The announcement of Ghost of Yotei, the sequel to release of Ghost of Yotei should bring forth firearms, for example.

These new weapon types were shown in the game’s first trailer. This is because the sequel is set over 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima. Players can expect new types of weaponry and even a different approach to how the protagonist will fight. Not only is Atsu a different character from Jin Sakai but she is a ronin living in a more advanced era, technologically speaking. There will likely be a lot of similarities in gameplay, but I hope one of the Ghost of Yotei changes from Tsushima does not include the removal of a great feature.

Tsushima’s Haikus Should Make A Comeback In Ghost Of Yotei

The Poetry Form Has An Impact On Character Development

One of the coolest gameplay features of Ghost of Tsushima was the haiku poetry that Jin could write. These short poems were mostly optional but played an important role in the character’s development throughout the game's events. Some of the haiku poems in Tsushima were obligatory, while others had to be found in the open world. The ones presented during the campaign were a way for Jin to reflect on recent events, whereas the optional ones would be a deeper dive into the game’s world and a source of cosmetic rewards: headbands. Hopefully, haikus will return in Ghost of Yotei.

They do not affect the core combat experience itself since they are often presented in a calm scenario where the protagonist can reflect and observe the world around them. This may be directly contrasted by the bloodshed executed by the protagonist on the battlefield, but it pushes them forward in the narrative. Haikus are a special type of poetry in the sense that their essence revolves around finding analogies for events in nature, and, as presented in Ghost of Tsushima, nature plays an important role in how Jin approaches the world.

The wind, for instance, shows him the direction, while foxes often lead the protagonist to hidden locations or places of interest.

I’m sure that nature will continue to play a large role in Ghost of Yotei, even if Atsu’s perception of it is different from Jin’s. Nevertheless, this could still be an opening to present how the new protagonist in the series sees Mount Yotei and thinks about what occurs to her throughout the story. There is a subtle heartwarming feeling involved in finding a place of respite when tracing parallels between nature and what occurs to us as humans. Even in its simplicity, haikus are an extraordinary tool to help tell stories and show how we perceive everything around us.

As a haiku writer myself, who was delighted with these short poems in Ghost of Tsushima, I’m thrilled by the prospect of the mechanic’s return in Yotei. Because this is a sequel, and if haikus are a part of Atsu’s character development, there is a big chance that the mechanic will be improved. Not only would we get new options matching the story being told from Atsu’s perspective, but we could also have different branching results based on what type of reflection is tackled in each haiku we write with the new protagonist in Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei.

This could, possibly, include new related side quests that are unlocked after writing specific haikus and reaching certain types of reflections during Atsu’s quest. This would not only make haikus special because they enhance the perception of Atsu’s reflection over the world but also give them more depth as she is motivated to take action after expressing herself through poetry. It is worth noting that haikus are a very small mechanic in the broader gameplay spectrum of the original title, but there is space for them to grow in significance within Ghost of Yotei if the developers want them to.

Haikus Should Offer Better Rewards In Ghost Of Yotei

Simple Cosmetic Rewards Don’t Do Justice To The Poetry’s Importance

In addition to the narrative significance that haikus bring and could bring to the game, they could also revamp the reward experience provided by Ghost of Tsushima. As was previously mentioned, the original game’s haikus offered players headbands for Jin Sakai to wear. These headbands would have the player’s haiku written into them, as a way of ing their moment of reflection. These different headbands were merely cosmetic and did not actually affect gameplay with any specific types of stat increases or abilities. This could be changed with the release of Ghost of Yotei.

If haikus were to gain more importance in the next title to further deepen Atsu’s narrative journey, then the rewards themselves could be improved. Because it seems like Atsu does not wear headbands, specifically, she could unlock other types of gear after writing these haikus, from new pieces of armor, hats, masks, and perhaps even new swords. While beautiful, the headbands from Tsushima were one of the least enticing cosmetic rewards so, if haikus were to return, players would need extra encouragement to seek them out beyond their poetic beauty, and that usually comes in the form of upgrades.

The game’s reveal was merely a teaser and there is little information about how it will change in comparison to the original title. There is a chance that haikus will be removed and replaced by another mechanic – after all, Atsu is another character and the way she processes the events around her may not be as poetic as Jin, and that’s entirely acceptable. Nevertheless, as a haiku writer and poetry enthusiast, I am excited about the prospect of seeing more haikus inserted into the game’s world, especially because of how beautiful Ghost of Yotei is building up to be.