Sucker Punch art director breaks down the beauty of Ghost of Yōtei

How do you follow up one of the most breathtakingly beautiful games ever made?

That’s the situation that developer Sucker Punch has found itself in with Ghost of Yōtei, the highly anticipated sequel to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. Among many points of praise, that original PS4 action-adventure game garnered rave reviews for its stunningly photorealistic recreation of feudal Japan, going on to win Best Art Direction at The Game Awards.

Now, five years later on the PS5, Sucker Punch has given us an even more arrestingly gorgeous game. To learn more about it, MobileSyrup sat down with Joanna Wang, Sucker Punch’s art director. In a wide-ranging interview, she talked about what even makes good art direction, the yellow motif that defines the vengeful protagonist Atsu, her experiences visiting Japan, representing the Indigenous Ainu people and more.

What would you say makes “good” art direction?

Joanna Wang: I would narrow it down to three parts, especially for a game like Ghost of Yōtei. First, you want to go into pushing for how the player will feel, not just the look. The look is important, but we need to [consider] how the player will feel about everything. Because this is the beauty of the game: you’re able to get into that place, and then go through the landscape, and go through all the story. And everybody has a unique, more personal experience. So you walk out of this and you feel like, “This is my story, this is my own unique view.” It’s not like a photo or picture. That’s most important, I think, for the art direction and as an art director, and that’s what we want to push for in the end result.

Second, for a game like Ghost of Yōtei — culture is a huge background for the story, and there is a big responsibility to represent a culture that is not our own culture. We have a big gap over there. So we need to be respectful, and then to be able to learn and then follow the guidance. Luckily, we have our cultural advisors, these professionals, to help guide us. And then we just become students and slowly learn from them — to understand “Why is this this way?” And then checking with them what we can do, what would not be good to do, and then finding a balance between.

The last thing for art direction is translating all the visions from the different teams, different departments, even across the whole game. Because there’s one vision you want to achieve, but then you break it down for the tech, what it means for the art, what it means for the story — it can be all different. I oftentimes think about it [like] you’re standing in the middle of the crossroads and you need to look at culture, look at art, look at tech, and then look at story and also gameplay. And then you try to look at all of them and try to make sure you’re being the bridge in the middle with a sort of language to communicate it and bring everything together. That helps us create this cohesive world in the game and [ensure we’re] all speaking the same language.

I really appreciate that insight because Tsushima is obviously so well-regarded for how beautiful it is. You even won The Game Award for art direction in 2020. Given all of that, when you set out to make this sequel, what was your approach to taking this art direction that is already so beloved and moving it up to the next level?

Wang: First of all, we are really, really appreciative of all the love for Ghost of Tsushima. Even nowadays, we still see some of the Photo Mode [posts], inspiring us with the players’ point of a view. And when we were starting Ghost of Yōtei, we knew there were some areas we established in Ghost of Tsushima that we definitely wanted to keep pushing forward and double down on, because people like them. And for the exploration, for the game flow, we wanted to add more — the freedom of how you’re going to explore this world and the vibrant colour and then the cinematic feeling, and how dynamic the world feels, because we’re using the [Guiding] Wind. It’s part of the identity of Ghost, so we wanted to double down on it. So those are the areas we kept pushing to see how we can improve upon from Ghost of Tsushima.

And of course, there’s something new. From the art, we see Hokkaido, which in the old times was Ezo. It’s a massive land. It’s vast. And it’s always changing. And then the nature is so beautiful and vertically and horizontally, [it was] being stretched way more than Tsushima. So [that’s] a big challenge for us, because we want to go in to make the player feel that vast land — that wild, untamed, remote feeling. And this is something very early on we knew we’re going to push — the draw distance for this massive amount of field and how the gameplay fits into this massive field. You cannot just have a field and only have its look. How is the story progression? You can see the map itself — the layout is very different from Tsushima. And so with that map, how can we [let] the player flow through that area, give that freedom and still guide you? And so those are all the new things, and a new challenge for us. And we are very excited to show the world to everybody, and how those areas are being set in Ghost of Yōtei.

