Jason Connell, creative director of Ghost of Yotei, said in an interview with Vince Gilligan that in the original concept, the player could travel through time almost anywhere. It was enough to hold the touchpad to be transported to Atsu's childhood and see the world from a completely different, warmer perspective. The idea delighted the team: the combination of grim reality with the "warmth of the past" was supposed to create a strong emotional contrast.
In the end, the implementation of the system would require creating twice as many assets and locations. Connell admitted that the decision to limit time travel to pre-planned points was difficult for the team, but he believes it was the right decision.
He added that if the possibility of movement was everywhere, without additional narrative development, it would quickly become less interesting.