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Ghost of Yōtei: Echoes of Sekigahara gives Atsu another reason to roam Ezo, pairing a new foothills region and a story that moves between the present and her past with the series’ scenic landscapes and combat. It looks most appealing if you want more of those strengths; the familiar open-world structure and guided-feeling exploration may be less persuasive if you’re hoping for a dramatic change in how the game plays.
What Echoes of Sekigahara adds
The expansion takes Atsu between her time on the mainland around the Battle of Sekigahara and the present-day story in Ezo. Nagato, who fought alongside her in the past, arrives in Ezo, where the Vipers—a group of poachers loyal to the deceased Snake—have seized the previously unseen Ashoro Foothills. The shift between past and present gives the new region a narrative connection to Atsu’s history rather than making it simply another place to clear.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Ghost of Yōtei PS5 | $53.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Ghost of Yotei (PS5) | $52.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Riders Republic PlayStation 5 Standard Edition | $25.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Perp The Persistence Enhanced Amélioré(e) Anglais PlayStation 5 | $18.18 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut | $43.80 | Buy on Amazon |
Alongside the Ashoro Foothills, the expansion adds enemy types, heavy weapons, mythic tales, abilities, armor sets, and cosmetics. The new weapons and enemies offer the clearest promise of a change to combat, while the additional tales and equipment broaden the existing adventure rather than replacing its underlying open-world format. Sucker Punch’s September 3, 2026 announcement describes the story and content additions.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsHow the expansion’s strengths and limitations balance out
Scenery is a strong reason to return
The landscape remains central to the appeal. GamesRadar+ praised the scenery and the rewards of exploring the world, while Tom’s Guide highlighted the game’s setting and cinematic presentation. A new Ezo area therefore plays to a clear strength of the base game: giving players another place to travel through and take in.
#1 Best Overall
- Stunning graphics and gameplay, explore the wild and striking lands around Mount Yotei on foot or horseback. Travel picturesque parts of northern Japan through grasslands, snowy ridges, fields of wildflowers, and more.
- Discover renegade combat, engage in lawless katana combat and battles with adversaires. Train with various sensei as you find and learn to use each new weapon.
- An unconventional story and journey, take in the cultural beauty of Japan, bathe in an onsen, visit shrines to pray, try Sumi-e painting, and so much more.
- Choose your weapon, battle Atsu's opponents as you see fit, with levelled-up dual katanas, odachi, kusarigama and other new weapons.
Combat has new ingredients, but exploration may feel familiar
Heavy weapons and new enemy types add combat variety on paper, but the available details do not establish how substantially they change the feel of encounters. The broader open-world structure is a more predictable proposition. Tom’s Guide found the formula polished but familiar, especially for players of Ghost of Tsushima or recent Assassin’s Creed games. GamesRadar+ similarly noted that carefully curated activities can make discovery feel less spontaneous, and criticized some pacing, climbing, and NPC-following sequences. Those are individual reviewers’ assessments, not guaranteed experiences for every player, but they are relevant if exploration is your main reason to play.
Atsu’s past gives the new story its focus
The expansion’s dual timeline and Nagato’s arrival tie the new conflict to Atsu’s history. That suits a game whose central character is a mercenary pursuing those responsible for her family’s death. Sucker Punch has described the larger story as reaching beyond vengeance toward healing and redemption; that is the studio’s stated intent, not a verdict on how successfully the expansion develops it. The expansion’s premise offers a focused continuation for players interested in Atsu, though the announcement alone cannot establish the quality or pacing of the finished story.
Rank #2
- Discover a bold, new story of a warrior in Japan who is on her own mission of vengeance.
- Set 300 years after the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei is a standalone experience set in 1600s rural Japan. The story follows a haunted, lone mercenary named Atsu. Thirsty for revenge, she travels through the beautiful, rugged landscapes of northern Japan, hunting those who killed her family many years earlier.