Something I think is really interesting in Yōtei is the use of colour. The first game’s cover art was [protagonist] Jin with this black armour and white flowers behind him, creating this yin-and-yang sort of look. In Yōtei, there’s a lot of striking yellows — in the cover art with Atsu’s outfit, the flowers around her and then throughout the game itself. How did you settle on this overarching colour scheme and what did you want it to symbolize in Atsu’s journey?

Wang: Atsu is a unique character, and she is a capable warrior, and she is a lone wolf mercenary. And through this whole story and her journey, you’re able to see who she was and who she grew into. So you see that 16 years ago, everything was taken away from her. And she was pinned [by a sword] on that tree when she was still a little girl. And that tree is almost like a big umbrella over her house, and it’s at the foot of Mount Yōtei — you can see it from her backyard. And there’s that beautiful ginkgo tree with the branch almost covering the whole space. So I always look at this almost like a protection, the umbrella of her house. And then the colour of this ginkgo tree is very striking yellow, and the night when she was pinned on that tree, the leaves all burned to ash, and then all of the yellows fell down to the ground and have that [sadness].

But then, later on, you see that tree survived. It still has that one branch of yellow. So, [we’re] giving the player a hint of that yellow to remind the player of her story, her past, and then you can feel that pain, that scar, in her. And then it carries through important key mission areas to remind you. And when you connect those dots together, you can see who she grows into, what her story and journey are like. It’s almost like it slowly unfolds in front of you.

I know that you and several people from the team got to visit Japan multiple times for research for the game. What were some of the things you saw or experienced in Hokkaido that had the biggest impact on the art direction of Yōtei?

Wang: Yeah, we had multiple trips to Japan, not just for artists, but designers, the audio person, the foliage artist and programmers… Because everybody has a different perspective from different professional angles. And so I went on that trip, and it was mind-blowing seeing the real-life Hokkaido. I saw some pictures already, but when [you’re] there, and then you feel it, it’s a completely different story. And the first thing that stuck in my head, I was processing… When we [went] to, like, a big national park, we travelled from a little bit north all the way to the south, so from a little bit more remote area to the Matsumae Castle. It’s like how our game is — the flow. So I was standing in the big Shiretoko National Park and seeing that thick, short bamboo field. In my head, I was just processing how I could bring that feeling into the game. Because you can see the individual assets, but when all those little elements line up together, it becomes another very emotional feeling.

I also want to share a couple of very memorable moments. The first is when I saw Yōtei. We were standing across from Lake Toya, and I saw that perfectly shaped mountain from the distance, and it was snowcapped on the top, and it was towering over this big land. Everything else looked so small! And nothing could even compete with that. And the mountain was also reflecting onto the lake. So, [we’re] creating that realism and dreaming feeling, like it’s growing out from the earth but drifting away in the water — that almost kind of magical feeling. That’s something I will never, ever forget. That big, gigantic mountain is kind of like a symbol of Atsu — lonely, by itself, standing there, but then powerful.

Another moment: we had Ainu advisors we were working very closely with. We had a chance to visit a museum with them and also meet their families. And then the grandma would take us to forests, to forges, to pick out wild vegetables and show us what you should eat — “No touching, otherwise you’ll have itching on your hand!” It was showing us how they respect the nature; to give thanks to nature, what it can offer you, and to take only what you need. Because you need to preserve that the next coming year. And a lot of that, in modern days, we never thought about.

So those are really big impacts on us. And so we made the forging minigame in the game, because this is a part of the beauty we experienced. Not to mention we ate those vegetables — we went back to their house and cooked them the traditional way they cook. And it was amazing. It reminded me of my grandma and how she was treated and how she took care of me when I was little — those emotional feelings. That’s something we want the player to feel. Everybody can feel a different way. They will approach [the game] a different way. So hopefully, they can take away from [Yōtei] those feelings that we had and [have] their own unique perspectives.

