Ghostrunner, released in October 2020 on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (then the following month on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), is a single-player action and platform game in a futuristic universe developed by One More Level (God's Trigger) , an independent Polish studio, and published by All in! Games.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic and dystopian future in which we play a ghostrunner, a sort of cybernetic ninja assassin. The game takes place in the Tower of Dharma, in an unknown megalopolis. This tower, a place of poverty and violence, is the refuge of humans who are in full rebellion against the system. Society is divided into different social classes determined by each individual's cybernetic implants.
Game main menu background.
The menu plunges us directly into a retro-futuristic atmosphere, between the synthwave soundtrack (electronic music with 80's sounds) and the rather dark and sober visual of the background which presents the main character, with a bionic arm, and armed with a katana. The game launches and places the player directly in the action, in first-person view, with the confirmation of the cyberpunk universe that emerged from the game menu: a dark urban environment, many skyscrapers and polluted but deserted streets, lit by a few neon lights. A quick tutorial allows the player to become familiar with the movements, the heart of the game. Race on the walls, slide, front dash, side dash, then grapple from the second level; the game is dynamic, promises action, and is reminiscent of Mirror's Edge in terms of parkour.
The graphics are particularly successful and detailed.
After having (easily) eliminated a few isolated targets, we quickly arrive in a room where several enemies are present, with several possible paths to reach them. And this is where the difficulty of the game lies, because if you kill the enemies in one shot, death is also assured at the slightest unavoided enemy shot (knowing that these shots are precise). A slow-motion dodging mechanic is possible during jumps, which makes it possible to avoid projectiles while facilitating repositioning, or simply to reach a surface more easily using a dash. The goal is therefore to eliminate all the enemies present in the room without being hit once, otherwise return to the last checkpoint, the beginning of the room. This die and retry aspect is omnipresent and pushes the player to be as efficient as possible to eliminate his enemies.
With one enemy per platform, the focus is on speed and precision of movement.
The city appears at first glance to be just one giant battleground, some sort of parkour and assassination simulation. Having to often (or very often) repeat the same sequence is compensated by the fast pace of the game, supported by the soundtrack that sticks to the gameplay and the universe and which makes us forget the violence of our attacks. All this allows the game to remain pleasant even after several hours, without being too repetitive either thanks to the different possible choices. The field of vision (FOV) is customizable from 60 to 120 degrees, an important detail that can help avoid certain feelings of nausea or headaches, for example, given the speed of movement and action.
Then place the narration in what seems to be a level of transition: we travel through the Cybervoid, a kind of matrix, or rather a cyberspace, composed of platforms, in which our character will evolve, develop his skills, and where different puzzles will be to solve. We move forward listening to the explanations of the Architect, an artificial intelligence that also reveals some information about the ghostrunners (yes, there are others). We embody one of those technologically enhanced soldiers designed to keep the peace. Many science fiction themes are evoked: artificial intelligence, cybernetics, the extinction of humanity in the future, or even transhumanism with the creation and identity of "modified" beings.
The home of humanity, or the beginning of its extinction?
The Architect finally instructs us to climb the Tower to save humanity by eliminating Mara, who has seized power (the top of the Tower representing the elites). Following this introduction, we discover a menu in which it is possible to activate, like a "Tetris", certain improvements for the character. These improvements that will help us along our ascent of the Tower are divided into different categories that will be revealed little by little in the scenario:
To activate the maximum of improvements, it will be necessary to optimize the space.
In the other tabs, we discover the possibility of unlocking cosmetics for weapons and gloves (the only two elements of the character visible in game) either during the game or in the various DLCs. A few collectibles are also present throughout the game in the form of artifacts and audio recordings that save to the codex.
In the following levels, different active skills are unlocked through a return to the Cybervoid and a quick phase of reflection and/or training. These skills are welcome because some combat phases are still quite demanding. Several bonuses allowing in particular to slow down time or jump higher can also be picked up on the way, to have greater leeway in our actions. The fights are renewed throughout the game with the progressive addition of movement and attack mechanics, skills, new obstacles (electrified walls, lasers), better armed enemies, protected etc. The player must adapt to so many different situations and consider multiple approaches (horizontal and vertical) by synchronizing their movements and actions well to be able to complete an area.
A slightly brighter exterior view in an Asian-style decor.
Be careful though, leaving the game in the middle of a level means restarting the entire level in the next session, despite the presence of many save points. Another slight inconvenience, reading the subtitles of the dialogues is almost impossible in the middle of the action given the speed and the requirement of the movements. Back in the menu, each level can be redone individually by choosing between the standard experience, an auto mode with simplified mechanics, or a hardcore mode. Two modes were also added to the game later, one allowing you to face enemies in waves, and the other being a time trial on different courses. The game also has a photo mode.
Ghostrunner is therefore a fast-paced die and retry set in a post-apocalyptic universe that features many complex sci-fi themes, but without the narrative taking over the action. There isn't really any interaction with other friendly characters other than through voicemail, and there aren't any major decisions to be made throughout the narrative either. The only choices to be made concern character upgrades and, of course, the angle of attack of the various enemies as we climb to the top of the Tower of Dharma. Getting started with the game is quick and intuitive, but the game ultimately turns out to be quite demanding once the enemies are more numerous and more powerful. The average life of the game is 7 or 8 hours, but this time is very variable depending on the number of attempts for each level. Finally, Ghostrunner also has great potential in terms of speedrunning due to the possibilities it offers in terms of movement, and the variety of possible paths.
A sequel called Ghostrunner 2 is planned for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series.
- Steam (Test done on PC)
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Switch
