Played with BertKnot.
Nestled between two development phases that have shaped the Ace Attorney series – on the one hand, the main trilogy, flanked by Apollo Justice (2007); on the other, the spin-offs culminating with Dai Gyakuten Saiban (2015) –, Ghost Trick appears to be a breath of fresh air for Shu Takumi, who perhaps wanted to distance himself somewhat from Phoenix Wright. And for good reason, the title seems diametrically opposed to what made the success of the legalistic franchise, taking the counterpoint of its writing, its gameplay or its mysteries presentation. In particular, Ace Attorney was initially intended for a Japanese audience, already well versed in crime mysteries. Ghost Trick, on the other hand, was designed to be even more accessible and adapted to an international audience, while making good use of the capabilities of the DS, then nearing the end of its cycle.
The player takes on the role of Sissel, in an in medias res beginning. Recently killed, he wakes up in ghostly form and realises he has new powers: he can interact with objects as well as go back in time, four minutes before a person dies, if they have died recently. With these abilities, Sissel, whose memory is hazy, sets out to find answers about his identity, which leads him to rescue several characters, including Lynne, who seems to be at the heart of the mystery. The game unfolds over eighteen chapters, each of which takes place in a given topographical space. The first few chapters are confined to the junkyard and the superintendent's office, but it doesn't take long to visit a variety of appartments or a restaurant, all of which are connected by telephone lines that Sissel can use to get around. This mechanic helps diegetically to justify the wide variety of environments. The pacing benefits from it, because it has a frenetic feel to it, with action and revelations following one another.
The core of the gameplay consists of completing an specific objective in every chapter to further Sissel's quest. This may be saving someone's life or finding a way to get to another place. To do this, Sissel must move between cores of different objects and interact with some of them to create a path for himself and find a solution to the situational problem. The movements are done with the stylus, which allows an exceptional fluidity in the gameplay. The puzzles always remain logical, although a certain simplicity can be criticised. Apart from a few levels that are a little more ambitious, the solutions are fairly linear and can be easily brute forced by the player, especially since they are helped by dialogue bubbles – although optional – that always point in the right direction. This is not a major flaw, as the pacing justifies such an approach and the slapstick nature of the puzzles compensates for their simplicity, while creating such an elegant relationship between gameplay and storytelling. Moreover, many of the puzzles require interaction with objects at a specific time, or else one has to rewind to the beginning of the scene or checkpoint. More complex and cryptic actions could be detrimental to the feeling of progression, if one had to go back in time several dozen times.
The emphasis of Ghost Trick is actually in its direction. Having to see the scene play out once, before attempting to change it, seems to be a precursor to the Dai Gyakuten Saiban's Dances of Deduction. The usual gameplay loop boils down to trying to interact with all the items to understand how they can alter the environment, before sketching out a general strategy. This approach is always adequate and shines in some chapters, where the time pressure is quite high. The new mechanic introduced in the last chapters does not change this general pattern, as it is straightforward and rather constrained in its use. If it brings a welcome freshness, the difficulty never rises with it – probably for the better. After all, what matters is the conversations between the characters, as well as the absurdity of Sissel's actions.
As such, the enjoyment one gets out of the game is proportional to the affection one has for this type of ambience. Ghost Trick borrows from the dark thriller and pulp, sprinkling them with a generous layer of wit. This is done through the dialogues, whose quality is largely reminiscent of Ace Attorney, but also through extremely delicate animation work – often used to give the player very subtle clues. Inspector Cabanela, a throwback to the disco era, moves with exaggerated and eye-catching gestures, while the rest of the cast is full of absurdity, defusing tense situations. Seeing a character roll over or throw himself, posterior first, into a lift forces an entertained grin. The game makes good use of overly sped-up animations to underline their silliness. In the same spirit, the appearances of Missile, Kamila's Pomeranian, carry such energy that they revitalise the game when it needs it. Death itself is defused by its comical and temporary nature. The game is best summed up with a smiling Lynne enjoying 'being dead once again', while her musical theme assails a confused Sissel.
