Now, some leaked screenshots might offer a bit more of an idea as to some of the stuff you’d have been able to get up to in between patting various creatures and swinging a staff around.
Ghost of Yotei gives its revenge-seeking protagonist Atsu a wide range of traditional Japanese weapons to wield, including bows, swords and spears. Last week, however, a Japanese-speaking user on X questioned whether it was realistic or even possible for Atsu to draw a very long sword from her back, prompting a flood of video comments from traditional Japanese martial arts practitioners.
In Ghost of Yotei, you’ll pick up the Odachi (literally ‘big sword’) in The Way of the Odachi quest (check out our walkthrough here). It is a useful addition to Atsu’s arsenal, especially when facing off against larger enemies (brutes). It allows her to block heavy attacks and then push back against the opponent, opening them up for a devastating slice.
As she already has two swords at her hip, Atsu opts to sheath the Odachi on her back, however X user ikazombie questioned how on earth you’d pull this off without dislocating something. Upon slowing the clip down, they realised that you could theoretically draw and sheath it from over your left shoulder, but seemed unconvinced about how this would be accomplished in real life.
Japanese martial arts practitioners commented with videos. User Harima_mekkai (a member of the Tenshinryu school) decided to try out Atsu’s way of wearing and drawing an Odachi. She posted a video of herself successfully unsheathing a 1m long sword weighing 1.5kg from over her left shoulder. This shows that the drawing part of Atsu’s Odachi technique is actually doable, albeit it takes effort and training to pull it off that smoothly.
Another user by the name of Lornplum replied with a video of himself drawing and sheathing a back-mounted sword and described the way Atsu deals with the length by holding the blade as she draws it as a “brilliant touch of realism.”
Sucker Punch did get members of the Tenshinryu school to do motion capture for the sword fights and stances in Ghost of Yotei. Tenshinryu is a traditional Japanese martial art which dates from the 1600s and covers the art of a wide variety of weapons, including spears, swords and chain sickles. PlayStation Japan recently posted a side-by-side video of Ghost of Yotei footage and Tenshinryu members enacting the fight scene.
However, there is still a bit of video game coolness trumping realism here. The clips of real-life pros show them moving the sheath up and over their shoulder more (or even around their body) to make it easier to draw and sheath the weapon. This is especially apparent when sheathing the sword. It seems that the amount of movement in Atsu’s Odaichi sheathing was reduced, likely to make whipping out and holstering the weapon smoother and more responsive for players.
As Lornplum commented on Harima_Mekkai’s demonstration of drawing a Odaichi Atsu-style: “As you can see, with some effort anyone can manage to draw it, however sheathing it (like Atsu does) is pretty much impossible.”
While they look cool in games, it goes without saying that having a sword on your back in real life makes it much more awkward to access than if it was at your hip. Last year, a Link cosplayer found it impossible to unsheath their back-mounted sword Breath of the Wild-style. However, they received a bit of unexpected advice from none other than Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai, who explained that they made Link’s sword skills a little more realistic for Smash Bros. Ultimate by having him move the scabbard.
IGN’s Ghost of Yotei review returned an 8/10. We said: “A predictable but well-executed story takes you through Ghost of Yotei’s gorgeous landscapes and satisfying, fluid action – it may not be revolutionizing open world games, but it’s a great distillation of the samurai fantasy.”
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
Someone ring up Slayer, because it’s going to raining blood in Borderlands 4 soon. That being the natural way to precede the arrival of the shooter‘s first paid DLC bounty pack next month and a free December update that’ll bring a weird tree fight to the endgame.
All of this stuff will lay a pre-Christmas foundation for the arrival of a fresh vault hunter early next year. That hunter, whom Gearbox showed off a little while ago out of contept for chronological reveals, is Randy Pitchford’s magic cowboy spirit animal.
In a new interview with Traxion, series producer Takashi Iizuka explained why the game needed more time before launching on the Switch 2, and his reasoning is pretty much in line with what we’d expected. Supposedly, the Switch 2 launch date of 5th June 2025 meant that the development team simply needed more time to optimise the game properly.
Dissidia Final Fantasy brings together the largest collection of Final Fantasy characters ever in a fighting game where players can choose their allegiance between good and evil. The first such game was released in 2008, and it returned a Great 8.9/10. From what we can tell from the new teaser site set up by publisher Square Enix, though, this is a “Team Boss Battle Arena” that will only be coming to iOS and Android mobile devices.
While Square Enix plans to tell us more on October 14, fans have already been scouring the mini-site, which one suggesting the silhouetted roster teaser image could include key Final Fantasy characters like Edward or Kain, Terra, Warrior of Light, Lightning, Tinoa, Cloud, and more, all “redesigned characters with modern outfits.”
We also can see five images of the game’s gorgeous environment art on the website, which we’ve embedded below for you:
Reaction is mixed. For instance, in a Reddit thread dedicated to the new game, one unimpressed player advised: “no one join. Let this game burn in the hell of EoS after one month.” Another thread called “Excited about new Dissidia news just to see it’s more mobile game nonsense” says: “Please Square even just a modern port of Duodecim so that I don’t have to see another live service slop you keep insisting just so you can shut down its servers again for the nth time.”
Not everyone’s so pessimistic, though — “if it is half as good as Dissidia Opera Omnia, I’m ready to open the wallet,” wrote this fan.
Whatever it is, we don’t have to wait long to hear more: Square Enix said we’ll find out more at 3am PT/6am ET on October 14 — you’ll be able to watch the reveal on YouTube.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, October 12, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers for $39.99
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is available on sale for the first time since launch. In our 8/10 review, we wrote, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is yet another great soulslike to add to the ever-increasing pile, featuring excellent combat, wonderful level design, an incredible skill tree, and fearsome bosses.”
