Ghost of Yotei is one of PlayStation's two big games in 2025, the other being Death Stranding 2, and, as a result, it needs to perform very well. Of course, for Ghost of Tsushima fans, that may not seem like a big problem. After all, for the most part, Ghost of Tsushima was a genuine triumph both commercially and critically. However, as great as its predecessor was, it had a handful of faults that held it back from being truly excellent.

Of course, it is these issues that Ghost of Yotei needs to overcome. Ironically, the inspiration it needs to look towards to be the very best game it can be is its direct competitor, Assassin's Creed Shadows. While not perfect by any stretch, Shadows is better than Tsushima in a lot of ways, especially where it counts. Crucially, there is one way in which Shadows excels that Ghost of Yotei desperately needs to copy to avoid suffering from the same issues as Tsushima.

Ghost Of Yotei Needs To Copy Assassin's Creed Shadows' Stealth

It Is The Weakest Part Of Tsushima

It is pretty clear that Sucker Punch Productions, the developer of Ghost of Tsushima and its follow-up, Ghost of Yotei, has perfected the art of third-person melee combat. Tsushima's action-packed encounters felt flashy, fresh, and fluid, never growing stale even across its relatively lengthy runtime. As a result, it is safe to assume that Ghost of Yotei will, at the very least, copy Tsushima's best mechanic and be just as fun. However, what Tsushima lacks is a strong stealth sandbox, and that's where Assassin's Creed Shadows comes in.

Shadows' best difficulty setting, as it actively searches for the player and doesn't stop after a few seconds. Tall grass isn't enough to hide you, neither is going prone on rooftops, something that Shadows adds that Tsushima also lacks.

All of these features make Assassin's Creed Shadows a great stealth game, and, as a result, should serve as the blueprint for Ghost of Yotei's stealth. Atsu, Yotei's protagonist, needs to be more nimble than Jin, have more options when it comes to stealth takedowns, and need to genuinely feel weak when coming up against large hordes of enemies. Crouching shouldn't be enough to evade detection. Like in Shadows, players should need to strategize how best to approach a situation stealthily in Ghost of Yotei.

Ghost Of Yotei Needs Great Stealth From The Start

We Can't Have A Repeat Of Tsushima

Ghost of Yotei also needs to have great stealth from the outset. That doesn't mean that players shouldn't unlock better stealth-based skills as they go along, as it is central to the game's progression. Rather, Atsu should avoid simply repeating Jin's quest to become the Ghost and should either be the Ghost already or well on her way to getting there. This way, Ghost of Yotei's story doesn't just feel like a rehash of Tsushima's and offers players a fresh new perspective.

Tsushima's biggest flaw was that its melee combat was fun from the start, but it took getting to the end of the game to make stealth feel even remotely rewarding. Ghost of Yotei must avoid that.

Atsu could, therefore, start with several stealth abilities already unlocked, perhaps just those already present in Ghost of Tsushima. She could also have access to a number of tools beyond just the ability to throw rocks to distract guards. This way, players can engross themselves immediately in the game's stealth, as it will be on par with the combat. Tsushima's biggest flaw was that its melee combat was fun from the start, but it took getting to the end of the game to make stealth feel even remotely rewarding. Ghost of Yotei must avoid that.

Ghost Of Yotei Should Be More Like Shadows Than Tsushima

Shadows' Is A Better Foundation

While Tsushima does beat Shadows in a lot of respects, especially in regard to combat, it should definitely not serve as the inspiration for Yotei's stealth mechanics. Instead, Ghost of Yotei should really be a lot more like Shadows than Tsushima, including in other areas of gameplay. For example, Shadows' world is far more dynamic than Ghost of Tsushima's, owing largely to its changing seasons and greater density of NPCs. While Tsushima can't have changing seasons, it is something that Yotei could look to implement to make exploration more immersive.

Ghost of Yotei could also benefit from a more focused narrative, something that Shadows has in spades. Ghost of Tsushima's story often conflicted with its gameplay, creating a sense of dissonance that made it feel unsure of itself. Ghost of Yotei should commit to having the player follow a stealthy route or a more aggressive one from the start rather than pretend to give the player the option. Ultimately, if Ghost of Yotei is even half as good as Tsushima or Assassin's Creed Shadows, it'll still be a great time.