Fantastic game, highly recommended. This version has some visual shortcomings (layering issues, more obvious model mirroring than the original), and the "bonus puzzles" aren't very good (one would hope they'd be additional Ghost Trick levels, instead of unrelated slide puzzles - but at least I got really good at slide puzzles), but it's still Ghost Trick, and the arranged soundtrack and new controls function well enough.
Idk unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me and I'll keep things brief cause there's nothing really wrong, it's just me. Admittedly I'm pretty squeamish about young adult leaning game stories. This thing is very cutesy, it's funny to use sissels memory loss as a way to give the dictionary definition of kidnapping. Overall: I have not much to say and thought most aspects were fun and good, but not more. Except the animation. Top notch.
I liked the striking art style, and I loved the story and characters, some very interesting twists and turns in there !
The gameplay was fun enough, with somewhat annoying moments where you start figuring things out by just repeated trial and error.
It still was really fun to go through though, I was hooked for the whole last third especially.
The gameplay was fun enough, with somewhat annoying moments where you start figuring things out by just repeated trial and error.
It still was really fun to go through though, I was hooked for the whole last third especially.
Crams in a huge amount of story and gameplay without any filler. A couple of the internal logic to the puzzles threw me off, one was moving to a specific object automatically always triggering a timed event no matter what, which I hadn't really noticed in other missions before this point so I figured I was just not moving fast enough. I just looked up one or two very specific moves I had to make, but I probably would have got it eventually if I kept on with it.
The generally light tone was very well executed considering the amount of death but I did find it hard to feel much impact from anything going on until near the end which, to be fair, is easily the most important to get right for any story. The mystery itself still served as an excellent main hook.
You can tell how much Ace Attorney is in this thing with how unique each character moves and acts, each with little quirks that you have to take advantage of - I would have loved for this very specific aspect to be drilled down on a lot more but the puzzles themselves are still very clever and interesting considering how much planning would have gone into them just to have them work and make sense at all.
I really enjoyed my time with it. I wasn't swept away as much as others but it's really a faultless game and it's impressive how it gels all of it's many moving parts together so neatly. The brisk pace kept me coming back daily until it was complete. Being a handheld game in scope really helped narrow the focus but that didn't stop them from achieving anything they could with the concepts and characters they created for themselves.
I think this whole review was me trying to figure out why I couldn't give this a perfect score despite the game being objectively perfect. It is very, very good.
The generally light tone was very well executed considering the amount of death but I did find it hard to feel much impact from anything going on until near the end which, to be fair, is easily the most important to get right for any story. The mystery itself still served as an excellent main hook.
You can tell how much Ace Attorney is in this thing with how unique each character moves and acts, each with little quirks that you have to take advantage of - I would have loved for this very specific aspect to be drilled down on a lot more but the puzzles themselves are still very clever and interesting considering how much planning would have gone into them just to have them work and make sense at all.
I really enjoyed my time with it. I wasn't swept away as much as others but it's really a faultless game and it's impressive how it gels all of it's many moving parts together so neatly. The brisk pace kept me coming back daily until it was complete. Being a handheld game in scope really helped narrow the focus but that didn't stop them from achieving anything they could with the concepts and characters they created for themselves.
I think this whole review was me trying to figure out why I couldn't give this a perfect score despite the game being objectively perfect. It is very, very good.
really great game! I went into it a little worried that trying to cram a whole game of story into one night would make it unfulfilling, but once I got a little ways in it was clear that wasn't the case at all. this game oozes charm so hard and every ounce of it is engaging and exciting. the overall story was great, and it always felt like it was keeping me on my toes - leaving enough head room to draw my own connections while also constantly surprising me, yet never feeling cheap or forced. I got really attached to the main cast as well. the gameplay is also really unique and fun, and the variety of puzzles is outstanding; there are a couple I was less fond of (see: prison. lol) but I think all those really needed was an undo button or something since it was just the constant re-doing puzzle setups to get back to a point to try something different that was a bit of a pain. but that's barely a stain on this wonderful experience - would love to see more games like this!
