Ghost of Yotei 'awesome' new free mode debuts to rave player reception

We’re nearing the one-year anniversary of Sucker Punch’s excellent Ghost of Yotei - and that occasion is set to be celebrated in a big way.

On October 1, Ghost of Yotei players will be able to upgrade to the Complete Edition for $14.99, granting them access to the new roguelike Most Wanted mode and single-player Echoes of Sekigahara story DLC.

From today though, you can enjoy yet another new mode for free; it’s called Beauty of Yotei.

Anyone who’s played Ghost of Yotei will know that it’s open-world is divine, following in the footsteps of its predecessor Ghost of Tsushima.

Beauty of Yotei essentially encourages you to mindfully appreciate the game’s beauty without always being in pursuit of new objectives.

It’ll essentially transition through various picturesque vistas as you listen to relaxing accompanying music.

The free mode was originally advertised as landing alongside the new paid additions on October 1, but it seems that players have been granted early access.

It’s not intended to extend the gameplay experience, per se; there’s plenty on the way to fit that bill on October 1.

Instead, Sucker Punch invites players to simply just relax and unwind (or you can open up Photo Mode and snap some exquisitely beautiful shots).

I’m all for that but I admit, I’m surprised at just how well this unassuming little mode has gone down with the masses. It’s rave reviews across the board.

“Wow, these new additions are looking to be really awesome. Go Sucker Punch!! I can’t wait to play this,” said Reddit user Working_Sprite_849.

“YOOOO what this is sick. I gotta hop on and try it,” added TylerYamabe.

User SM_Buckets commented, “Jumped straight into Beauty mode, so nice and relaxing,” while Zealousideal-Solid88 remarked, “They cooked with this mode, so peaceful.”

The game’s free October 1 update was also supposed to include additional Watanabe Mode tracks as well as several new quality-of-life features, including the ability to keep certain armour appearances.

Again, nothing has been said on Beauty of Yotei’s early availability - correct at the time of writing - so we also don’t know what this means for the arrival of those other features.

Echoes of Sekigahara will hopefully boast a similar size to Iki island

It’s arguably Echoes of Sekigahara that is Ghost of Yotei’s most anticipated new addition.

The DLC is split between two periods of Atsu’s life, exploring her time on the mainland in the Battle of Sekigahara and the present day.

In those flashbacks, you’ll learn more about a key figure from Atsu’s past by the name of Nagato.

“In the present, Nagato has arrived in Ezo and is wanted by the Vipers, outlaws loyal to the Snake left leaderless after his death,” reads the synopsis.

“The Vipers are a group of vicious poachers who have taken over Ashoro Foothills, a previously unseen area of Ezo that was once teeming with wildlife and has now been left devastated.

Atsu must reluctantly team up with Nagato to find a close ally who’s been taken from her by the Vipers. In Ashoro Foothills, she’ll find new enemy types, new heavy weapons to wield, new mythic tales and abilities, new armour sets and cosmetics, and much more.”

Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island story DLC added around five hours of main story content or around 13 hours for completionists.

As such, we’re hoping to see Echoes of Sekighara offer similar value.