Ghost of Yōtei’s Lethal mode is truly lethal: Any hit is death. That’s it. Game over. Only if you have the skills of a god, like the ones shown here by SunhiLegend, can you actually dance through mobs unfazed. The game is already out on PS5, and the community reactions are an entire thing by themselves.
What does Lethal mode do? Well, in plain terms, it turns every single encounter into that deadly dance. Just one hit from any enemy and Atsu’s journey comes to an end forever. No second chance ever granted. On the brighter side, seemingly, a skilled player can perform intricate dances to dispatch many enemies, shown in this slick gameplay clip of the SunhiLegend. It’s an absolute high-risk, high-reward kind of thing.
On the other hand, the comment responses have become a war zone of their own as the players get bitterly divided about the good, the bad, the story, and…well, everything.
The story leapt right into the gameplay. User n050up4u1: “I put lethal on thinking id be one shotting enemies the same as they’d one shot me. anyway. ive died like 112 times now..” Right about there. Only thing is, the mode is not balanced perfectly, unlike in Ghost of Tsushima, where enemies die as fast as the player. CaptCoochie points this out and deems a “Massive L to not make it function like Tsushima’s lethal mode. Enemies should also die in a few hits like the player.” So hardcore, just maybe unfairly so?
Then the story stuff. Oh boy, it’s really messy over there. User John__Exile went on at length with a comparison to the story, particularly concerning the ending: “The crazy shit about this, is the woman she settled down with is one of the yotei 6, who was complicit in her entire family getting killed in the beginning. so the whole revenge trope even failed.” They concluded, “The weakest part is the story …ther I said it,” echoed by another user, monstert_t.
One point in the conversation escalated greatly: the sexuality of the main character. In Atsu’s storyline, she ends up in a same-sex relationship and later adopts a child. This plot point became an instant controversy when ElFusilerito exclaimed, “I fucking knew it!!!! Atsu is lesbian and ends up adopting a child with her partner. Of course, the terrorist had to push her agenda. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!” A retaliation followed wherein some defended the representation while others criticized it as being “woke.”
Amidst the flood of negative comments, a few rallied for Blonde’s cause. HollowFlynn (DivineSlayer89) defended the game passionately, stating: “It’s phenomenal, up there with RDR2 for me.” Far beyond the controversial endings, HollowFlynn was drunk on pure exploration and side content. This sparked a fiery reputation battle with John__Exile, who responded with, “Dont even compare this slop to the legendary game that is RDR2. Sony will never make a story as good as R ever.” Thus followed a hot display of debating quality, some betting on the game’s “flop,” while others accusing the rest of having “loser mentality.”
That does seem like merely gameplay discussions: GGameChamps expressed with awe: “Bro’s reflexes are built different 😮🔥.” PANCAKEPAP1 shared horror stories about a tough boss, “He’s honestly the hardest boss I’ve ever fought 😅. Back to back blue and red combos with a disarm finisher? Bruh, the devs are trippin 🤣🤣.” Good note for those for whom it’s all about challenge.
So what is then the place of Ghost of Yōtei? It is a game that is a nightmare difficulty mode that separates warriors from casuals. It is just also a game with the story torn apart in the depths of hell by the audience. Some say it has a potent story with meaning in representation; while others see it as a botched revenge plot and “soy” ending. And this discussion is genuinely draining, but sometimes deliciously so. In a way, it has gotten people talking, which might have been the developer’s intention after all. It’s something no one ever walks away from; it demands a reaction from every single person who experiences it.
Are we gonna be laughing at it? Or with it? We’ll see. Meanwhile, I am off to play Lethal mode. More deaths incoming, send some luck my way!
