Ghost of Yotei Alternatives: Samurai Games to Play While You Wait
The best Ghost of Yotei alternatives — samurai action games, Japanese-setting open worlds, and the games to play while waiting for Sucker Punch's next masterpiece.
Ghost of Yotei is Sucker Punch's follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, moving from the Mongol invasion of 1274 to Hokkaido in 1603 with a new female protagonist named Atsu. The game generated massive search interest after its reveal, but with a 2025-2026 release window, many players are looking for samurai action to fill the gap.
The games like Ghost of Tsushima post covers the broader space. This focuses on what's available right now and what's coming soon.
Play these right now
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut — if you haven't played the predecessor, start here. PC version includes the Iki Island expansion. The combat, world, and story set the bar that Yotei aims to clear.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has the best sword combat in gaming. Posture-based parrying, Sengoku-era Japan, From Software precision. The games like Sekiro post has more.
Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja's open-world samurai game set in Bakumatsu-era Japan. Multiple combat styles, companion system, historical setting. The most direct Ghost of Yotei comparison available right now.
Nioh 2 is Sengoku-era action RPG with deep weapon systems and yokai combat.
The Japanese-setting picks
Total War: Shogun 2 is feudal Japan at strategy scale. Different genre but the setting connection is strong.
Trek to Yomi is side-scrolling samurai action styled like a Kurosawa film. Black and white, cinematic, atmospheric.
Way of the Samurai 4 is open-world samurai sandbox with multiple endings.
Okami HD is Japanese mythology action-adventure with ink-wash painting art.
The combat-focused alternatives
Black Myth: Wukong is Chinese mythology action with similar visual commitment. The games like Black Myth Wukong post has more.
Stellar Blade is parry-focused action with precise timing. The games like Stellar Blade post has more.
God of War Ragnarok shares Ghost's cinematic action-adventure DNA in Norse mythology. The games like God of War post has more.
The open-world beauty picks
Ghost of Tsushima's visual design is half the appeal. Games with comparable beauty:
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the other benchmark for open-world environmental beauty.
Horizon Forbidden West is post-apocalyptic open world with stunning environments.
Elden Ring has breathtaking open-world vistas with dark fantasy aesthetic.
What we make at Choost
Granny's Rampage is top-down bullet heaven — different perspective from Ghost's cinematic samurai action. For more action content, the games like Ghost of Tsushima, best action games, and best open world rpg posts have more.
The shortest version
Play right now: Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut (the predecessor). For best combat: Sekiro. For closest open-world samurai: Rise of the Ronin. For cinematic atmosphere: Trek to Yomi. For visual beauty: Red Dead Redemption 2. Ghost of Yotei's Hokkaido setting in 1603 is a fascinating era — the tail end of the Sengoku period before the Tokugawa shogunate brought peace. The games above capture pieces of what Yotei promises.