The secrets behind Ghost of Yōtei’s The Spider Lily general myth – PlayStation.Blog

“I won’t go in there,” warned Ugetsu, the traveling storyteller, as Atsu approached two large, towering wooden doors. “Because you might not come back.”

This is a warning that many Ghost of Yōtei players often ignore. As the trigger point for the venerable side mission, The Spider Lily General, the ominous gate is the start of a haunting mythological adventure that lingers in the memory after its completion. Perfect for a game launched close to Halloween.

I spoke with Creative Directors, Nate Fox and Jason Connell, to find out the inspiration and secrets behind The Spider Lily General, and how they feel about the popularity of optional missions. But, similar to Ugetsu, I must warn you – there are spoilers ahead. You might want to play through this mission before exploring any further…

Origin of search

“Spider Lily General is actually one of the earliest missions in the game and one of the first Mythic Tales we created,” said Jason. “It comes from one of our designers and writers, and we dissect what makes Mythic missions great, how they look and feel.”

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While these side missions may be inspired by historical figures, The Spider Lily General was created as an original story to represent the trauma of war. The titular soldier’s combat prowess and armor turned him into a legend, but after his retirement, the General accidentally injured his daughter during a sparring session. Seeing his son die of wounds, he poisons the General with unrelenting grief, causing him to haunt the forest. And now marauders hunt for his armor, often dying at the hands of ghost blades.

“We knew we wanted this story to have some tragedy associated with it,” Jason said. “And at some point the writers suggest that this could be a point of reflection for Atsu, which helps him heal. He fights it, but understands the trauma.”

But why spider lilies? Is there any particular symbolism in their use, considering the myth says that they grew wherever the General spilled the blood of his victims?

“They’re actually poisonous, and in real life they’re planted in graves to ward off animals,” explains Nate. “So they represent death, as well as connecting to an emotional connection. They also have a functional purpose in the game – early playable feedback suggests that it’s a bit difficult to understand where to go and what to do in missions because the area is so large. So the lilies make it clear how to move through the fog.”

Developing horror

The practical use of lilies is just one of many mechanical aspects Sucker Punch had to consider for a mission that has a scary feel in contrast to much of the main game.

“We didn’t have a lot of experience with that kind of horror tone,” says Nate. “So there are specific ways to make this world feel different from the one you know. Small mazes, pungent music, and hearing people wailing in the distance. Or reaching a group of enemies before the fog rolls in and you then find them all slaughtered.

“There’s also the use of negative space, like when you start a mission and climb the stairs with the mist descending and the spider lilies rising, with old corpses present… but no one is attacking you. The long walk is just there to immerse you in the tune.”

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View and download images

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“We were inspired by elements from past survival horror games,” explains Jason. “This prototype explored strange camera angles. It was really challenging, but even if we didn’t use it, it gave a sense of what we were trying to achieve.

The atmosphere is one of the greatest tools we have. You paint the entire scene with mood. We made the spooky moon a little bigger and changed the lighting and color grading to get the right black levels. The sound design is also important, as is the music, such as the special tracks during the duels.”

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Its impact on the wider game

Similar to the impact The Spider Lily General had on players, its inclusion early in Ghost of Yōtei’s development helped set a high bar not only for the rest of the Mythic missions, but for the entire adventure.

“This mission paves the way for ensuring that the rest of the game has that level of quality and majesty,” said Jason. “Many of the core parts that make the atmosphere and visual style of Ghost games distinct were pioneered back then – and it reminded us how important it is to use great visual appeal to capture players’ attention.”

“That’s one of my favorite things about this mission,” Nate agreed. “When you ride a horse across this vast field, the player has a choice of where they want to go. But when you look at the forest, there’s a bit of mist over it and you see these beautiful pagodas coming up from above, and it really piques your curiosity. The player discovers the story on its own terms. It’s an incredible experience.”

The impact of myths on players… and studios

The work and thought that went into The Spider Lily General reflects on the game as a whole, but the team was pleased with players’ response to this particular mission, especially considering how invested the studio was in creating Mythics.

“Nate and I are very excited about their performance in Ghost of Tsushima,” said Jason. “So we knew we wanted to build on them again in their new take on Ghost of Yōtei. And it’s been great to see people really enjoying The Spider Lily General. The game has a lot of the hallmarks of the Ghost games at its roots. So as creators, we’re really excited to see people taking photos and talking about why they love the missions.”

“We set out to create a game that is an anthology of stories where players are invited to really wander, and follow their curiosity,” said Nate. “And The Spider Lily General is a great example of the things you can find by going out there and exploring, in her complete short story.

“It has a very strong beginning, middle and end, with characters you know. Everyone on the team is very proud of how it turned out.”

Ghost of Yōtei is available for PS5 now.