Let’s be honest. Sometimes, combat systems are so good that you almost wish there were more opportunities to use them. It’s true that Ghost of Yotei certainly gives players plenty of opportunities to test their fighting skills, but combat is just one part of a much bigger adventure. This would make sense, though, because when a game is built around the story, the mechanics have to share the spotlight with other important aspects of the game, such as exploration and characters. However, just because a story eventually comes to an end doesn’t mean that the game can’t keep going.
And what’s particularly interesting is that Naughty Dog has experimented with this idea already, as in 2024, the studio introduced No Return, which is a separate roguelike mode for The Last of Us Part 2. And what it does is that it puts the game’s combat system at the center of the entire experience. Now, it seems like Sucker Punch is ready to follow the same approach with Ghost of Yotei‘s new mode, also known as Most Wanted. And although it’s true that these two games have different combat systems, the idea behind the modes is surprisingly similar, and considering that Naughty Dog has already proven that this approach could be successful, it comes as no surprise that other games would want to test this theory for themselves.
No Return Proved That Great Combat Doesn’t Need a Story
It’s true that combat is very important in The Last of Us Part 2, but most of the encounters during the campaign are closely tied to the story. This means that you deal with enemies as you progress through the narrative, and you don’t get to choose when or how these confrontations will happen. That’s why No Return is so important. It allows players to choose their next challenge, and instead of having to fight enemies to reach the next story sequence, players fight simply because they enjoy the thrill of combat.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
However, perhaps what’s more impressive is that the studio introduced variety without reinventing the existing combat system. The mode of No Return features four encounter types, and each one has its own objectives. Moreover, randomized modifiers can change the conditions of the fight by making fog appear. This often forces players to adopt different strategies than what they’re used to because the mode is simply not restricted by the storyline and traditional campaign.
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Image via: Sucker Punch Productions -
Image via Naughty Dog -
Image via: Sucker Punch Productions
Of course, being inspired by another game doesn’t mean copying their approach, so instead of just recreating No Return, Sucker Punch introduces its own structure that revolves around increasingly difficult bounties. Players have to survive waves of enemies, earn perks, and defeat bosses, but what’s probably most important is that they are working towards the final confrontation. This means that the choices they make throughout each run could make a huge difference when they finally face the final enemy.
What’s more, Most Wanted does not limit players to a single character. The mode features four playable characters, and each one of them has different signature combat moves. This naturally creates more opportunities to approach encounters. This proves that although Most Wanted and No Return have their own mechanics and progression systems, they both approach the challenge of creating diversity quite seriously.
No Return is exclusive to The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and is not available in the original version of the game.
No Return Shows Why Most Wanted Could Have a Long Future
Without a doubt, it is one thing to introduce a separate mode, but it’s an entirely different challenge to keep people interested in it after completing their first few runs. When it comes to No Return, Naughty Dog didn’t just release it in 2024 and leave it untouched. The developer expanded the mode in April 2025 by introducing two new playable characters called Bill and Marlene, as well as four brand-new maps for players to enjoy. This is a great example of how a roguelike mode built around an existing combat system does not have to introduce an entirely new story campaign to keep people entertained. What’s even more interesting is that Most Wanted already seems to have a pretty good foundation to achieve this same goal.
Players can replay bounties on higher difficulty levels and unlock new weapon upgrades, techniques, and charms. This is most definitely likely to give players a reason to come back, as it creates this sense of progression and achievement. There’s currently no information that Most Wanted will be expanded with more content, so it’s still too early to say whether it will follow No Return’s exact trajectory. In any case, now that Naughty Dog has demonstrated the potential of this approach, Most Wanted could easily set an even more solid example of how a great combat system could exist outside of the campaign. It would also be interesting to see whether the devs will keep introducing new challenges in the long run. After all, since the mode is built around replayability, there are plenty of ways to switch things up.
- Released
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October 2, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol
- Publisher(s)
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Sony Interactive Entertainment
