WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Ghost of Tsushima.
Sucker Punch Productions' Ghost of Tsushima takes inspiration from both fictional works and historical accounts and makes players feel like they've just stepped into a film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Set during the real-world Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274, the game places players in the role of Jin Sakai, an honor-bound samurai who must embrace the art of stealth in order to repel the attack on Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima was highly successful at launch, seen by many as a swan song for the PlayStation 4. With this high amount of praise, many fans have likely already begun contemplating the possibility of a sequel. While it is too early to tell what the future holds for Jin Sakai, the game's ending does leave room open for a sequel.
A Masterless Ronin
Ghost of Tsushima, like many of the samurai films that inspired it, ends on a bittersweet note. Jin succeeds in repelling the Mongol invasion of Tsushima, though over the course of the game he is forced to use progressively more underhanded tactics. When the Mongol leadership is destroyed, Tsushima's Shogun decides that Jin has dishonored himself and poses a threat to the island. The Shogun orders Jin's uncle Shimura to kill Jin, and the game's final duel is between these two clansmen.
Jin has the option of either killing or sparring Shimura, but this has little effect on the ending. The result is that Jin is now forced to go on the run, shunned by the very people that he sacrificed his honor to protect. As a samurai without a master, Jin has become a drifter, or rōnin. These wandering warriors are typically seen as the protagonists of samurai films, so Jin's fate is thematically appropriate, and a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima could really dive into this turn of events.
A Second Invasion
The Mongol invasion of Tsushima in 1274 was a very real event, even if Sucker Punch changed some details to fit its game's story. The initial battle ended in the deaths of all the Japanese defenders, just as the game depicts, and afterwards the Mongols truly did conquer the entire island very quickly. And, like in the game, the invasion force was eventually defeated.
However, history also provides the perfect opportunity for a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. About seven years later, in early 1281, a second Mongol invasion of Japan began. Tsushima was attacked once again, and the invading fleet also managed to conquer other areas of Japan. This second invasion could serve as a great backdrop for a sequel, especially because this invasion spread to new areas which could allow Sucker Punch to expand the game world.
A New Protagonist
Ghost of Tsushima's story puts heavy focus on Jin as a protagonist. His code of honor is reflected through gameplay mechanics and his skills make him the ideal samurai player character. However, with his story coming to a fairly definitive end, it might be wise for a sequel to focus on a different character entirely.
Many characters throughout Ghost of Tsushima could easily carry their own game, such as the former thief turned warrior Yuna. An entirely new character could also work, perhaps serving as a contrast to Jin by starting the game with no code of honor and gradually gaining one throughout the game. In any case Jin Sakai could still appear in the game's story as an NPC, preserving his crucial role in the story.
Ghost of Tsushima is perhaps Sucker Punch's magnum opus, a game that truly immerses players in another time and place. While any potential sequel is still far off, there are many paths that Sucker Punch could take to get there. Anyone who loved Ghost of Tsushima would certainly be eager to step back into Sucker Punch's version of feudal Japan as soon as possible.