One of the biggest problems in the video game industry right now is the very simple fact that many developers and publishers feel that they “need to make the biggest game possible,” even though they don’t always ensure the quality is right up where it needs to be. Thus, you end up with games that have “massive worlds,” but are incredibly boring to play. We’re sure you can think of some titles right now that fit that mold from recent years. In the case of Ghost Of Yotei, though, the team at Sucker Punch has made it clear that they didn’t fall into that trap.
The team did an interview with Automation Media, and in it, they noted how the size of the game will be about the same as the previous title. By that, we mean how the campaign itself will be about 25 hours in length, and then, if you go for all the size content, you can almost double that. They also confirmed that while the map size for the sequel/follow-up is “about the same size,” they also noted the new game has “more density.”
What was most important for Sucker Punch, though, was to ensure that the original game’s quality transferred over to the new title. That meant NOT following the tropes of “making everything bigger,” and instead, just focusing on making everything even more quality.
Creative co-director Jason Connell noted:
“When it comes to both map size and game volume, we don’t believe that ‘bigger’ or ‘more’ is inherently better. Ghost of Yotei includes various systems and details aimed at making exploration feel free and rewarding. For example, running through flowers increases your movement speed, and if you follow these flower trails, you might discover hidden secrets. We’ve also added new items like telescopes and binoculars to allow players to enjoy the scenery. All these details work together to ensure that players won’t get bored even on a large map.”
Speaking of which, the team knew very early on that they weren’t going to do the “bigger is better” approach:
“Ghost of Tsushima was already a big enough game, so rather than upscaling just for the sake of it, we chose to focus on delivering more variety and higher quality while maintaining a similar scale.”
If other teams were able to see the wisdom in this, perhaps certain other titles wouldn’t have had certain issues upon their launch. Regardless, the game is scheduled to drop on October 2nd.