Amazing game, lots of other people have gone into detail about exactly why that is so I don't have to! One thing I will specifically praise though is the mystery crafting- I liked that there was a good balance of things I could guess through observation/deduction + things that had to be "revealed" to me. A lot of mysteries struggle to walk the line between obtuse and obvious but this nailed the balance.
And even though the main story gets wrapped up in a neat bow at the end, I liked that (this is too vague to be a spoiler really) the exact natures of a few of the phenomena/characters were left somewhat ambiguous. Another hallmark of a good mystery is knowing when to stop answering questions and leave it to the imagination!
And even though the main story gets wrapped up in a neat bow at the end, I liked that (this is too vague to be a spoiler really) the exact natures of a few of the phenomena/characters were left somewhat ambiguous. Another hallmark of a good mystery is knowing when to stop answering questions and leave it to the imagination!
Profound and life-changing game.
perfect game. i wish i could experience it for the first time again.
bf had to show up to my apartment bc i wasnt responding to anyones messages or calls for like 4 hours and he thought i died but i was just in the endgame and couldnt take my eyes off of the game
bf had to show up to my apartment bc i wasnt responding to anyones messages or calls for like 4 hours and he thought i died but i was just in the endgame and couldnt take my eyes off of the game
I'm conflicted on this game. On one hand, I love Shu Takumi's humor and style. I also love the Ace Attorney-like music, the beautiful animations, and the character designs.
That said, I didn't enjoy the game's story. The conclusion was too clichéd and there were some plot holes here and there.
The puzzles also weren't that great. All of them can be solved by just trial and error.
I want more games like this, but some parts still need perfecting. Still, it's good to see a big company like Capcom tackling a niche genre, so I commend them for that.
That said, I didn't enjoy the game's story. The conclusion was too clichéd and there were some plot holes here and there.
The puzzles also weren't that great. All of them can be solved by just trial and error.
I want more games like this, but some parts still need perfecting. Still, it's good to see a big company like Capcom tackling a niche genre, so I commend them for that.
Absolutely charming and intriguing game. One of the most interesting stories in any game, presented brilliantly and with superb pacing, animation and music. A must play.
Tenia este juego en el punto de mira desde hace tiempo, dado que venía del creador de Ace Attorney y madre mía, ¿Cómo es qué no lo he jugado antes?
Lo mejor que podéis hacer es jugarlo sin saber nada, porque madre del cordero los giritos que va pegando.... Que buenísima
historia, así en corto.
P.D.: Missile se ha ganado por derecho propio un huequecito en mi corazón ❤️
Lo mejor que podéis hacer es jugarlo sin saber nada, porque madre del cordero los giritos que va pegando.... Que buenísima
historia, así en corto.
P.D.: Missile se ha ganado por derecho propio un huequecito en mi corazón ❤️
ojala missile explote d la mjer forma posible le amo
A cute treat that doesn't overstay its welcome. The puzzles are on the easier end while still having some satisfying clever moments. The optimal thought bubble "hint system" does a great job at mitigating difficulty, so Ghost Trick is sure to please a wide range of people. As for the story, it takes some nice twists and turns with a satisfying closure.
Shu Takumi really has a thing for detective games involving talking to deceased people featuring a wacky team of legal workers and criminals centered around a grand conspiracy reaching back generations that you aren't told about until the very end, huh. I guess after replaying Ace Attorney 4 and the Great Ace Attorney, plus thinking about Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, I didn't really end up that invested in this story cause Shu Takumi really likes making this one type of story again and again.
But, gotta say, pretty good story this time around. The narrative never forgets the central mystery (despite how hard it tries to), the events of the game are engaging and present the MANY plot twists in a fun way, the conspiracy is easy to follow and explains every element of the strange game in it's own weird way, and even the themes manage to remain ever present without showing themselves too early. Then even the gameplay hits a nice sweet spot for mystery/puzzle games, where you want the player to experiment and try solutions within the rules without gaining access to information they shouldn't have yet, plus creating interesting consequences of these rules that will be brought up later to create new puzzles.
