https://blacknerdproblems.com/ghost-of-yotei-review/

If you’re lucky, you get to witness a piece of media that either entertains, redefines, or consumes you. For me, Ghost of Tsushima did all three. After liberating both Tsushima and Iki island by sending the Mongol invaders to the afterlife, I then went into the afterlife to kill them as oni for days on end in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. This game literally got me, my friends, and loved ones through the pandemic. After we beat survival mode with all seven modifiers on. It felt like we had truly done all there was to do in the game. There’s a bitter sweetness when you beat a video game you love because there’s this feeling of “Well, now what?”. Five years later, Sucker Punch finally gave us the answer to that question with the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima with Ghost of Yōtei.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Ghost of Yōtei: Kintsukuroi Woman

Ghost of Yōtei tells the story of Atsu. Along with her brother Jubei, they are the children of Kengo, the Blacksmith and Yone, the musician. Atsu’s life is changed when the Yōtei Six murder her family. Now, sixteen years later, she returns to Ezo to 86 Order 66 kill the Yōtei Six. Now, if you think Ghost of Yōtei seems like a cut and dry story of revenge, then you not seeing the big picture. Remember what Samurai Jack’s daddy told him after cutting down them bandits? “The decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you are. You cannot hide from yourself.” Atsu’s story isn’t about revenge; it’s a question. When you’ve lost everything…when everyone was taken from you, what choices will you choose to make?

Atsu is not a carbon copy of Jin Sakai. She’s witty like Jin but far more sarcastic, cynical, and hardened. Her heart pumps no fear whatsoever. She’s dead serious about her hunt for the Yōtei Six but we get a range of playful, trollish, understanding and even softer sides come out with Atsu during certain side missions. Just as Daisuke Tsuji did with Jin, Erika Ishii brought Atsu to life in a variety of ways. Her being a woman protagonist gives us a unique experience in her travels. Her gender allows her to be even stealthier than Jin and hide in plain sight thanks to gender norms. Now, although they are vastly different people, Atsu’s journey is slightly similar to Jin Sakai’s. The Yōtei Six aren’t foreign invaders like the Mongols but they are still invaders. In a way, what makes them worse is that they are subjugating their own people as well the Ainu (the indigenous people). In Ghost of Tsushima, Jin saw bandits trying to capitalize off the chaos caused by the Mongol invasion. Some even working with the enemy. Jin had to band the land of Tsushima together to fight off a common enemy. In Ghost of Yōtei, the Yōtei Six already won. Their law of the land is get down or lay down, permanently.

The people here are fearful. Almost everyone is looking out for themselves. The very first person I encountered was Taro, a child scavenging corpses to make a living. That’s life in Ezo. This beautiful land doesn’t have an underbelly like Tsushima did which Jin discovered. In Ezo, it’s grosse point blank in your face. Seeing all this, Atsu is still choosing to roll up against the Yōtei Six on her lonely. She ain’t doing this for the people either. Be clear, she isn’t samurai, which means fuck all that honor shit, we don’t do that round here. Atsu’s a mercenary. She was at the Battle of Sekigahara. The largest battle in Japan’s history to this day. Over 160k soldiers fighting, and ya girl was on the losing side and still made it out alive. Her come up different. Atsu gotta crowdfund for this get back. She gotta kickstarter to kick the Yōtei Six’s shit in. She got a heart, but she also got a wallet that needs to be filled to get this murder off the ground.

Making of an Onryō

Atsu and Jin’s rebirth into apparitions are also similar but vastly different as well. Jin was rescued from death by Yuna, who later tells an audience of onlookers after seeing Jin fight, that he is a vengeful spirit back from the dead to run out the Mongols. Those onlookers were told a tale to explain what they saw. Atsu’s transformation didn’t need an explanation; it was seen. There were witnesses that saw for their own eyes her rebirth into this world as an onryō. Jin let go of who he and his way of life in order was to become the ghost that his people needed, whereas Atsu is on foot in and one foot out with her reputation. She downplays it at times but is also willing to use it to her advantage. However, an onryō isn’t something Atsu wants to adopt or set out become. Yet, the choices she makes prove otherwise.

The beautiful thing about Atsu’s journey is her rediscovering her humanity. This time around the side missions are reflections of what Atsu is going through. Bounties whose endings represent what could be if she mowing down members of the Yōtei Six. The indigenous Ainu people’s way of life away from violence. How peaceful they are, the way they are connected to nature. Atsu allows herself to wonder how different things would have been if she ran away to them instead of mainland Japan. How Huci, an Ainu elder was such a kindred spirit for Atsu. Both strong, independent, and defiant. Whenever they talked it almost felt like talking into a mirror. Huci, even when being threatened never wavered. She was able to bring peace to others and take them in because she recognized how dire things are for people in Ezo. Like Atsu, she didn’t open up to people easily but it’s Atsu, who she finally confesses to that she knows her age has caught up with her, but she doesn’t want to feel as if that means she isn’t useful anymore.