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach for $49.99
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has hit a brand-new all-time low price today on Amazon, sitting at $49.99 for a physical copy. Months after the events of the first game, Sam Porter Bridges sets off on a new journey to link together the continent of Australia in hopes of connecting it to the recently established UCA. The sequel upgrades gameplay tremendously, with a fantastic narrative and score that are sure to be memorable for any player.
Apple AirTag 4-Pack for $64.99
Apple AirTags are some of the best products out there for numerous reasons. While they aren’t necessarily exciting, AirTags can make your life so much easier. Throw one in your luggage, backpack, or even Nintendo Switch 2 case for easy tracking.
Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip
Amazon has the M3 MacBook Air available for just $1099, marking a $600 discount. This laptop packs in 24GB of unified memory, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.3-inch display. Powered by the M3 chip, this is a laptop that is capable of anything you throw at it.
Gears of War: Reloaded for $34.99
Gears of War: Reloaded was released this August, marking the series’ debut on PlayStation consoles. This release brings support for 4K and 60FPS, which are essential for a premium experience. In our review update, we wrote, “I can say that the glowing review of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and its few faults still stand true with Reloaded. The story begins by throwing you into the thick of a losing war. Things go from shit to shittier for Marcus Fenix and crew as they try to accomplish one task that spirals out of control, and while that may not be fun for them, it sure is exciting to play, especially with the technical updates.”
Final Fantasy Physical Switch Pre-Orders
Square Enix announced this week that Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered are heading to Nintendo Switch in the form of a physical pack. While this collection was available outside of North America, this is the first time it sees an official release in the United States. A separate Final Fantasy IX physical release was also announced, following the same pattern. Both physicals are set to drop on December 9, so get your pre-orders in now.
Crucial P310 4TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD
Amazon has this Crucial P310 4TB SSD available for $201.99. This is perfect for PC owners looking to expand their Steam library, but it’s also amazing for PlayStation 5, as a built-in heatsink is included.
Spider-Man 2 for $39.99
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the premier PlayStation 5 games, and you can take it home this weekend for just $39.99. Following the events of both Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2 pits Peter and Miles against Venom in a wild narrative that takes place across new areas of New York City.
Intel Arc B570 Graphics Card for $199.99
The Intel Arc B570 Graphics Card is just $199.99 this weekend at Amazon. This is a solid card that seriously provides solid 1080p performance. In our 7/10 review, we wrote, “for people that just want to play lighter weight indies, esports, older games, or don’t mind turning down the settings a bit, the Intel Arc B570 is an incredible little graphics card, and the best thing you’re going to get at this price.”
We are back, back, back with another edition of Box Art Brawl!
Last time, it was the Virtual Boy in the spotlight, as we matched up a duo of covers for Teleroboxer. It was two very different designs and they pulled in very different results, but the North American variant took the dub with 69% of the vote, leaving the Japanese box with 31%.
Developed by Bushiroad Games and Eighting, this one has got some pedigree in that Eighting has given us some well-known fighters in the past, including Naruto: Clash of the Ninja. With Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact, you get down and dirty in 3v3 tag-team-styled action, which is detailed in the official press release thusly:
Bandai Namco this week announced Dragon Ball FighterZ would be getting a brand new balance adjustment update.
It’s now shared the official patch notes for Version 1.40 on its website. It includes changes to every character, including their moveset. Bandai Namco also highlighted how “successfully timing a Z-Reflect can turn the tide of battle”. Here’s the full rundown:
We’ve rounded up the best deals for Saturday, October 11, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach for $49.99
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has hit a brand-new all-time low price today on Amazon, sitting at $49.99 for a physical copy. Months after the events of the first game, Sam Porter Bridges sets off on a new journey to link together the continent of Australia in hopes of connecting it to the recently established UCA. The sequel upgrades gameplay tremendously, with a fantastic narrative and score that are sure to be memorable for any player.
Nike Air Max Dn Roam Available Now
The Nike Air Max Dn Roam are the perfect shoe to level up your style game. These sneakers maintain the Dynamic Air unit cushioning system while providing reliable coverage and traction. If you’re looking for a new pair of shoes that will impress both friends and strangers, these are an excellent choice.
Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip
Amazon has the M3 MacBook Air available for just $1099, marking a $600 discount. This laptop packs in 24GB of unified memory, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.3-inch display. Powered by the M3 chip, this is a laptop that is capable of anything you throw at it.
Final Fantasy Physical Switch Pre-Orders
Square Enix announced this week that Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered are heading to Nintendo Switch in the form of a physical pack. While this collection was available outside of North America, this is the first time it sees an official release in the United States. A separate Final Fantasy IX physical release was also announced, following the same pattern. Both physicals are set to drop on December 9, so get your pre-orders in now.
Crucial P310 4TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD
Amazon has this Crucial P310 4TB SSD available for $201.99. This is perfect for PC owners looking to expand their Steam library, but it’s also amazing for PlayStation 5, as a built-in heatsink is included.
Spider-Man 2 for $39.99
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the premier PlayStation 5 games, and you can take it home this weekend for just $39.99. Following the events of both Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2 pits Peter and Miles against Venom in a wild narrative that takes place across new areas of New York City.
LEGO Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy: The Milano Starship Set for $125.99
Finally, Target has this LEGO Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy: The Milano Starship Set for $125.99. If you’re a fan of the spectacular James Gunn trilogy, this is a set you can easily add to your collection. Fans of GOTG will notice numerous details across this set and its minifigures.