Shu Takumi's (well I have to assume it was him given he's the only credit that could possibly be in charge of this) story is classically wacky and weird in his usual style, and unfortunately this time it leads to much more of his usual unnecessary explanations or annoying conveniences. It was very satisfying to remember or realise something about the plot of this game directly before getting more details on that point, however it slowly turned pedantic as the game made sure you fully understood what the next plot element or explanation was in greater belittling detail the further you play (figuring out who the justice minister was ahead of time and what directly happens after that felt cool, until the game told you unnecessarily). And I understand this is me going into great detail about a nitpick, however this is how it feels whenever the game explains every scenario, nitpicks or not. That's before even addressing the time travel problems that always show up, conveniences of chance, and the overabundance of dialogue reiterating what is going on.
The music consists of very rock-spun ds detective sounding pieces all in a similar style to Ace Attorney, the sound effects are literally an alternate world's version of Ace Attorney sounds, but the visuals take a fun classic limited 3D turn into something from New Super Mario Bros that's always fun to look at. Animations are fluid (on this version) and expressive, popping straight out of the 2D-3D blend of backgrounds that look straight out of nothing, I can't think of a comparison it's just that uniquely stylized.
I don't know though, despite all my ramblings of 'idk pretty good, reaches just above a passing grade', this game reminds me how weird and wacky games can be. Why does this game exist? Fun, first and foremost. Every minor or major problem I had with this game was overriden by the things it does well that other games don't usually worry about that much. There's always something happening in the mystery so it's constantly recontextualising your understanding of what's happening, when most other mystery games I've played all work off a basic unchanging understanding of what's going on. New information is always being added (during investigation) whether it's useful or not, where other games give you information to confirm other pieces of information you already have. This game works off your pattern recognition to see connections through coincidence, adding on top of how other games work with your pattern recognition to follow more complex lines of reasoning than what had proceeded and to use the mechanics available to you in more complex scenarios. It's fresh (despite being over a decade old) and stretches some brain muscles that have been lying atrophied outside the 'safe' zone for mystery game design. And this isn't a dig at other mystery/puzzle games, just something nice to have and made this experience uniquely exciting to experience, covering over the problems this different style creates.
I don't know how to end reviews. Um... game good :)... uhh :|... Writing spoiler-free reviews of mystery games is limiting, but it's very much worth it to keep you following the logic in finding the conclusion along with the game. And damn, this one fun journey.
Really makes you feel like, wait what? Why did you barge into my house, can I help you? Did the lamp just move? Ghost Trick? What are you talking about, get out of my house. I'm going to call the police under my comical anvil hanging from a thread. Wait when did that pair of scissors get there?
But, gotta say, pretty good story this time around. The narrative never forgets the central mystery (despite how hard it tries to), the events of the game are engaging and present the MANY plot twists in a fun way, the conspiracy is easy to follow and explains every element of the strange game in it's own weird way, and even the themes manage to remain ever present without showing themselves too early. Then even the gameplay hits a nice sweet spot for mystery/puzzle games, where you want the player to experiment and try solutions within the rules without gaining access to information they shouldn't have yet, plus creating interesting consequences of these rules that will be brought up later to create new puzzles.
Shu Takumi's (well I have to assume it was him given he's the only credit that could possibly be in charge of this) story is classically wacky and weird in his usual style, and unfortunately this time it leads to much more of his usual unnecessary explanations or annoying conveniences. It was very satisfying to remember or realise something about the plot of this game directly before getting more details on that point, however it slowly turned pedantic as the game made sure you fully understood what the next plot element or explanation was in greater belittling detail the further you play (figuring out who the justice minister was ahead of time and what directly happens after that felt cool, until the game told you unnecessarily). And I understand this is me going into great detail about a nitpick, however this is how it feels whenever the game explains every scenario, nitpicks or not. That's before even addressing the time travel problems that always show up, conveniences of chance, and the overabundance of dialogue reiterating what is going on.