The time with Huci and the Ainu people made me feel as if here Atsu was able to finally have a place to be at peace. They are people who had stories, culture, and an entire history of their own, were welcoming to Atsu. Now, I’m always down for a story about get back. Revenge is my shit. However, when wearing the Ainu clothing, it truly made me feel that perhaps there was something outside of taking down the Yōtei Six. There in lied the struggle with playing Ghost of Yōtei. I began to want more for Atsu, while at the same time not wanting these Yōtei Six to be allowed to walk around breathing. That struggle is one we saw come to ahead when we start to gain friends: Atsu’ forgiveness of Oyuki, then finding out that her brother, Jubei, is alive, and not only that…he has a daughter named Kiku, making Atsu an aunt.

Seeing Atsu have the auntie energy overtake her was both hilarious and heartwarming. Jubei recognizes that Kiku is a younger version of Atsu. Mischievous, eager to prove herself, and very clever. I loved seeing the heartache Atsu had when Kiku followed her and Oyuki in order to catch the Spider. Kiku went to unlock a door from the other side, even as Atsu was telling her not, and it is the most worried we heard Atsu. When Kiku returns saying she could do more, Atsu asks her, “what are the names on my sash crossed out in?” “Blood.”, Kiku answered. Atsu let her know shit bout to get real. Many men, (many, many, many, many men) goin die tonight, and if she want to be treated like an adult then she has to show that she can listen. We get a stern Atsu that Kiku obeys. Yet, as soon as she’s gone, Atsu asks Oyuki if she was too hard on her. Atsu made peace with the fact that going after the Yōtei Six meant that she could very well die. That decision is easier when you believe you are alone. However, seeing Kiku, Jubei, and Oyuki, Huci, and all these other people that have become part of her pack, it makes Atsu struggle with if her life is worth being wagered now that she not as alone as she once thought.

Bit by bit, we see Atsu regaining her humanity until the Spider makes a mockery of the night her family was killed. We then see Atsu find a broken mask restored through the art of kintsukuroi. Atsu confronts the Spider and his men as the onryo. Kiku witnessed the confrontation and saw how true to her word her aunt was. It’s here that Atsu has inadvertently show her niece the other side of her. Soon after, Oyuki, Kiku, Jubei, and Atsu share a beautiful day together. It is here where the choices of what Atsu could become is laid out before her. The choices she can make, and the actions that’ll follow.

Is it over now — do you know how
Pickup the pieces and go home

My favorite thing about the ending is that Sucker Punch didn’t play it safe. Actions have consequences. Atsu isn’t wrong in wanting her get back. The Yōtei Six had to be stopped eventually, especially Saito. What I love is that in the end, she is able to know when it’s all been said and done. My heart was in the Anaconda Vice as Atsu told the wolf that had her back since she got back to Ezo: My hunt is over now. So often it’s said that revenge won’t fill the hurt left by a wrong doing. Maybe that’s true, but a reckoning definitely will. We see that with Atsu as she now becomes a guardian to Kiku, this remaining piece of Jubei.

Atsu got the chance to choose humanity, redemption, and a life. Something her predecessor Jin Sakai didn’t have as an option. True to Yuna’s words, “The ghost belongs to everyone.” Jin gave up everything to become a tale of inspiration that would influence Japan through hushed whispers. In Atsu’s case, she spun the block and didn’t become a mercenary in need of another war or a vengeful spirit. She chose to do as her brother told her. As her mother and father would have wanted. To fight for the living, not as an onryo but as herself. Jin became a ghost, Atsu became human.

For now.

Epilogue

Ghost of Yōtei had an almost impossible task of setting itself outside of Ghost of Tsushima’s shadow. Ghost of Tsushima had a whole pandemic for people to discover its greatness. The Game of the Year snub only heightened Ghost of Tsushima as a hit and cult classic for not getting the credit it deserved. For Ghost of Yōtei, it’s like a younger sister being compared to an older brother. Will you reach the same heights they did? There was so much focus on Atsu being a woman. It’s “woke.” (As if there weren’t queer stories and dope women in GOT. Also, as future hall of fame content creator Chris Dlln said, “I don’t know what that means. I’m Black. I don’t use that version of the word.”)

Ghost of Yōtei has all these different little fires that Ghost of Tsushima didn’t have because of a choice to tell a different story and be inclusive. For me, this game is a masterpiece. Jin’s journey had me crying. Atsu’s journey had my heart wrenched. Let me tell you this. I’m bias as all fuck. This is my favorite franchise. This series can’t do any wrong. Folks talking bout a lot of PlayStation games been focusing on revenge stories. So. The. Fuck. What? I’m all the way here for it cause sometimes Mongol invaders, Yōtei Six Members, mother fuckers gotta die. I don’t give a fuck what anybody says because at the end of the day, Atsu ain’t let Jin down.

How that sound? Here the crown mask, pass it to you like nothin’, Ghost!

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The post ‘Ghost of Yōtei’: “It’s Not Revenge She’s After, It’s a Reckoning” appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.