Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition Review – “The Definitive Package”

Another Stacked Year: What’s Next?

When Ghost of Yotei was released in October of last year, it genuinely surprised in ways I didn’t expect. As someone who was a huge fan of the original game Ghost of Tsushima, in my eyes there was no way that a sequel without our reigning Ghost Jin Sakai leading the charge could ever unseat one of my favorite games of the PS4 era. And then somehow, like a serene wind blowing through the forest, it did exactly that. The world, the combat, and even the stereotypical story of revenge felt like an improved version of what we saw back in Ghost of Tsushima, so why isn’t it talked about in 2026?

Now it’s no secret that 2025 was in every sense an outlier in the world of gaming. Not only did we get the perfect sequels to fan favorites like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II, but even newcomers like Expedition 33 came out of seemingly nowhere and swept the awards shows without giving the competition a chance to breathe. 2026 is a beast from the same cloth. We got everything from GTA VI to Gears of War releasing within a month of each other, and there’s no shortage of things to play this time of year. With so much to play and so little time, does it make sense to dive back into Ghost of Yotei with its new DLC? Let’s find out.

This review covers the DLC. Looking for our standard Ghost of Yotei review on the base game? Look here.

The Past Rekindled: A Familiar Face

*Atsu and Nagato’s tumultuous past is the main driving force of the Echoes of Sekigahara expansion.*

Releasing on October 1st of 2026, Ghost of Yotei’s new story DLC, and the subsequent Complete Edition it’s attached to, is one that feels perfect alongside the standard story experience. The Echoes of Sekigahara expansion follows Atsu as she explores a previously unavailable valley and chases down the remnants of The Snake’s gang as they try to find a new head to lead them back into power. The DLC also introduces a new character from Atsu’s past named Nagato, who serves as a partner to help you in your endeavors until the end of the DLC. Within the standard experience of hunting down the remnants of The Snake’s gang is a variety of flashbacks that are all centered around Nagato and the Battle of Sekigahara, one of the largest and most defining battles of the Warring States era in Japan’s history.

The DLC doesn’t only rely on the standard Ghost of Yotei formula of revenge as the primary motivator for Atsu, but instead offers a glance into the type of person she was before she returned home to enact her revenge. It leans into the idea that the past is never so simple for those who have lived it, and honestly it was a breath of fresh air to see our heroine in a different light other than simply being a merciless killing machine. The tone of the Echoes of Sekigahara expansion feels as if it was created to give Atsu more depth, and dare I say Sucker Punch has accomplished just that. It’s bloody and violent at times, just like we’ve come to expect from the series, but it’s also a bittersweet few hours filled with the perfect amount of character development.

*The Ashoro Foothills leans into a more muggy, dead appearance then the rest of the map.*

The new area, Ashoro Foothills, presents itself as the usual homage to the beauty of nature that Sucker Punch has perfected since Ghost of Tsushima. You’ll constantly stop to snap a few screenshots if you’re anything like me, and its heavy emphasis on painting the world as an artistic marvel as opposed to simply a backdrop is going to inevitably be a talking point of the experience, just like the base game. There’s honestly plenty to do, from different weapons and armor sets to find, new dyes to customize your armor with, and more than a few secrets to discover off the beaten path, and I have no complaints about how they present this new area. Overall, the DLC presents itself as a solid addition to one of the best adventure games of 2025 and should take most people around 8-12 hours to fully complete.

Now, for the $14.99 price tag, I would have been completely fine suggesting most fans of the series buy the Complete Edition upgrade just for the Echoes of Sekigahara story expansion. It’s the perfect length for the price, it adds to Atsu’s overall story, and it has a few goodies to make you feel like it was worth your time. Those are three aspects that can make or break a DLC for most people. But the best part of all is that the DLC also contains a mode that I think will cement it as a buy or not for most people – the Most Wanted mode, a brand-new single-player combat survival mode, which Sucker Punch described as “our spin on a roguelike.”

Most Wanted: A New Roguelike Mode

*Atsu is one of 4 distinct characters you can choose from in the Most Wanted mode.*

I’m going to be honest here, I am not the biggest fan of roguelikes in general. From the repetitious nature of the runs to the general goal that usually follows a roguelike, it’s usually not my cup of tea. Going into the Most Wanted game mode, I was expecting a lot of pain and a little enjoyment, but to my own surprise, it was able to keep me entertained from the first bounty to the last. The premise is simple in theory – you have 4 different characters to choose from, which range from Atsu to other stand-ins that I don’t want to ruin, and your whole goal is to reach the end of the run and claim the bounty on whatever member of the Yotei Six you feel like hunting down.

You have 5 separate contracts, with each one giving you a different area to navigate and different enemies and mini-bosses to fight on your way to the final boss. Each one presents its own challenges and ways you’ll have to approach the level in front of you, and the same goes for the different characters you can play as. Each one feels tailored to a specific playstyle, and the game encourages you to pick a character based on what weapon you want to wield. Some are better with katanas while others might excel at ranged engagements with different tools. I never found myself tired or bored of any of the characters the game gives you access to, simply because they all feel so unique.

*Each of the 4 characters has their own specialties and weapons they excel with.*

Tie that in with the best parts of a roguelike, such as revolving bonuses you get to choose from at the end of every round and a ramping sense of danger, and I genuinely believe that most fans looking to get more out of the combat will feel right at home here. The Most Wanted mode even gives you access to some of the best-looking armors in the game for Atsu to use in your story playthrough, so I see no reason why you shouldn’t take a few hours and get it done for the cosmetic rewards. I ended up leaving the Most Wanted mode wholeheartedly satisfied, and with varied difficulty options and an optional challenge mode, I see no reason for anyone not to dip their toes in.

If you already own Ghost of Yotei, you can get Echoes of Sekigahara and Most Wanted by purchasing the Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition Upgrade for $14.99 USD. If you don’t already own the Digital Deluxe Edition and Charm of Hokkyokusei you’ll immediately unlock that content upon pre-ordering. And if you pre-order by September 30, on October 1 you’ll also get the early unlock of the Sakai Armor.

Closing Thoughts: A Reason To Return

Whether it’s your first time or the encore, Ghost of Yotei Complete Edition is the best way to experience Atsu’s story. The Echoes of Sekigahara story expansion gives fans some much-needed backstory on our heroine’s mysterious past, while the Most Wanted mode lets you carve your way through hordes of enemies with a roster of familiar faces. In a year already drowning in must-plays, don’t let this one slip through the cracks a second time.