The music consists of very rock-spun ds detective sounding pieces all in a similar style to Ace Attorney, the sound effects are literally an alternate world's version of Ace Attorney sounds, but the visuals take a fun classic limited 3D turn into something from New Super Mario Bros that's always fun to look at. Animations are fluid (on this version) and expressive, popping straight out of the 2D-3D blend of backgrounds that look straight out of nothing, I can't think of a comparison it's just that uniquely stylized.
I don't know though, despite all my ramblings of 'idk pretty good, reaches just above a passing grade', this game reminds me how weird and wacky games can be. Why does this game exist? Fun, first and foremost. Every minor or major problem I had with this game was overriden by the things it does well that other games don't usually worry about that much. There's always something happening in the mystery so it's constantly recontextualising your understanding of what's happening, when most other mystery games I've played all work off a basic unchanging understanding of what's going on. New information is always being added (during investigation) whether it's useful or not, where other games give you information to confirm other pieces of information you already have. This game works off your pattern recognition to see connections through coincidence, adding on top of how other games work with your pattern recognition to follow more complex lines of reasoning than what had proceeded and to use the mechanics available to you in more complex scenarios. It's fresh (despite being over a decade old) and stretches some brain muscles that have been lying atrophied outside the 'safe' zone for mystery game design. And this isn't a dig at other mystery/puzzle games, just something nice to have and made this experience uniquely exciting to experience, covering over the problems this different style creates.
I don't know how to end reviews. Um... game good :)... uhh :|... Writing spoiler-free reviews of mystery games is limiting, but it's very much worth it to keep you following the logic in finding the conclusion along with the game. And damn, this one fun journey.
Really makes you feel like, wait what? Why did you barge into my house, can I help you? Did the lamp just move? Ghost Trick? What are you talking about, get out of my house. I'm going to call the police under my comical anvil hanging from a thread. Wait when did that pair of scissors get there?
need more games that are willing to be silly with their whole chest
Hand-holding and too much over-explaining/commenting progressively soured an otherwise interesting experience.
In a pre-The Great Ace Attorney world, this would be Shu Takumi's best work.
Most detective/mystery games focus on figuring out the who of a crime. Some focus on the how. Ghost Trick, in its genius, is a game that subverts both of these tropes - it is a game about understanding the how (and occasionally the who) of a murder, and using this knowledge in order to manipulate all the moving parts of that incident through the use of Ghost Tricks (haha) in order to prevent it.
What results is a beautiful little game about fighting fate, telling the story of one crazy, life-changing night. And yes, the soundtrack slaps.
Most detective/mystery games focus on figuring out the who of a crime. Some focus on the how. Ghost Trick, in its genius, is a game that subverts both of these tropes - it is a game about understanding the how (and occasionally the who) of a murder, and using this knowledge in order to manipulate all the moving parts of that incident through the use of Ghost Tricks (haha) in order to prevent it.
What results is a beautiful little game about fighting fate, telling the story of one crazy, life-changing night. And yes, the soundtrack slaps.
Simple but unique and intuitive mechanics, a story that remains constantly interesting and entertaining, and features vivid locations, expressive personality filled animations, and two of the best pets in the medium.
A puzzle mystery game where you wake up with no memories after having recently been killed only to witness an assassin threatening a woman near your body and discovering that you have developed special powers. These "ghost tricks" allow you jump between and manipulate objects, travel through phone lines to other locations, and to travel back in time four minutes after a person has died to change their fate which also allows you to speak with them in the past and once they are safe in the present. In one night you attempt to keep your potential friends and allies safe from a group of assassins, discover the truth about your powers and others who have gained similar abilities, and learn of a decade old event that ties together your former life, the police, and foreign spies.
