Final Fantasy 14 Director Reveals Ghost of Yotei Was the Game That Impressed Him Most in 2025

The director and producer of Final Fantasy 14, Naoki Yoshida, has revealed that Ghost of Yotei was the game that impressed him the most in 2025. This year has seen lots of significant games be released from both AAA and indie developers, so the praise for Ghost of Yotei from Final Fantasy 14’s head developer is noteworthy.

While it was released near the end of the year, Ghost of Yotei has stood out to many PlayStation fans. The game, developed by Sucker Punch Productions, is one of only eight PS5 exclusives, and it has set itself apart thanks to its impressive visuals and gameplay. While the game faced controversy leading up to launch, Ghost of Yotei received positive reviews from many critics. Currently, the title has an 87 on OpenCritic, with many reviewers highlighting its striking graphics and combat. In addition to critics, a developer has recently praised the game.

Related

Final Fantasy 14 Players Are Using the Strategy Board Wrong, But It Feels So Right

Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.4 introduced the Strategy Board to help plan boss fights, but players are using it for just about everything else.

Yoshi-P Reveals Why Ghost of Yotei Impressed Him This Year

Among those leaving positive comments about Ghost of Yotei is Naoki Yoshida, also known as Yoshi-P. In an interview with 4Gamer, the Final Fantasy 14 producer and director revealed (via machine translation) that Ghost of Yotei was the game that impressed him the most in 2025. While Yoshi-P said that he played various games during the year, he continues to play Sucker Punch’s latest PS5 exclusive. When speaking to 4Gamer, he revealed that he “learned a lot” from the game, “both technically and in terms of production skill and dedication.” Furthermore, he highlighted the representation of Mount Yotei. According to the developer, he would visit Niseko for snowboarding and was always impressed with the volcanic mountain. “The reproduction of that beauty was also outstanding!” he said.

While some players might be surprised by Yoshi-P’s pick for the game that impressed him most in 2025, it is not hard to see why he liked the graphics. Taking place 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei features an impressive recreation of the northern Japanese countryside from the Edo Period. Additionally, Mount Yotei is significant, with the game taking place in what is known as the Hokkaido region today, which is where Yoshida is from. Sucker Punch also used technologies like ray tracing to help create the incredible world that impressed fans, such as Yoshi-P.

It is worth pointing out that this is not the first time that Final Fantasy 14’s producer and director has revealed one of his favorite games. Early this year, Yoshi-P said that he had been enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. In that case, he praised the development of the game and recommended that those interested in getting into the industry should play it.

More Things Are Planned for Final Fantasy 14 in 2026

Despite playing other games, Yoshida remains committed to Final Fantasy 14. While the game is well over a decade old at this point, new content continues to be released to keep players engaged. Additionally, hot fixes continue to be released to improve the game experience, such as the Final Fantasy 14 update that was released on Christmas Day to address various bugs.

With 2025 nearly over, Yoshi-P plans to make “even greater strides” for the game in 2026. According to the interview with 4Gamer, more information about what to expect from the game is expected from the team in the spring of next year. While players wait for new updates, Yoshi-P has previously teased big changes for Final Fantasy 14. While he has not gone into great detail as to what this could mean, he has suggested that a “second rebirth” for the game could be coming. Ultimately, fans will have to wait and see what the developer has in store in 2026.

Systems

Released

August 27, 2013

ESRB

T for Teen – Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Engine

Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it’s a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.

•