Ghost of Yōtei - The Ishikari Plains and an Infamous easter egg

Hello community! It's been a while since I played Ghost of Yōtei, but I've picked it up again and have been capturing some great images to share with you. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have left the first area of the game and now find myself in a zone known as the Ishikari Plains, the domain of the Oni, the next target on my revenge list.

As you can see in the following image, the plains are guarded by a castle at the summit of an imposing mountain. Access is nearly impossible, and obviously, it is the place where the Oni is hiding. This mountain not only houses such a fortress, but there are also many other enemy settlements that I must overcome to reach the castle at the top.

Many of the places and villages in the plains are in ruins; bandits have set them on fire, causing the inhabitants to flee. Most areas are deserted, and combat against enemies is constant, as they are the ones occupying the entire territory. Atsu is wearing the Bounty Hunter outfit, which allows me to land 3 hits after a perfect dodge; plus, dyed in red, it looks great.

The wolf that helps me in certain battles has followed me to this new zone. The good news is that I have been able to improve the bond that unites us; this has allowed her to participate more in fights and appear in the moments when I need her the most. I'm close to being able to summon her whenever I want, though for now, it is still random.

Another great surprise the game offers is Atsu's encounter with her brother Jubei, whom she presumed dead when, as children, they were attacked by the Six of Yōtei. Jubei now serves the Matsumae clan, who are also fighting against the Six of Yōtei but under the terms that govern the samurai code. This is the complete opposite of Atsu as a mercenary; however, he decides to support her despite his duties as a samurai.

This hasn't been the only surprise I've encountered in the game. Recently, after exploring a hard-to-reach area at the top of a mountain, I found this mural. At first, I thought it was a boss in the game, but since there is nothing fantasy-based here and everything is very grounded, I realized it was a reference to the final boss of the game Infamous, which is also developed by Sucker Punch Productions, just like Ghost of Yōtei.