Yotei Needs to Balance Repetition With Innovation
Sucker Punch Needs to Address Ghost of Tsushima’s Glaring Weaknesses
Although combat is one ofGhost of Tsushima’s many strengths due to its flowing nature and memorable segments, the repetitiveness of enemy archetypes could make the experience stale quickly.ForGhost of Yoteito improve on combat mechanics, Sucker Punch would need to add a few more opponent types than the regular spear/shield/archer foes seen inTsushimawhile reducing the number of random run-ins when traversing the map. These, while a good measuring stick of combat proficiency, got old fast when trying to get from one point to another.
Side quests are another glaring area for Sucker Punch to revolutionize inGhost of Yotei.Tsushima’s side questswere one of the most polarizing aspects of the game. While they were necessary for map exploration in the grand scheme of things, their content mostly involved rescuing peasants from bandits or Mongols, followed by unskippable cutscenes and dialogue. Naturally, this basis put off gamers hunting for unique plot strings independent of the main story, and formed the nucleus of the repetitive argument againstGhost of Tsushima.
Most games try to mitigate this repetitive nature with a change of scenery in their side quests, with titles likeAssassin’s Creed Odysseytaking players anywhere from the mountains to army encampments to even the sea for a nice change of pace.Ghost of Tsushimastruggledwith this variety as well, with much of its architecture lacking the environmental diversity an open-world RPG should entail.
Repetitive Elements May Not Need Too Big of an Overhaul in Ghost of Yotei
On the one hand, one could argue that repetition is part and parcel of the RPG character development process. It’s a fulfilling rite of passage for players to progressively become stronger by gaining gear through traditional means; whether that entails going on side quests with the same goal of saving the day or swimming through hordes of weak enemies for the XP boost that farming them brings. The aim is that, eventually, the character becomes strong enough to do battle against the bosses and withstand previously unbearable punishment from their hits.
With this in mind, a repetitive element is bound to appear in every RPG, and Sucker Punch shouldn’t overcompensate to correct its content diversity problem.Ghost of Yoteishaking things upis not objectively a bad thing, but for the sake of character development and player immersion in 17th-century Japan, quite a few dynamics must insist upon themselves. ForGhost of Tsushima, it was the nearly overbearing Mongol and bandit presence, and forYotei, it might be something else - and that’s fine too. Ultimately, while side quest and environmental variety would be welcome adjustments, some level of repetition can serve as a great benchmark to allow players to improve or show how far they have come.
