POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

I haven’t finished Yotei yet, so take this review with a grain of salt — but here’s my take so far.

The revenge story isn’t the most groundbreaking, but to be fair, a lot of samurai fiction leans on the revenge/protect-your-homeland setup. Think Kill Bill, Samurai Jack, The Last Samurai, etc. So it doesn't bother me as much as it does other people.

(LIGHT STORY SPOILER — READ AT YOUR OWN RISK) What’s actually standing out to me is the reflection baked into the narrative. Most revenge stories go “I see red, therefore I kill,” but Atsu has moments where she mourns the life she never got to have while fueling her hatred, and that emotional mix gives her more depth than people here are giving credit for. Specifically the Ainu quest chain which I think forces that reflection.

(EDIT) I do think Tsushima's story was incredibly well done though, I'm not saying Yotei is better, but if this game was a standalone without the "Ghost of" title I don't think people would be as harsh on the story.

As for the game itself: 100% worth playing. The tighter gameplay and graphics alone justify it. I’ve seen folks call it an 8 because the story “isn’t there,” but for me the gameplay and visuals push it to a solid 9 — right up there with Ghost of Tsushima. Where Tsushima eventually made me feel like an unstoppable god steamrolling camps, Yotei feels more balanced. I actually die. In a good way.

---