Ahead of the Ghost of Yotei launch, we got to chat with Sucker Punch studio head Brian Fleming, and he shared that Japan is integral to the “Ghost” series identity, meaning its setting won’t shift to feudal Europe or any other location.
To be exact, we got to attend a media roundtable interview with Fleming, where he gave some interesting insight into the development of Ghost of Yotei. During the session, we also asked Fleming about his thoughts on the series’ identity and direction now that they are two games in.
With Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch got a massive hit, enough that their next game is a follow-up. Instead of bringing back Jin Sakai, the new Ghost game follows a new protagonist. Moreover, it features a big timeskip, not to mention that it has a completely different setting. Given these, we wanted to know what defines a “Ghost” game for them, or what exactly is the core identity of the series.
Story-wise, it’s pretty clear: it’s about “living out and becoming a myth,” said Fleming. But in terms of gameplay and setting, he said that a Ghost title is essentially a game where players take control of someone wielding a Katana in feudal Japan.
Fleming explained:
“We believe the core of Ghost is someone wielding a katana, that’s part of the essence. We can’t imagine a Ghost game set in, say, feudal Europe. That doesn’t make sense. There are plenty of games set there, but that’s not what a Ghost game is.”
On one hand, Ghost games only being set in Japan might seem obvious, but then again, this is confirmation that the series won’t ever go to Europe, or any other feudal/medieval setting with a sword-wielding character. As such, you shouldn’t expect the series to take a similar turn to something like Assassin’s Creed, which has become a globe-trotting adventure across various historical periods.
Aside from playing a katana-wielding character in old Japan, a vast open world that showcases Japan’s natural beauty is also a key element in the series. This was something Fleming also talked about on stage at TGS, to the delight of fans in attendance.
Fleming shared:
“For us, the natural beauty of Japan is part of the essence of a Ghost game. I gave this answer on stage [at Tokyo Game Show], and I think the fans in Japan, really appreciated that. That’s the way we see it. It will always have that core, open-world katana adventure of some kind.
Now, we may change time periods, we may explore different settings, but I think there are some boundaries we probably won’t cross.”
While he didn’t give the specific boundaries, the fact that wielding a katana is at the core of the Ghost identity means we probably won’t see a game set in the 1900s. On the flip side, samurai and katanas only really became a thing in the later Heian period. As such, we expect future series entries to only be set between the 1000s and the late 1800s.
Thankfully, Japan’s history from the late Heian period to the tail-end of the Edo period is vast, and it should make for enough material for Ghost games in the coming years.
Ghost of Yotei launches for the PS5 on October 2, 2025. For more on the game, you can check out our review here.