- Sixteen years after her family’s death, Atsu’s quest across Ezo brings her to unexplored lands in search of a gang of six outlaws, but she finds much more than vengeance. Throughout her journey, Atsu will discover unlikely allies, and greater bonds than she could have imagined.
Is Echoes of Sekigahara worth playing?
It is a tempting return if you enjoyed the base game’s landscapes and combat and want more of Atsu’s story. Its new region, past-and-present structure, enemies, and weapons give the expansion concrete additions, rather than relying only on a return to familiar scenery. But it is not presented as a reinvention of the open-world formula. If curated activities, traversal friction, or familiar mission rhythms bothered you in the base game, the expansion’s new setting may not resolve those issues.
The base game is a standalone PS5 action-adventure set in 1600s rural Japan, roughly 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, with Atsu as a new protagonist. You do not need to treat it as a direct story continuation of that earlier game to understand its premise. For players deciding whether to start or return, the key distinction is simple: this expansion adds a new chapter and place to explore, but its strongest appeal is more of the existing game’s atmosphere and combat, not a documented overhaul of its structure.
Rank #3
- Battle against over 50 players simultaneously in a massive multiplayer playground.
- Compete in an all-out mass start race—collide, grind, and fight your way to the finish
- Customize your character to show off your style to your friends or show up the competition.
- Bike, ski, snowboard, or wingsuit through a seamless open world in Career mode or multiplayer events.
- Go wild on the heights of iconic US national parks like Yosemite, Zion, and Bryce Canyon.
Access, platform, and edition details
The PlayStation Store’s US listing identifies the Complete Edition as a PS5 product and says it includes Echoes of Sekigahara, the Most Wanted combat survival mode, and the cooperative mode Ghost of Yōtei Legends. The listing says expansion content requires patch v2.0 or later, an internet connection, and a PlayStation account for download. Check the current listing for your region before buying: edition contents and availability can differ or change. PlayStation Store US: Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition.
Sucker Punch’s September 3, 2026 post described an October 1 global patch and October 2 availability in some territories. Those dates do not establish current access in every region; the regional store listing is the practical check for what is available to you. Sucker Punch’s rollout announcement.
Rank #4
- PS5 Features include raytracing modes and immersive haptic feedback for DualSense
- Use darkness and cover to avoid being overwhelmed by the ship's deadly new inhabitants
- Seek out the weapon fabricators to increase your firepower as you journey deeper, into the dark and terrifying depths, but beware ammo is limited
- Gather materials & schematics for weapon upgrades and suit customizations with buffs
- Harvest DNA material to improve health, toughness and defensive capabilities.Survive an ever changing labyrinth. Each and every expedition into The Persistence will be disorienting and different.Death is just the beginning. Fatal encounters will result in Zimri's consciousness being uploaded into a new cloned body, ready to try again, with any upgraded stats, suits & weapon schematics kept to aid the next attempt to save the ship
Is the Complete Edition worth it?
If you have not bought the game and want the expansion plus the two named modes, the US Complete Edition listing bundles them together. Whether that edition is worthwhile depends on your interest in those extras and its current regional price; the cited listing does not establish a price that can be applied universally. If you already own the base game, check your local store’s edition and add-on details rather than assuming the Complete Edition is required to access the expansion.
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Best Value
- Beyond war, ancient beauty endures: Roam vast countryside and expansive terrain to encounter rich characters, discover ancient landmarks and uncover the hidden beauty of Tsushima.
- The rise of the Ghost: Seek support from old friends and new unlikely allies to reclaim Tsushima.
- Mud, Blood and steel: challenge opponents with your katana for an immersive Samurai combat experience.
- Become legends together: play with friends or via online matchmaking in a series of two-player story missions or four-player wave-based survival missions in the legends online co-op
- A whole new island to explore: Travel to Iki Island to investigate rumors of a Mongol presence in a brand-new story with deeply personal stakes.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