Each stage has you using your ghost tricks to manipulate objects in a way that will effect the environment or people in the environment in a way that leads to you completing your goals. This can have you moving and manipulating objects to increase your reach allow you to jump into new things, manipulating lights or sounds to attract or distract people, leading a character through a dark room while avoiding assailants, or timing multiple interactions to create a particular sequence of events that will aid you. There are some new mechanics added over time but little gameplay wise changes over the course of the adventure. This can normally be a bad thing but each area is designed in a way where they are interesting and amusing to explore, the story that remains the highlight is allowed to progress quickly, and none of the events ever become overly cluttered, confusing, or tedious to deal with in a way that would detract from the enjoyment of the game and its strongest elements. The narrative over time explaining why certain thing can't or couldn't be done in a way that fits for the setting and often in ways that make more sense as more elements of the story reveal themselves.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1782596763070976441
A puzzle mystery game where you wake up with no memories after having recently been killed only to witness an assassin threatening a woman near your body and discovering that you have developed special powers. These "ghost tricks" allow you jump between and manipulate objects, travel through phone lines to other locations, and to travel back in time four minutes after a person has died to change their fate which also allows you to speak with them in the past and once they are safe in the present. In one night you attempt to keep your potential friends and allies safe from a group of assassins, discover the truth about your powers and others who have gained similar abilities, and learn of a decade old event that ties together your former life, the police, and foreign spies.
Each stage has you using your ghost tricks to manipulate objects in a way that will effect the environment or people in the environment in a way that leads to you completing your goals. This can have you moving and manipulating objects to increase your reach allow you to jump into new things, manipulating lights or sounds to attract or distract people, leading a character through a dark room while avoiding assailants, or timing multiple interactions to create a particular sequence of events that will aid you. There are some new mechanics added over time but little gameplay wise changes over the course of the adventure. This can normally be a bad thing but each area is designed in a way where they are interesting and amusing to explore, the story that remains the highlight is allowed to progress quickly, and none of the events ever become overly cluttered, confusing, or tedious to deal with in a way that would detract from the enjoyment of the game and its strongest elements. The narrative over time explaining why certain thing can't or couldn't be done in a way that fits for the setting and often in ways that make more sense as more elements of the story reveal themselves.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/1782596763070976441
genuinely amazing in quite literally every aspect.
I spontaneously felt like replaying this and yeah, it's still amazing. I forgot enough of the puzzles for them to still be fresh, but I remembered enough of them for the game to not be frustrating. Hell, the stealth section in Chapter 9 wasn't even that bad this time around. The visuals and music are as great as ever, and the story is just as good, if not better. I noticed so many cool bits of foreshadowing now that I knew all the plot twists, and I even cried at a couple points. I'm still not sure whether this is my favorite Shu Takumi game over TGAA2, but I do know it is an absolutely phenomenal game that everyone should experience at least once.
Havent seen magnolia but i imagine this is what its like in game form. Pretty cool story, I understand its rated teen but I wish it took itself more seriously sometimes (some of the ideas presented within the story are pretty morbid). Can be a bit predictable times but the story has a ton of twists you wont expect so it balances out. Gameplay is pretty fun once you get into it. Never got super attached to the story/characters. Really nice ending that tied everything together., Cool little game
Missile best dog in game industry
legitimately one of the best mystery stories i've read
story is extremely tightly written, paced well, pays attention to the details, and has many twists and turns
the puzzles are consistently fun and creative and are rarely tedious
the cast is well developed and charming
story is extremely tightly written, paced well, pays attention to the details, and has many twists and turns
the puzzles are consistently fun and creative and are rarely tedious
the cast is well developed and charming
I find so funny that the title of the game is literally the gameplay. Like you have 2 buttons. You can Ghost, or you can Trick. That's it. It's in the fucking name.
A compelling mystery with exaggerated characters, animations, and situations. The puzzle-solving gameplay strikes a very good balance difficulty wise, besides a couple minor nitpicks I had. Must-play for puzzle/mystery lovers.
Back on the Nintendo DS, I remember thinking that this game was a masterpiece. It was funny and it had quirky characters, an interesting storyline, and awesome music. I guess for a Nintendo DS game, it was a big deal. At the time, the gameplay felt innovative. Unfortunately, now that I've replayed it on Xbox One, I don't feel as positive about it.
