Ghost of Yotei Review Roundup

Ghost of Yotei reviewed very well. On Metacritic it holds a Metascore of 86 from 134 critic reviews, with 92% positive, 8% mixed and no negative reviews. On OpenCritic it has a Top Critic Average of 87, 94% of critics recommend it, and it carries the site's highest "Mighty" rating. That makes it slightly better reviewed than Ghost of Tsushima, which scored 83 on Metacritic on PS4.

Across the reviews, the same strengths come up again and again: the combat, the look of Ezo, and Atsu's revenge story. The most common criticisms are about the side content and an open-world structure that some critics found familiar. Few reviewers disliked the game, but a handful felt it played things safe.

These are the scores as listed on OpenCritic. Several major outlets, including GamesRadar+, The Guardian, VGC, TheGamer, Tom's Guide and Digital Trends, reviewed the game without a numeric score, so they are not in the table.

Combat is the most consistent point of praise. Critics liked how Atsu's arsenal of katana, dual katana, yari, kusarigama and odachi changes the way fights play out, and GameSpot's 9/10 review singled out the combat, the rewarding exploration and the gripping story. Eurogamer, despite its lower score, also praised the swordplay.

The setting was the second big strength. Ezo in 1603 gives the game a different feel from Tsushima, with open grasslands, snowy mountains and Ainu culture. IGN's 8/10 review highlighted the setting and the mechanics built around it, and the game's visuals later won the BAFTA for Technical Achievement.

The story also landed with most critics. Atsu's hunt for the Yotei Six is more personal than Jin's war in the first game, and Eurogamer called the storytelling heartfelt. Her performance by Erika Ishii was nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards, and Atsu won Outstanding Achievement in Character at the D.I.C.E. Awards.

The side content drew the most complaints. Eurogamer's 3/5 review called the side quests weak and the open world dated, and argued the game might have been better as a more linear action game.

Pacing near the end of the story was the other common issue. Several critics said the final stretch drags compared with the strong middle of the game. None of these points stopped the game from being widely recommended, but they explain why scores range from 7s to 10s rather than sitting at the top.

Players are positive but more divided than critics. The Metacritic user score is 8.1 from 3,722 ratings: 77% positive, 11% mixed and 12% negative. A recurring complaint in player reviews is that the story feels too close to Ghost of Tsushima.

Sales show the game found its audience. Ghost of Yotei sold about 3.3 million copies by early November 2025, and it was the third best-selling game in the US in October 2025, behind Battlefield 6 and Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Ghost of Yotei had a strong awards season, but not at The Game Awards. It received seven nominations there and did not win any of them. It did better elsewhere, winning at the D.I.C.E. Awards, the BAFTA Games Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards.

Ghost of Yotei scored a few points higher than Ghost of Tsushima, which has a Metacritic score of 83 on PS4. Critics generally saw it as a refinement rather than a reinvention: better combat variety, a more personal story and a new setting, built on the same open-world formula. If you loved the first game, most reviews suggest you will like this one more; if the first game's structure did not work for you, this one probably will not change your mind.

Almost every Ghost of Yotei review was written for the launch version in October 2025. Since then the game has changed. Legends, the online co-op mode for up to four players, arrived as a free update on March 10, 2026, so launch reviews say little or nothing about it. The October 1, 2026 free update adds new photo, music, armor and accessibility options, and the paid Echoes of Sekigahara expansion and Most Wanted mode will get their own reviews after release. Keep this in mind when reading older reviews, especially the criticism of the endgame and side content.

A year after launch the game has more content than at release. Legends online co-op arrived as a free update in March 2026, and the Complete Edition on October 1, 2026 adds the Echoes of Sekigahara story expansion and the Most Wanted roguelike mode. For new players, the $69.99 Complete Edition is the best-value way in. Our Ghost of Yotei DLC guide explains what it includes, and the map guide shows how big the world is.