There was something liberating in returning to Yōtei.
Thrashes of late stage capitalism make their mark upon PlayStation, as a volley of vitriol attempts to change the future marked by currency over context. Sides butt heads, while nuance is lost. Thusly, the means to enjoy anything without it, loses. In black and white, there is no grey. Instead, it leads to an unknown future, but not the one we thought of.
Sorry to ‘Sarah Connor’ you for a moment.
But I believe this ‘nuance’ is what put the biggest smile on my face. “Damn. I missed this” I thought. This being the lands of Ezo, which the Ghost Of Yōtei marched upon. Atsu returns in Sucker Punch’s ‘Complete Edition‘ of the title. Which, similarly to my opening paragraph I believe, is both true and false. The game we got in September 2025 is the complete game. A tale which I enjoyed from start to finish. But the Complete Edition? Well, that’s what some would call the end game.
If there was any particular issue I’d have with the original release, it would be the end game. The finality of the game was definite. There was no more once you had collected every weapon. Armour. Mask. Hat. Charm. And more. You experienced the Thanos effect. You have completed your goal. And that’s it. A cheeky little grin on your porch, and you are done.
Six months later, the Legends mode would be added to the game, but I never really cared for the multiplayer. It’s an enjoyable aspect, but not one I could readily convince a crew of friends to join in on. So once again, in my need to make Atsu the strongest, I was left out in the snow. That cold, chilling ‘Nine Tails’-filled snow.
This is what the Complete Edition means to me.
End game content. And somehow an expansion. Which I’ll worry about another time because I dove straight into Most Wanted. If you missed the announcement for this addition, it is a roguelike adventure for not only Atsu. But three additional hunters. And one of those hunters made me absolutely lose it.
Atsu. Newcomer Nagato from the expansion. Jin Sakai from Ghost Of Tsushima. And Oyuki. For those who haven’t played Yōtei, I won’t say much more. But from a narrative standpoint, and being an absolute badass, Oyuki was one of my favourite characters of Ezo. AND NOW I CAN PLAY AS THEM.
You needn’t worry though. No particular character has any real advantage in Most Wanted. The best way I can explain it, is each hunter is a different loadout Atsu would have equipped in the main storyline. Whether it’s a difference in ranged weapons, quick throw, charms or melee. They can be aligned by the perks you pick when you begin a hunt.
Perks can be a variety of things, and also include a rarity. These start at common, and range through to legendary. They change things such as an additional weapon to start your run with. Or an effect that the weapon can have occur. Effects like lightning, poison or increased damage. At first I thought this would be about providing flexibility to a player’s style. But I was dead wrong.
Most Wanted is hard in a way Takezo the Unrivaled would appreciate.
Your skill tree is reset, but I didn’t see this as an issue at first. You’re still left quite capable compared to the way you started exploring Ezo. But in true end game fashion, you have to rebuild. Yes, you do have ways to breakthrough. But so do the enemies. And the best way to do so, is to become a FromSoft character like a true roguelike. Because your strength is found in defeat. And you will feel it.
Well at least I did. I expect better players to probably find no issue with it. But I have to say. I have a real problem with archers now. And if they’re out in the field making their little “AYAHH” sound as they fire. They are my primary. I will lose all focus. And hone in on them. Which meant I probably needed a break from an incredible addition to a game I already enjoyed immensely.
My impressions so far are already high. I can play as Oyuki for heaven’s sake! But I loaded back into the fields of Ezo. Where I rode toward the Huranui Rest Inn. On arrival, a familiar Bounty Hunter had a fresh new target. A target that felt familiar.
