Key Takeaways
- Ghost of Yotei is a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, set 300 years after the first game with a new cast.
- Given the time period and location of the name, fans believe that the game will detail the struggle between the indigenous Ainu and the Matsumae tribe during the early colonial period in the 1600s.
State of Play ended last night with the announcement of the Ghost of Tushima sequel. 300 years after the events of the first game, Yotei follows the new protagonist Atsu in the area of Mount Yotei. It's a completely new start, away from Jin Sakai, but with the season and setting alone, fans may know what the story will be.
“In 1590, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, one of Japan's three unifiers, sent the Matsumae tribe to take over the island of Hokkaido, which was ruled by the Ainu people, and protect it from what he saw as barbarians who held the unification of the country,” explained one Reddit user.
Japan finally recognized the Ainu as indigenous people in 2019 (as reported by CNN).
“The Matsumae clan built their defenses in the south of the Oshima peninsula, then moved north to establish trading posts. This colonization involved the slaughter of all Ainu who resisted the advance of the Samurai. The game was played in In 1603, on Mount Yotei in the middle of the Oshima peninsula, I think that's where our hero will enter.”
Where does Atsu fit in?
The Ainu's first war with the Matsumae did not occur until 1669. Up until this time, Japanese traders had been trading with the Ainu in what they considered the Wild Frontier—the island of Hokkaido. Rich in natural resources, the Matsumae tribe spent the next few centuries aggressively expanding into Ainu territory, establishing trading posts and fishing grounds and forcing the indigenous population into labor (according to the Hokkaido Wilds report).
Given that we are setting foot in this area in 1603, long before the first major conflict, fans are speculating that the Ronin will take part in the “Solid West” against the mercenaries of the 'war and bandits profiting from Japanese colonialism. Many viewers have already compared the trailer to the western, which is appropriate considering how much the genre is inspired by Samurai films, so it's fitting.
Instead of fighting a major battle, defending the island from invaders, perhaps Atsu would wander from village to village, helping the Ainu in their struggle against the advance of the Matsumae. Instead of standing up for Japan against the Mongols, Atsu would stand up for the indigenous people. It's a compelling idea, already with weight, but we'll have to wait for Sucker Punch to release more details before we can say for sure.