This is not to say that Ghost Trick doesn't have more touching moments, but they never manage to establish any deeper theme. While the quest for Sissel's identity works at first, with genuine character development over the chapters, the question is somewhat put aside too quickly at the end, which favours answering the other mysteries. Furthermore, the rest of the cast, plagued by their own contradictions, fails to convince in the dilemmas they face. All the characters are presented as suffering from their choices or as being flawed individuals. Unfortunately, the further the title progresses, the more Sissel understands that they all had good reasons to act the way they did. Because the game emphasises its comical nature, all scenes of violence – physical or psychological – are defused, without finding any real convincing answers. Then again, the title manages to get around most of these issues, precisely because of its pacing and mood, but those shortcomings may prove to be frustrating.
Ace Attorney, even in its self-imposed supernatural setting of spiritualism, manages to formulate stories that remain fundamentally tragic. The strength of the series is perhaps precisely in showing that murder is a permanent wound for society, which can never really recover from it. Ghost Trick takes the opposite direction, highlighting that it is always possible to save those who have been killed. This downplaying of the fatalistic symbolism is probably due to the impossibility of developing the identity themes of each character too deeply. Another explanation lies more simply in the game's rather short length.
Nevertheless, Ghost Trick remains one of the most immersive experiences on the DS, with an elegant use of the touch screen. Whereas Ace Attorney could be played with just the buttons, Ghost Trick offers the opposite approach, thus making the distinction between the point-n-click and the visual novel genres. The modest frustrations that may remain are relatively minimal and never prevent the game from being highly enjoyable. While it hardly reaches the heights of Ace Attorney, whose revelations are more intelligent and clueing much more subtle, Ghost Trick charms with its unique atmosphere – visually and musically – and a simple, but engaging gameplay system. The title is part of the swansong of the DS and a good example of the exceptional animation skills of Sayuri Shintani's team. Unfortunately, the game suffered from particularly poor sales, but perhaps this is a sign that Ghost Trick should remain what it is today: an experience without parallel.
Nestled between two development phases that have shaped the Ace Attorney series – on the one hand, the main trilogy, flanked by Apollo Justice (2007); on the other, the spin-offs culminating with Dai Gyakuten Saiban (2015) –, Ghost Trick appears to be a breath of fresh air for Shu Takumi, who perhaps wanted to distance himself somewhat from Phoenix Wright. And for good reason, the title seems diametrically opposed to what made the success of the legalistic franchise, taking the counterpoint of its writing, its gameplay or its mysteries presentation. In particular, Ace Attorney was initially intended for a Japanese audience, already well versed in crime mysteries. Ghost Trick, on the other hand, was designed to be even more accessible and adapted to an international audience, while making good use of the capabilities of the DS, then nearing the end of its cycle.
The player takes on the role of Sissel, in an in medias res beginning. Recently killed, he wakes up in ghostly form and realises he has new powers: he can interact with objects as well as go back in time, four minutes before a person dies, if they have died recently. With these abilities, Sissel, whose memory is hazy, sets out to find answers about his identity, which leads him to rescue several characters, including Lynne, who seems to be at the heart of the mystery. The game unfolds over eighteen chapters, each of which takes place in a given topographical space. The first few chapters are confined to the junkyard and the superintendent's office, but it doesn't take long to visit a variety of appartments or a restaurant, all of which are connected by telephone lines that Sissel can use to get around. This mechanic helps diegetically to justify the wide variety of environments. The pacing benefits from it, because it has a frenetic feel to it, with action and revelations following one another.
