The launch of the new modes to play Ghost of Yotei by PlayStation appeared to have completely blown the gaming community’s collective mind. Reaction is splited right down the middle one could think. A re-post of three brand-new options in the director mode menu by the company’s tweet—Kurosawa mode, Watanabe mode, and Miike mode—that would let the player enjoy the game in a completely different way using various cinematic filters and audio improvements was the first thing that came to the eyes of the visitor to their account. Still, the replies were absolutely full of love, hate, and some big-time drama thus it became clear that it was the new factor and not just a build-up to the game.
“Of all the major differences, what would you say is the main thing that sets the modes apart? asked ” So-called Kurosawa mode is probably nothing but a BW filter that gives the impression of an ancient samurai film, Watanabe mode might affect the sound design or the music, and Miike mode could be the reason for some crazy, wild, and the like thing. Do not you think it is a cool concept? However, the game’s controversy is not all about the visuals but rather it is a brutal war about the game’s implementation of “Antifa” in the storyline.
A mention was made of the mode by @YorchTorchGames in a very casual manner as he was the first-ever to bring up the “Antifa mode”. Thereon, the company got all the heat. The next moment, @Shade_Ro1 followed the same request but with a slightly different approach, which further fueled the agitation of the game supporters. Surprisingly, it was revealed that the lady who voiced Atsu, the main character which was Erika Ishii, confessed to being an antifa member in the past, and this was not received well by all players. The social media are filled with opinions like “GHOST OF ANTIFA 🤮🤮,” boycott hashtags are all around the comments, people are flat out calling the game developers a “terrorist organization,” and the issue is too hot to handle to not bring up politics. For instance, they even brought up that one of the developers told his followers about breaking a piece of news regarding Charlie Kirk’s death through an event? These are a lot of things to take in.
Furthermore, @TheTankBall, the gaming veteran, and his comrades decided to confront the company on their sales figures, as the game was a flop and the boycott was effective. The comparison with Expedition 33 was made, which supposedly has sold 5 million copies and Ghost of Yotei was named “DEI slop” and “woke garbage.” The situation is portrayed through the lens that the developers prioritized the messages in the game rather than the gameplay, and they do not hesitate to express their views.
The period of agitation saw the developer on one end of the spectrum hit the hardest and the other one cheering the game modes the loudest. The game’s strength of smoothly intertwining a remarkable narrative with the new and equally remarkable features was what attracted the former group and the latter was the positive side missions and characters. The supporters of the company are not the majority of the players but they are present and they are giving their views quite loudly.
Yeah, the game’s community sure is a mix of sanity and madness. @Katanis was the one who wanted a transmog option to be provided in the game, @PirateKing040 was the one who was all appreciative with “Thank you for this game!” However, the two were definitely in the minority as there were too many players who had already formed bad opinions and were spread-ing them. On social media, the people who considered Ghost of Yotei as a symbol of the dark side of modern gaming and those who perceived it as a great artistic expression will always have the equal number of arguments.
The truth is, it is a little tiring. The modes are already an excellent addition, giving players more choices to make their gaming experience unique. More than likely, Kurosawa mode will bring out the grainy, high-contrast look, Watanabe mode enhances the audio immersion, and Miike mode might boost the brutality or the stylistic weirdness. The extra spice was what was supposed to appeal to the audience, but alas, the situation is now overwhelmed with politics, war, and fury that is just a little too over the top acted.
Eventually, Ghost of Yotei is caught right in the middle of all the ruckus. The new modes are indeed a very cool update to the game, but the hostile battle is dominating it. Whether you are in for the cinematic filters or the drama, one thing is certain—that this game is staying on our radar, so you better give it a try and see for yourself or just grab some popcorn and enjoy the frenzy on Xbox. Even so, it is one wild roller coaster ride.
