If a game includes stealth elements, it’s fair to expect said game to include some sort of focused listening ability. Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us have superpowers to help them highlight clickers. Assassin’s Creed assassins can use Eagle Vision to outline enemies and a whole wealth of other notable things in the environment. Ghost of Tsushima‘s Jin Sakai gained a focused hearing ability as he embraced the way of the ghost, AKA became a ninja. So where’s Atsu’s ability in Ghost of Yōtei?
[Ed. note: Spoilers for Ghost of Yōtei follow.]
Depending on what path you’ve taken in Ghost of Yōtei, Sucker Punch Productions’ latest open-world samurai adventure, you may think that the overpowered focused hearing ability is nowhere to be found. As some players have bemoaned on the Ghost of Yotei subreddit, it’s not introduced right away, despite numerous combat encounters that sure seem structured around stealth, and specifically about having such an ability. Turns out, the game actually does have a super hearing power (called Listen), but it’s somewhat buried late in the game.
Atsu, Yōtei‘s revenge-seeking protagonist, has flexibility in what order she can go after the Yōtei Six. Right out of the gates, you’ll receive main story quests granting Atsu the options of seeking out a rematch with Lord Saito, snuffing the fire of the Oni, or chasing after the Kitsune. Though, let’s be honest: You’re probably going to get distracted exploring its open world before going after any of them. There are so many shrines to pray at, hot springs to dip in, and weapons masters to train under that you could play for two dozen hours before even slaying a member of the Yōtei Six (raises hand).
Deep into the main quests, however, is where you’ll find the Listen ability. In the snowy Teshio Ridge, while pursuing the Kitsune and his band of Nine Tails shinobi, Atsu will gain the super hearing superpower. This will make stealth sections a bit smoother as enemies will be easily spotted through focused hearing, but I’d argue there’s a better way to play Ghost of Yōtei.
Your mileage may vary, but over the course of my 33 hours exploring Ezo so far (and I’m only just now pursuing the Kitsune), I’ve opted for straight combat over stealth nearly every time. It’s not that Atsu isn’t a good ghostly ninja — stealth is absolutely a viable strategy in this game — it’s just that the moment-to-moment combat is so much more fun. Especially when the wolf joins in!
As I’ve cleared out a handful of wolf den quests so far and upgraded the wolf’s skill tree, my canine companion is more liable to show up than ever. Anytime I approach an enemy encampment thinking, “Alright, this is the time I clear these guys from the shadows,” the standoff button pops up on the bottom of my screen as well as a prompt reminding me I can play the shamisen to summon the wolf. And every time, I summon that damn wolf.
It’s not my fault standoffs are so cool! Standoffs with a partner? Double the cool. When that partner is a wolf? Infinite cool.
Fighting through a village taken over by Oni Raiders or on a farm occupied by Nine Tails is such a joy with Atsu’s wolf friend by her side. The wolf is deadly in her own right, killing an enemy during a standoff alongside Atsu. She’ll also stagger foes for an easy opening for Atsu to capitalize on. I particularly enjoy throwing empty sake jars at enemies, which can prompt the wolf to lunge at their throats. Good dog.
Atsu and her wolf companion are powerful enough in Ghost of Yōtei, bordering on OP the more Atsu’s skill tree is filled out. Whether striking from stealth or taking enemies head on, she has a range of powerful options in how you want her to dispatch a foe. I didn’t yearn for the Listen ability throughout my early hours with Ghost of Yōtei, and I don’t see myself using it much now.
