Ghost of Yōtei’s New DLC Should Have Been in the Game from the Very Start

Echoes of Sekigahara gives much-needed depth to Atsu

But she mostly remains static; a singular force hellbent on revenge at all costs. Ghost of Yōtei doesn’t explore the costs until near the end of Atsu’s journey. The game’s new expansion, Echoes of Sekigahara, does the opposite — it’s all about consequences as it adds new layers of depth to Atsu. In fact, it fleshes out her character so much that it’s almost a shame it wasn’t part of the game at launch and is instead an optional add-on 12 months later.

Life before the Onryō

Before returning to Ezo, Atsu was a wandering swordsman, killing for coin throughout southern Japan and acting as a soldier for different lords. One of her adventures found her serving Lord Ishida during the Battle of Sekigahara. She met Nagato the Handsome during this time, a commander of troops and a good marksman. (And quite the looker.)

The romantic chemistry between him and Atsu is obvious to start. During Nagato’s introduction scene, he teaches Atsu an archery technique by standing behind her and guiding her hands on the bow; it’s classic Romance Movie Writing 101 shit. But the simplicity works, and helps Atsu become more of a person, and not just a bloodthirsty ghost. She was once someone who had the capacity to romantically love another, even though her quest for vengeance was unfulfilled at the time.

Flashbacks throughout Echoes of Sekigahara’s narrative give more insight into the love between them. Before the Battle of Sekigahara, a softer Atsu than the one we know even envisions a future for her and Nagato together, away from her revenge quest. Of course, Ghost of Yōtei is all about that revenge quest, so you can guess where this goes. Their falling out is as tragic as any.

In the present day, Echoes of Sekigahara takes Atsu to a new region, the Ashoro Foothills, after she hears of a bounty on Nagato’s head there. Three years after Sekigahara, they cross paths. This time, the tension isn’t romantic; Atsu’s ready to cut him down right away. Instead, they work together to disrupt Lord Saito’s operations in the Ashoro Foothills.

Along the way, they contend with their actions in the past and their regrets. I can’t help but wonder where Atsu’s path would have taken her if she hadn’t been deeply wounded by Nagato. If she and Nagato hadn’t gone their separate ways, would the Onryō have ever existed? Or would life as a vengeful ghost always have been Atsu’s destiny, with a romance only being a temporary distraction?

All these conflicting feelings and flashbacks to a gentler Atsu give star Erika Ishii new opportunities to shine. They bring a subtle tenderness to Atsu in moments between her and Nagato, like when they share a hot spring together and ponder their future. They also get plenty of moments to tap into Atsu’s anger and thirst for revenge, too. Ishii was nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards, and co-won the DICE award for Outstanding Achievement in Character, so their performance in Echoes of Sekigahara is a reminder why.

Revenge comes at a cost

In the Ashoro Foothills, Echoes of Sekigahara also explores the impact of Atsu’s revenge on those outside of her wolf pack. These lands used to be controlled by the Snake, the Yōtei Six member Atsu kills in the base game’s opening moments. His death didn’t bring the land peace or levity. Instead, places where he offered protection in exchange for goods and hospitality have now been ravaged by his gang of goons, called Vipers, with many vying for his now-open spot in Lord Saito’s gang. His absence has created a vacuum, and the worst of the worst are trying to fill it.

Atsu may have gained from the Snake’s death, but the same can’t be said for the people he used to live among. Echoes of Sakigahara makes it clear that this revenge quest has far reaching consequences on the regular, unnamed folk of Ezo. Atsu even crosses paths with someone who used to love the Snake, in their own way. That’s right — the drunk murderer who died atop Atsu was a person with multiple dimensions. Echoes of Sakigahara shows that even murderers can be mourned, too.

The poor animals suffer as well. Ghost of Yōtei revels in connecting the player to nature through sweeping shots of beautiful hills, views from atop mountains, and adorable foxes to pet. Echoes of Sakigahara is no different. There are even more animals to chill with, my favorite being a cute little bear cub who needs Atsu’s help.

But then I release from captivity a different bear cub later on, who immediately plops down next to its dead parent to whimper and mourn, and am reminded of how the vipers are devastating the wildlife of Ashoro Foothills all to feed Lord Saito’s army. They hunt endlessly, culling the wildlife population. We’re introduced to the Viper when they go after Atsu’s wolf companion, as if you need any more reason to eagerly cut the villains down.

New ways to slay

That wolf, whom I had named Mikage, shows up for just about every big fight, joining standoffs by Atsu’s side. A side quest involving Mikage can reward Atsu with pretty slick armor that switches one of her Spirit abilities to an attack that summons wolves to stagger an enemy, reflecting Atsu’s growing bond with the world around her.

Also new are heavy weapons Atsu can pick up and use until they break. She also gets an armor set later in the game that switches her attack to one where she can headshot three dudes at once with her bow. None of these additions change the flow of battle or duels much, but I won’t say no to new ways to quickly kill foes, especially considering that Ghost of Yōtei’s combat can grow rather rote after playing it for over 60 hours in total.

Echoes of Sekigahara’s best combat addition might be the way it makes your enemies tougher. Archers have a new arrow type that lodges in Atsu, forcing you to pull it out before you can heal or use Spirit for attacks. I’ll catch myself on the ropes sometimes, trying to find an opening to pull the arrow out. It’s especially tough when I get hit by one of those arrows in a duel as those opponents are fast and relentless, but I welcome some new challenges.

Even with those new bells and whistles, my favorite part of combat remains standoffs, just like in the base game. One-slashing enemies never gets old, especially when Mikage gets in on the fun. But I’m not playing Echoes of Sekigahara for its fights. The main draw here is its character work, which it excels at.

Open worlds may never lend themselves to protagonists with the most depth moment-to-moment, and Ghost of Yōtei is no different in that regard. By focusing on adding new layers to Atsu and exploring the ramifications of her actions, Echoes of Sekigahara shines in ways the base game didn’t.

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Ghost of Yōtei: Echoes of Sekigahara is out now on PlayStation 5. The game was reviewed on PS5 using a prerelease download code provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.