Something else I really like about Yōtei is the whole premise with the Yōtei Six [the group of outlaws who Atsu is hunting after they murdered her family]. It’s a smart way to give a unique structure to the game and the different parts of the map that each kind of have their own flavor. For instance, the Oni is this brutal warlord in this sort of autumnal area, while the Kitsune is more of a sly fox who’s in the snowy areas and hides in the shadows. How did you go about deciding on the look and feel of each Yōtei Six member and the biomes that they dominate?

Wang: Because of how you can play the game, that great freedom — I would say it has the most freedom of any game that Sucker Punch has ever made — we felt we needed to give each area its own identity, its own personality. So for [whoever] the player was going to approach, you will feel the background story of this area. You can feel who’s in charge of this area that you’ll eventually be fighting. And then each of the Yōtei Six have some of the theme and ability and skills and their background story as well. So we wanted to look at it on the whole to build this map and make it more memorable for the player. And once you get there, you’re like, “Oh, I know who’s in this area!”

Using all the way north, the snow area, for example — that’s where those snow ninjas are. So we’re building that deep snow when you’re barely able to walk through and leave a long track. We build the trees that have the heavy snow on the top that’s falling down on you when you walk by. We’re also building the ninja enemies who can come out from those thick snow piles. So we are merging the environments, how the visuals look, with the gameplay, with how dynamic the world feels to interact with you, all together to give the player a strong memory and [let them be] more immersed into this world. So you need to watch out for different ways of how they’re going to approach you. You might need a different strategy when you get to that area. That gives variety to the whole map.

[That’s] not even mentioning colours, because I love talking about colour! From the bottom [of the map], which is more springtime [with] cherry blossoms covering the ground, and nearby the castle, [there’s] all these pink flowing petals to the middle, which is more like summertime, and then thick bamboo grass covers from field to forest all the way to the mountain. And later on, you see the autumn area. We painted orange-yellow trees around all of the hills and left the golden field in the middle so you can go into traversal, explore around it, and then go all the way to the north to the white snow area. Even in the white snow area, we made maple [trees] still holding their leaves and not letting go, so they’re red and white. It gives you a little bit of a contrast, so players will remember, “Oh, I went there, had this story happen and fought this character and fought at this enemy, and I walked away with this fresh personal memory.”

As an artist, I can only imagine how fulfilling it must be to go to Japan, produce those early concept arts, and then now look at the finished game. With that in mind, what part of Hokkaido are you most proud of having realized in Yōtei? Whether it’s a landmark or a forest or a temple or just an overall sort of vibe, if you had to pick something.

Wang: So earlier, I shared about when I first saw Yōtei. Unfortunately, I’m not able to go to the top of a mountain by myself in real life, but I did it in the game. And our amazing art team, rendering team, effects team — everybody together, they’re creating the content there. And so one day I was playing through that part of the game, and I was like, “You know what? I’m gonna climb to the top of a mountain to see what will be there. Let me take a look.” And I did that shrine climb. And then halfway, when I saw the snow started, there’s no green anymore, the darker clouds started coming and I even saw a little bit of thunder, I was like, “Oh my god, that feels intense. I need to go on this very narrow line to climb up. I better not fall, because that looks pretty high!”

And eventually, I arrived at the top, and I did my bow to the shrine. And the sky cleared out, and it’s blue sky, it’s beautiful. I can see miles and miles away from where I stood. It’s deep snow. It feels cold. And you can see all the cold mist blowing. But the view over there is priceless. I’m not a very [athletic] person; I probably would have a hard time hiking that far to the mountain! [laughs] But I did this in the digital world, and to have that little taste of what Mother Nature can offer, it’s just an amazing feeling. And that’s my favourite spot. And I can go around the top of the mountain and keep looking at different views — every square inch was built by the team. And I see all the landmarks, missions people can play — all of it together in that one spot. It’s just fulfilling, and I cannot be more happy than that.

This interview was edited for language, length and clarity.

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Ghost of Yōtei will launch exclusively on PS5 on October 2. For more on the game, check out our full review and interview with directors Jason Connell and Nate Fox.

Image credit: PlayStation