The core of the gameplay consists of completing an specific objective in every chapter to further Sissel's quest. This may be saving someone's life or finding a way to get to another place. To do this, Sissel must move between cores of different objects and interact with some of them to create a path for himself and find a solution to the situational problem. The movements are done with the stylus, which allows an exceptional fluidity in the gameplay. The puzzles always remain logical, although a certain simplicity can be criticised. Apart from a few levels that are a little more ambitious, the solutions are fairly linear and can be easily brute forced by the player, especially since they are helped by dialogue bubbles – although optional – that always point in the right direction. This is not a major flaw, as the pacing justifies such an approach and the slapstick nature of the puzzles compensates for their simplicity, while creating such an elegant relationship between gameplay and storytelling. Moreover, many of the puzzles require interaction with objects at a specific time, or else one has to rewind to the beginning of the scene or checkpoint. More complex and cryptic actions could be detrimental to the feeling of progression, if one had to go back in time several dozen times.
The emphasis of Ghost Trick is actually in its direction. Having to see the scene play out once, before attempting to change it, seems to be a precursor to the Dai Gyakuten Saiban's Dances of Deduction. The usual gameplay loop boils down to trying to interact with all the items to understand how they can alter the environment, before sketching out a general strategy. This approach is always adequate and shines in some chapters, where the time pressure is quite high. The new mechanic introduced in the last chapters does not change this general pattern, as it is straightforward and rather constrained in its use. If it brings a welcome freshness, the difficulty never rises with it – probably for the better. After all, what matters is the conversations between the characters, as well as the absurdity of Sissel's actions.
As such, the enjoyment one gets out of the game is proportional to the affection one has for this type of ambience. Ghost Trick borrows from the dark thriller and pulp, sprinkling them with a generous layer of wit. This is done through the dialogues, whose quality is largely reminiscent of Ace Attorney, but also through extremely delicate animation work – often used to give the player very subtle clues. Inspector Cabanela, a throwback to the disco era, moves with exaggerated and eye-catching gestures, while the rest of the cast is full of absurdity, defusing tense situations. Seeing a character roll over or throw himself, posterior first, into a lift forces an entertained grin. The game makes good use of overly sped-up animations to underline their silliness. In the same spirit, the appearances of Missile, Kamila's Pomeranian, carry such energy that they revitalise the game when it needs it. Death itself is defused by its comical and temporary nature. The game is best summed up with a smiling Lynne enjoying 'being dead once again', while her musical theme assails a confused Sissel.
This is not to say that Ghost Trick doesn't have more touching moments, but they never manage to establish any deeper theme. While the quest for Sissel's identity works at first, with genuine character development over the chapters, the question is somewhat put aside too quickly at the end, which favours answering the other mysteries. Furthermore, the rest of the cast, plagued by their own contradictions, fails to convince in the dilemmas they face. All the characters are presented as suffering from their choices or as being flawed individuals. Unfortunately, the further the title progresses, the more Sissel understands that they all had good reasons to act the way they did. Because the game emphasises its comical nature, all scenes of violence – physical or psychological – are defused, without finding any real convincing answers. Then again, the title manages to get around most of these issues, precisely because of its pacing and mood, but those shortcomings may prove to be frustrating.
Ace Attorney, even in its self-imposed supernatural setting of spiritualism, manages to formulate stories that remain fundamentally tragic. The strength of the series is perhaps precisely in showing that murder is a permanent wound for society, which can never really recover from it. Ghost Trick takes the opposite direction, highlighting that it is always possible to save those who have been killed. This downplaying of the fatalistic symbolism is probably due to the impossibility of developing the identity themes of each character too deeply. Another explanation lies more simply in the game's rather short length.
Nevertheless, Ghost Trick remains one of the most immersive experiences on the DS, with an elegant use of the touch screen. Whereas Ace Attorney could be played with just the buttons, Ghost Trick offers the opposite approach, thus making the distinction between the point-n-click and the visual novel genres. The modest frustrations that may remain are relatively minimal and never prevent the game from being highly enjoyable. While it hardly reaches the heights of Ace Attorney, whose revelations are more intelligent and clueing much more subtle, Ghost Trick charms with its unique atmosphere – visually and musically – and a simple, but engaging gameplay system. The title is part of the swansong of the DS and a good example of the exceptional animation skills of Sayuri Shintani's team. Unfortunately, the game suffered from particularly poor sales, but perhaps this is a sign that Ghost Trick should remain what it is today: an experience without parallel.