As the name suggests, the sequel takes place in the areas surrounding Mount Yōtei, a mountain located on the island of Ezo or what’s known today as Hokkaido. The first words spoken in the trailer are “We are beyond the edge of Japan,” and this is true, as this northern island was not part of the country until the 1800s, when it was colonized and renamed. So the game not only takes place centuries after the original game, but it’s also pretty distanced from it in terms of geography. (Tsushima took place in a fictionalized version of Tsushima Island, which is on the southern end of Japan.) With all that time and distance separating them, it’s unclear if there will be any direct ties between the two games beyond the name, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Jin’s journey is a legend to people 300 years later.
Sucker Punch creative directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell told The New York Times that seeing Mount Yōtei on research trips solidified the setting and title, with Connell recounting a time when he stared at the mountain for “two hours.” Fox also cited a visit to the Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido as an inspiration, as it married both beautiful scenery and danger.
“Inside the park, you have to watch a video telling you about the dangers of bears,” Fox told The New York Times. “Being in this incredibly beautiful park with jagged cliffs and water, yet all the time being aware there were dangerous bears, was electrifying. We strive to bring that into the video game — that feeling of danger.”
