In 2020, Sucker Punch struck a deal with the estate of the late Samurai film director, Akira Kurosawa, to bring a black-and-white Kurosawa mode into Ghost of Tsushima. During this week’s State of Play for the upcoming sequel, Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch revealed that Kurosawa mode is making a comeback. And it’s not the only nod to Samurai cinema.
Near the end of the gameplay deep dive video, the Ghost of Yotei devs disclosed a partnership with 13 Assassins director Takashi Miike for another mode which brings players a more intimate glimpse of the battle sequences “for a more intense, raw experience along with increased mud and blood splatter.”
The third collaboration is with Samurai Champloo director Shinichirō Watanabe. The dev team noted that Watanabe actually directed his mode in the game, which adds some original lo-fi tracks to Ghost of Yotei’s soundtrack.