Don't expect to blast your way through Ghost of Yotei: "Blades are the heart of the fantasy"

Ghost of Yotei introduces the greatest Samurai technique of all time – just shooting a guy – but the developers have warned that Atsu is no Texas Red, and that blades are still king.

Ghost of Yotei takes place hundreds of years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, and as a result, technology has advanced. During the recent Ghost of Yotei dedicated State of Play, footage revealed Atsu can start blasting, as she has access to firearms in the game. However, the developers have assured us that Yotei isn't about to become a shooting game, and good old fashioned sword swinging is still its name.

GamesRadar+ features editor Andrew Brown spoke to Ghost of Yotei's creative directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell and asked specifically about the place of guns in the game.

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Fox dubbed firearms "not incredibly efficient" in line with how they were back in 1603. He elaborated, "Firearms have a role, and they are incredibly deadly when used at the right time," adding, "but it's not like Gun Kata, where the firearm is the melee weapon. Blades are the heart of the fantasy."

However, Atsu isn't completely out of luck when it comes to fighting at range, as she has access to new melee weapons that help with that – namely a spear and a flail that can dispatch enemies in no time.

And of course, she'll still have access to bows, which are probably the ideal ranged weapon anyway if you're going to take a stealthy approach – and you won't have to deal with Jin's annoying uncle berating you for it either! Although, in my eyes, nothing beats strolling into a camp and announcing to the whole population that you're here for a scrap.

Ghost of Yotei "isn't going to rush you through anything" and "focuses on player freedom more than any game Sucker Punch has ever made," with clues and activities for all play styles.