“I wouldn’t go in there,” warns the traveling storyteller Ugetsu as Atsu approaches two immense and forbidding wooden doors. “Because you might not come back.”
This is a warning to many Yōtei’s spirit players loved to ignore. The starting point for the revered Spider Lily’s General side quest, this ominous gate is the beginning of a haunting mythological adventure that will linger in your memory long after its completion. Only fitting for a game that was released so close to Halloween.
I spoke with innovative directors Nate Fox and Jason Connell to learn the inspiration and secrets behind General Spider Lily and their feelings on the optional quest’s popularity. But like Ugetsu, I must warn you – there are spoilers ahead. You may want to play this mission before continuing your journey…
The beginning of the task
“General Spider Lily was actually one of the earliest missions in the game and one of the first Mythic Tales we did,” Jason reveals. “It came from one of our designers and writers. We analyzed what made a great mythic mission, what it would look like and how it would work.”
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While these particular side quests may be inspired by historical figures, General Spider Lily was created as an original story depicting the trauma of war. The titular warrior’s bravery and armor have made him a legend, but after his retirement, the general accidentally injures his daughter during a sparring session. The sight of a child dying from the wound he inflicted poisons the General with unrelenting grief, causing him to haunt the forest. And now raiders hunt his armor, often dying by the spirit’s sword.
“We knew we wanted this story to involve some sort of tragedy,” Jason says. “At one point, the author suggested that this could be a point of reflection for Atsu to help him heal. She fights him, but understands his trauma.”
But why spider lilies? Did their exploit have any specific symbolism, considering the myth that they sprouted where the General shed the blood of his victims?
“They’re actually toxic, and in real life they’re planted in cemeteries to keep animals away,” Nate explains. “So they represent death and also connect to emotional relationships. They also had a functional purpose in the game – feedback early in the game suggested it was a little difficult to understand where to go and what to do in the mission because the area is so large. This made the lilies clearer on how to navigate through the fog.”
The development of horror
The practical exploit of lilies was just one of many mechanical aspects that Sucker Punch had to take into account in an expedition that took on such an amazing feel compared to most of the main game.
“We don’t have a lot of experience with this type of horror,” Nate says. “So there were specific ways to make it feel like the world wasn’t as you know it. A little maze, a musical sting, and hearing people wailing in the distance. Or getting to a group of enemies before the fog rolls in and then finding them all murdered.”
“There is also the use of negative space, such as when you start a mission and walk up the stairs as the fog lifts and the spider lilies rise up, in the presence of old corpses… but nothing attacks you. This long walk is simply to immerse you in the tone.”
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“We were inspired by elements from previous survival horror games,” explains Jason. “The prototypes explored weird camera angles. It was really tough, but even if we didn’t exploit them, it set the tone for what we wanted to achieve.
Atmosphere is one of the greatest tools we have. You paint the entire scene with mood. We enlarged the spooky moon a bit and changed the lighting and color grading to achieve the appropriate black level. The sound is also vital, as is the music, for example a special song during the duel.
Its impact on the wider game
Much like the impact General Spider Lily had on players, his early inclusion in Ghost of Yōtei’s development helped set a high bar not only for other mythic quests, but also for the adventure as a whole.
“This mission paved the way for ensuring that the rest of the game would be at the appropriate level of quality and majesty,” says Jason. “Many of the key elements that make up Ghost’s atmosphere and visual style were reinvented at this point – reminding us how important it is to use really great visuals to attract the player.”
“That’s one of my favorite things about this mission,” Nate agrees. “When you ride your horse through this vast field, the player has a choice of where he wants to go. But when you look at the forest, there is some fog in it and you see a beautiful pagoda popping out of the mountain, which really piques your curiosity. The player discovers the story on his own. It’s a powerful experience.”
The impact of myth on players… and the studio
The work and thought that went into The Spider Lily General reflects on the game as a whole, but the team is pleased with how players responded to this particular mission, especially considering the studio’s involvement in the creation of Mythos.
“Nate and I were really excited about the way they showed up in Ghost of Tsushima,” says Jason. “So we knew we wanted to build them again in their own new way for Ghost of Yōtei. And it’s nice to see that people are really enjoying The Spider Lily General. It has a lot of the characteristics of a Ghost game at its roots. So as developers, it’s really nice to see people taking photos and talking about why they like this mission.”
“We set out to create a story anthology game where the player could really wander and follow their curiosity,” says Nate. “And General Spider Lily is a great example of what can be discovered by journeying and exploring, in its own self-contained story.
“It has a really strong beginning, middle and end, and characters you can get to know. Everyone on the team is very proud of how it all came together.”
