Summary
In 2020, developer Sucker Punch delivered a successful and standout single-player PlayStation exclusive (at the time) experience.Ghost of Tsushimawas a near-instant hit, widely hailed as a breath of fresh air in the open-world action genre.Ghost of Tsushima’s epic and emotional journey of former samurai Jin Sakai’s guerrilla resistance efforts against the Mongol invasion of the titular Japanese island in the 1200s was a memorable experience for many reasons. Among its highlights, the cast of engaging characters who assisted with Jin’s mission left a big impression, and perhaps none more so than thief-turned-rebel, Yuna.
Two years later, another of Sony’s first-party franchises released its latest and highly acclaimed title,God of War: Ragnarok.Santa Monica Studios continued the saga of Kratos and Atreus in the followup to the previous modern iteration ofGoW. Building on the base of the 2018 entry,Ragnaroksaw players switching off between fully controlling both characters for the first time. AlthoughGhost of Tsushima2is yet to be officially confirmed, it is widely assumed to be eventually announced based on the first’s popularity. And a sequel could take great inspiration fromGoW:Ragnarokby letting fans play as both Jin and Yuna the second time around.
Ghost of Tsushimawill be featured in Secret Level, an upcoming animated TV series. A film adaptation has also previously been announced, withJohn Wickdirector Chad Stahelski attached.
Ghost of Tsushima 2 Could Make Excellent Use of God of War: Ragnarok’s Dual Character Design
God of War: Ragnarok’s Approach to its Playable Protagonists Greatly Enhanced the Experience
God of War (2018)focused on therelationship between Kratos and Atreus, delving into the father and son’s personalities and their sometimes strained attempts to connect to each other. Yet it kept the former as its sole playable figure.Ragnarokthen advanced the narrative and gameplay by giving players control of both as they battled monsters literal and figurative across the Norse realms. This dynamic played extremely well into the story and moment to moment action, with the two having unique playstyles and mechanics.God of War: Ragnarok’s use of the characters in this way for its core design lends them an equal weight, giving them their time to shine while keeping the experience fresh throughout.
How Ghost of Tsushima 2 Could Utilize God of War: Ragnarok’s Deuteragonist Design
Yuna was integral inGhost of Tsushimain a couple of ways. For one, she was responsible for rescuing Jin on the beach after the doomed offensive that served as the prologue, setting him up to begin his path towards becoming the Ghost. Along the way, Yuna’s invaluable assistance and lessons for Jin on his soul-searching sojourn made for impactful beats, and she often acted as Jin’s conscience while he struggled with his position and values against what he was willing to do to save the people of Tsushima. If any character is deserving of being promoted to playable in a sequel, it is almost certainly Yuna.
AGhost of Tsushimasequel has a number of items to consider, particularly its setting and timeline. But a solid starting point would perhaps be to frame it as Yuna searching for Jin in the wake of the first game’s events. Fans might begin the tale as Yuna, and experience portions of the plot as her via a series of flashbacks, catching up on her adventures as she endeavors to find and reunite with Jin against the latest antagonistic force. Once this is done, fans could then see the two become truly equal partners in the story, while on the gameplay side having both playable with respective sets of skills that would compliment each other and allow a wider range of possibilities than in the original.
An interesting turn might even be forJin and Yuna to become more than friends, further adding depth to their relationship and justifying the inclusion of both as playable. Regardless, it could be a winning move forGhost of Tsushima 2to grant fans the ability to play as Jin and Yuna, weaving them seamlessly into the story while expanding on mechanics similarly to the way thatGod of War: Ragnarokdid with Atreus and Kratos. Incorporating the duo in this manner could go a long way towards creating a satisfying sequel and successfully advancing the prior setup.
