As you walk through the dark and eerie streets of Shibuya, you realize that the city is teeming with supernatural beings, all of which reference popular horror culture and Javanese folklore. Ghostwire is a first-person shooter that introduces new ideas to the genre while keeping you on the edge as you navigate a world full of dangers and mysteries to unravel.
Control and Map Design
If I were to define Ghostwire's most prominent feature, it would be its gameplay. It is done in such a way that it screams quality and truly embraces what premium gaming should be. Controls are responsive as you weave the different elements and use them to your advantage when facing supernatural monsters. The vibrations on the controller are satisfying when doing combos and in the middle of exorcising foes.
You can find your playstyle as you decide which elements to invest in; fire is great for damage and sniping enemies, while water is excellent for defense and hitting weak points. Those must be targeted, or enemies can last far more than you would like and swarm you.
The exploration of the city is enjoyable, with flying demons such as the Tengu offering you a lift to high places while you can glide down from buildings with your powers. It encourages players to search every corner, as side quests, collectibles, and shops offer powerful unlocks and gear to discover. Enemies also give the city a horror atmosphere as they wander around, sometimes in huge parades.
Strong Points
The strong point of Ghostwire has to be that this is the best representation of Shibuya that has been done in a game. The city looks vibrant and amazing regarding details and the diversity of the environment. From forests to undercover shrines or huge skyscrapers, there is much to glance at when walking around Shibuya.
Art Design and Visuals
Another aspect where the game shines is in the art direction. The monsters are all a spectacle, ranging from slender man's look-alikes to tall women in white dresses chasing you with huge scissors or beats that want to devour you. All the yokai have a story to them you can read based on their real-life counterpart in folklore, and as enemies, they each have their tactics and weaknesses.
The game graphics are top-notch, and it is one of the prettiest games out there regarding its technical aspect. The element talismans are also a show when you use them as they give the rainy city more tones of color. The rain shrouds Shibuya quite nicely, and when you go around exploring, it can feel like a horror story about going alone at night in a big city.
[h1]Sound, Replayability and Performance[/h1]
Sound-wise, the game is disappointing; they passed off as lackluster, and it shows the development team needed to learn how to truly take the opportunity of elevating the tension with it. Voice acting is solid, but nothing to write home about.
Regarding replayability, Ghostwire is a game you want to complete after beating. You are free to do all side quests and collectibles, so there are no missable, and some of the best moments in the title can be found in such side stories, so I recommend fully immersing yourself in them.
The game ran well on PS5 for performance, but I do not know about its pc counterpart. However, the game runs Denuvo, so you might want to have a little extra on the recommended specs, just in case.
Pros
[+] It Has a huge collection of yokai and horror stories.
[+] One of the best, if not the best, representations of Shibuya in gaming, the city is impressive.
[+] Full of new ideas that revamp the first-person shooter genre.
[+] A fantastic design for both main and side content art-wise.
Cons
[-] Could have used a better sound design to be a scary game.
[-] Some bosses can be disappointing, particularly near the end of the game.
Conclusion
Ghostwire is a fantastic game; it serves as a guide for what a deviation of first-person shooters could strive to become, and it's not afraid of introducing new ideas to the genre. If you enjoy horror stories and action games, this title is easy to recommend, even at full price. When I think of premium gaming, Ghostwire is always the first game that comes to mind.
If you enjoy and find the review helpful, please follow my curator StarsDeck! https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43679955/
Control and Map Design
If I were to define Ghostwire's most prominent feature, it would be its gameplay. It is done in such a way that it screams quality and truly embraces what premium gaming should be. Controls are responsive as you weave the different elements and use them to your advantage when facing supernatural monsters. The vibrations on the controller are satisfying when doing combos and in the middle of exorcising foes.
You can find your playstyle as you decide which elements to invest in; fire is great for damage and sniping enemies, while water is excellent for defense and hitting weak points. Those must be targeted, or enemies can last far more than you would like and swarm you.
The exploration of the city is enjoyable, with flying demons such as the Tengu offering you a lift to high places while you can glide down from buildings with your powers. It encourages players to search every corner, as side quests, collectibles, and shops offer powerful unlocks and gear to discover. Enemies also give the city a horror atmosphere as they wander around, sometimes in huge parades.
Strong Points
The strong point of Ghostwire has to be that this is the best representation of Shibuya that has been done in a game. The city looks vibrant and amazing regarding details and the diversity of the environment. From forests to undercover shrines or huge skyscrapers, there is much to glance at when walking around Shibuya.
Art Design and Visuals
Another aspect where the game shines is in the art direction. The monsters are all a spectacle, ranging from slender man's look-alikes to tall women in white dresses chasing you with huge scissors or beats that want to devour you. All the yokai have a story to them you can read based on their real-life counterpart in folklore, and as enemies, they each have their tactics and weaknesses.
The game graphics are top-notch, and it is one of the prettiest games out there regarding its technical aspect. The element talismans are also a show when you use them as they give the rainy city more tones of color. The rain shrouds Shibuya quite nicely, and when you go around exploring, it can feel like a horror story about going alone at night in a big city.
[h1]Sound, Replayability and Performance[/h1]
Sound-wise, the game is disappointing; they passed off as lackluster, and it shows the development team needed to learn how to truly take the opportunity of elevating the tension with it. Voice acting is solid, but nothing to write home about.
Regarding replayability, Ghostwire is a game you want to complete after beating. You are free to do all side quests and collectibles, so there are no missable, and some of the best moments in the title can be found in such side stories, so I recommend fully immersing yourself in them.
The game ran well on PS5 for performance, but I do not know about its pc counterpart. However, the game runs Denuvo, so you might want to have a little extra on the recommended specs, just in case.
Pros
[+] It Has a huge collection of yokai and horror stories.
[+] One of the best, if not the best, representations of Shibuya in gaming, the city is impressive.
[+] Full of new ideas that revamp the first-person shooter genre.
[+] A fantastic design for both main and side content art-wise.
Cons
[-] Could have used a better sound design to be a scary game.
[-] Some bosses can be disappointing, particularly near the end of the game.
Conclusion
Ghostwire is a fantastic game; it serves as a guide for what a deviation of first-person shooters could strive to become, and it's not afraid of introducing new ideas to the genre. If you enjoy horror stories and action games, this title is easy to recommend, even at full price. When I think of premium gaming, Ghostwire is always the first game that comes to mind.
If you enjoy and find the review helpful, please follow my curator StarsDeck! https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43679955/