In this game, you play as Sissel, a ghost who's trying to find his lost memories. Being a ghost, you can't directly interact with people, but you have a special ability (called a "trick") to act on small objects. You can do things like, for example, turn off a lamp or press a button.
The game's goal is to solve "puzzles" using these "Ghost Tricks". The puzzles are varied, but most of them involve saving someone's life or helping someone escape.
The good:
The game is addictive. Every chapter is interesting and ends in a cliffhanger, making you want more.
The puzzles are fun to figure out. You can move different objects and it's always fun to see how interacting with something will affect the stage.
The music is good. There are exciting and sad tracks which capture the mood of the scenes. It sounds very similar to Ace Attorney's music.
The animations are fluid and the art is varied and colorful.
The bad:
The story was a complete disappointment. It's full of plot holes and for a mystery game, this had a very unsatisfactory conclusion. The story deals with time travel, so by the end it's confusing and nonsensical. I'm not a fan of inconsistent time travel stories and couldn't really look past its flaws this time around.
The sliding puzzles which are an optional feature added in this release, are boring and add nothing of value to the game. Plus the music in them is repetitive.
The game also has a 4:3 (I think) aspect ratio despite being in HD. I think the reason for this is that the developers thought making the game widescreen would ruin the puzzles? Not sure about it but it's disappointing.
Finally, the controls suffer on the transition to home consoles. On the Nintendo DS, you could move Sissel using the stylus, so it was easy to accurately move him from one object to another, but here you need to use the stick and it's not as precise.
Conclusion:
I can't say that I didn't like the game, but I liked it less than the first time I played it. However, I think it was nice of Capcom to give such a niche game a second chance. I just feel that, after playing multiple visual novels and adventure games, this one didn't land as well for me. If it gets a sequel, I hope we get a better story.
In this game, you play as Sissel, a ghost who's trying to find his lost memories. Being a ghost, you can't directly interact with people, but you have a special ability (called a "trick") to act on small objects. You can do things like, for example, turn off a lamp or press a button.
The game's goal is to solve "puzzles" using these "Ghost Tricks". The puzzles are varied, but most of them involve saving someone's life or helping someone escape.
The good:
The game is addictive. Every chapter is interesting and ends in a cliffhanger, making you want more.
The puzzles are fun to figure out. You can move different objects and it's always fun to see how interacting with something will affect the stage.
The music is good. There are exciting and sad tracks which capture the mood of the scenes. It sounds very similar to Ace Attorney's music.
The animations are fluid and the art is varied and colorful.
The bad:
The story was a complete disappointment. It's full of plot holes and for a mystery game, this had a very unsatisfactory conclusion. The story deals with time travel, so by the end it's confusing and nonsensical. I'm not a fan of inconsistent time travel stories and couldn't really look past its flaws this time around.
The sliding puzzles which are an optional feature added in this release, are boring and add nothing of value to the game. Plus the music in them is repetitive.
The game also has a 4:3 (I think) aspect ratio despite being in HD. I think the reason for this is that the developers thought making the game widescreen would ruin the puzzles? Not sure about it but it's disappointing.
Finally, the controls suffer on the transition to home consoles. On the Nintendo DS, you could move Sissel using the stylus, so it was easy to accurately move him from one object to another, but here you need to use the stick and it's not as precise.
Conclusion:
I can't say that I didn't like the game, but I liked it less than the first time I played it. However, I think it was nice of Capcom to give such a niche game a second chance. I just feel that, after playing multiple visual novels and adventure games, this one didn't land as well for me. If it gets a sequel, I hope we get a better story.
Nice to see this game get a remaster. Fun & innovative gameplay. Capcom always delivers. It was also short & sweet, did not overstay its welcome.
No, not him. He's just a plain old odd person.
The game boasts of the best doggo ever in the medium, obviously it's PEAK
In a tale full of human corruption and resentment it was all solved by two little, valiant heroes