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The Ghost series has captivated many with its stories, combat mechanics, and exploration, but we must all admit that the actual time periods the games are set in are just as important as any of the other systems. While Ghost of Yotei is the newest arrival, and it might still be too soon to talk about a sequel, we can’t help but imagine what time periods would be great for the next installment. For that reason, we’ve made a list of three time periods we would love to explore in the Ghost series.
1. Bakumatsu Era – The West Arrives
The Bakumatsu Era was one of the final eras in the Edo period, and one of the most iconic ones in terms of technological advances and many political and cultural changes in Japan. However, these changes brought considerable turmoil to the country, with many being pro-imperialist, while others continued to support the shogunate. There are two reasons why this would be a fantastic time period to visit after Ghost of Yotei.
First, the architectural style. While we love how Sucker Punch has portrayed the classic and iconic Japanese landscapes and villages, it’d be interesting to see how it adapts the country’s architecture after it began to have Western influence. Second, the actual political changes and clashes between the two groups would be fascinating, and we know it has already been successful in other game settings. For the unaware, Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Rise of the Ronin explored this turbulent era, and it would be great to see the studio craft a story during these years.
2. Meiji Era- Fall of the Samurai
While the above time period would be ideal due to its architectural changes and to see a more modernized game after Ghost of Yotei, this next era is all about the changes that were happening in the country that would actually make for an excellent Ghost plot. We’re talking about the Meiji Era, more specifically, the end of the samurai.
Samurai have been a vital part of the Ghost games by now, with them being the key aspect of Ghost of Tsushima. It would be interesting to see a character struggling with this, as we know the samurai class was dissatisfied with the rapid changes in the Meiji Era, which led to one of the most significant revolts in Japanese history, the Satsuma Rebellion. We already know Sucker Punch is more than capable of crafting a character who struggles with doing the honorable thing or changing to protect others, so it’d be great to see another plot like this, but in a more modern setting.
3. Heian Era – Birth of the Samurai
While the Bakumatsu Era and the Meiji Era aren’t that far from one another, we decided to travel to the far past for the final time period that would be interesting to see after Ghost of Yotei, and that’s the Heian Era. If samurai disappeared in the abovementioned time period, the Heian Era is when they were born. Many feudal lords began to grant the samurai power, and this period is one that is rarely explored in video games.
Since this era saw the rise of the samurai, the possibilities for storytelling and gameplay are almost endless. We could see a young samurai climb through the ranks until they become famous, or even see them quell any of the rebellions that occurred during that era. It could also be a perfect excuse to bring back sword stances. Furthermore, the Heian period was succeeded by the Kamakura period, and guess what happened during the latter? Ghost of Tsushima. It could be a prequel of sorts where we see characters who pave the way to some of the clans we saw in the first entry.
