As Ghost of Yōtei’s complete edition is hitting stores, one of its biggest additions to this new version of the game is the Most Wanted mode. Though roguelike modes have certainly become a popular thing in recent years, even popping up as a new addition to fellow first-party PlayStation game God of War: Ragnarok, I’ve never dabbled with them much. I figured I’d give Ghost of Yōtei a go, though, since I love samurai too much to pass up any new feature in a samurai game. I’m glad I did, as Most Wanted almost streamlines the concept into a tight side-mode that adds a lot of enjoyment to the already hefty package.
In Ghost of Yōtei’s Most Wanted mode, you can only choose the main protagonist, Atsu. You have to kill waves of foes as you try to reach your Bounty – one of the Yōtei Six – at the end of the route. Defeating each wave lets you choose a boon that grants new abilities and tools, though sharp timing and sense are still required to make it through these gauntlets. That being said, having wild powers will certainly help.
In a run, your goal is to defeat whichever of the Six you chose to hunt. Cutting down groups of ronin and footsoldiers as you pursue them can be challenging, which is where the dandy boosts come in. These boons can be anything from poisoned secondary weapons (given you always have your solo katana available) to character-specific buffs. Atsu, for example, can summon wolves to help her in battle through certain boons once a condition is met, which fits her whole narrative position as one of two “twin wolves.”
Other characters unlock by spending coins, which carry over from successful and failed runs alike. Even on your worst run, it never feels like you’ve entirely wasted your time, since the coins you gain can net you handy charms, skills/techniques, and, eventually, characters from throughout the game. It felt like I was always progressing and earning something for my time and effort, which is a welcome feeling in a mode where losing is a key part of the gameplay loop.
The combat itself is a blast, though it may go without saying by now. The crazy upgrades add extra chaos, like random lightning bolts decimating enemies hit with a thrown bola, or wolves emerging from nowhere to chomp down on a foe after a perfect parry. I played primarily on Normal difficulty and found it struck a perfect balance of challenging and rewarding, never feeling too unfair.
Ghost of Yōtei‘s Most Wanted encapsulates the game’s atmosphere in a tight new mode.
A big part of Ghost of Yōtei‘s narrative involves having a bounty on Atsu as you carve your way through her quest for vengeance. You can also hunt others for their bounties, making you live on both sides of the bounty system. This is nicely encapsulated in Most Wanted, which has you pursuing one of the Yōtei Six – each of whom has a bounty you’re set to receive upon beating them. I dig the thematic symmetry between the main story and this mode, as both see you being hunted by grunts while you hunt a larger target.
Ghost of Yōtei‘s Most Wanted mode is a fantastic addition to Sucker Punch‘s complete edition of an already brilliant samurai action game. Even as someone who runs a little hot-or-cold with roguelikes in general, I’ve loved Most Wanted so far, and I plan to play it a lot more in the future.
