Ghost of Yotei is out now, and it perfectly blends Samurai and Shinobi aspects to deliver a unique experience. This is something Ubisoft failed to deliver with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, because they split both elements between two characters, which took away the fun out of the game.
To be fair, it’s not only Ghost of Yotei, since it was Ghost of Tsushima that set the standards for a stealth-based game set in Japan. Knowing the formula worked with the first game, Sucker Punch made the right decision to carry on their iconic franchise.
Splitting Samurai and Ninja Was Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’ Doom
Ghost of Tsushima showcased exactly what people have been asking for from an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan. Alas, when it eventually happened, people got disheartened because Ubisoft decided to keep Samurai and Shinobi aspects separate.
Eventually, that started to feel jarring to players because Ghost of Tsushima proved that the idea of blending both Samurai and Shinobi was possible. In Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Naoe was meant to do the stealthy stuff, while Yasuke is about being a tank in combat. On paper, that seems like a good idea, but it was only tedious.
Yet again, Sucker Punch released another game set in Japan, and kept the idea of mixing Samurai with Shinobi. It once again shows that the idea was certainly possible, but it only required a creative approach.
In Ghost of Yotei, Atsu is not technically a samurai; however, her moves and swordfighting really portray one. The gameplay still delivers the samurai and shinobi elements with one character and requires no switching. Players have the full freedom to pick how they want to approach a level.
Are people biased toward Ghost of Yotei?
Ghost of Yotei is getting a lot of praise, but it’s not really because of bias. Ghost of Tsushima set the foundation for Sucker Punch to experiment with historical stealth-based games. Earlier on, it has always been Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Many fans even begged Ubisoft to create an AC game set in Japan, which went unheard for a long time. However, it was Ghost of Tsushima that gave the fanbase a fantastic story set in historical Japan. Thus, when Assassin’s Creed: Shadows eventually happened, people were biased towards Sucker Punch’s attempt with GoT.
The fan base gained through Ghost of Tsushima led to the eventual success of Ghost of Yotei. Additionally, the latest game brings a lot of gameplay improvements compared to the initial attempt. So the limelight GoY is getting is deserved through and through.
Do you think Assassin’s Creed: Shadows could have been a success if it had taken inspiration from Ghost of Tsushima? Share with us in the comments.
