Based on what people have been saying about Ghostrunner II, I was expecting just more of the same, except not quite as cohesive as the first game.
After rolling credits on it last night, however, I have to say that I dug it way more than its predecessor. This isn't just me being a contrarian for the sake of it, either, because I can see where and why many took issue with this game, but a lot of those same points of contention are perhaps what I enjoyed most out of Ghostrunner 2 compared to the first one.
For one, I vibed way more with the art direction this time around, despite it taking place in the same city as the previous one. You get to visit new parts of it, including a vast derelict cathedral and, of course, the world outside the tower, even though I don't disagree with the complaints of the latter looking too bland and samey. Really, it's just nice to have a consistent change in pace throughout, at least visually.
This also extends to gameplay, as there are new mechanics and fresh spins on existing ones this time around. They're all pretty fun to use, and you're given at least one new toy to play with at every level. The environments are also a lot more spacious this time around, and you're given way more room to breathe in regards to traversal, both in and out of combat, than you were before.
As I've hinted, roughly halfway through Ghostrunner II, you venture into the world outside the tower, much of which takes the form of riding a motorbike across open-ended levels. It's clear that this is the point where Ghostrunner II falls apart for many people since it kind of becomes a different kind of game at the halfway point, but as I've said, I actually really dug it. Not just for the change of pace, but also for the great set pieces and vistas you're treated to at this part of the game. One particular level involves you tussling with a giant tunneling worm-like machine, which, oddly enough, was reminiscent of the vehicle levels in James Bond games, where, even though it's heavily scripted, the way it all comes together is wildly engaging.
Once again, though, the story is decent, and yet, the way it is delivered leaves much to be desired. One of my critiques of the previous game is how disconnected the narrative was from the overall gameplay. Here, however, it seems they've overcorrected in order to alleviate this. Between every level, you visit a small hub where you can chat with people and upgrade yourself before moving on to the next mission. It seems like a fine idea at first, but you find yourself skipping through much of it just to get to the next mission.
The first boss battle is also needlessly frustrating and sets a false precedent for the rest of the game's otherwise good boss battles. In fact, you'll no doubt have more trouble defeating the first boss than the final boss. Not that it isn't tricky, but more that the first one requires split-second movements and very specific timing in a way that harkens back to the frantic nature of the first game.
Still, these issues don't disrupt the whole thing, and Ghostrunner II is still a damn fine sequel that towers above the original (at least for me). There are, of course, still some qualms that One More Level would need to reevaluate should they continue the series, but otherwise, I'm thoroughly impressed with their work here.
8/10
After rolling credits on it last night, however, I have to say that I dug it way more than its predecessor. This isn't just me being a contrarian for the sake of it, either, because I can see where and why many took issue with this game, but a lot of those same points of contention are perhaps what I enjoyed most out of Ghostrunner 2 compared to the first one.
For one, I vibed way more with the art direction this time around, despite it taking place in the same city as the previous one. You get to visit new parts of it, including a vast derelict cathedral and, of course, the world outside the tower, even though I don't disagree with the complaints of the latter looking too bland and samey. Really, it's just nice to have a consistent change in pace throughout, at least visually.
This also extends to gameplay, as there are new mechanics and fresh spins on existing ones this time around. They're all pretty fun to use, and you're given at least one new toy to play with at every level. The environments are also a lot more spacious this time around, and you're given way more room to breathe in regards to traversal, both in and out of combat, than you were before.
As I've hinted, roughly halfway through Ghostrunner II, you venture into the world outside the tower, much of which takes the form of riding a motorbike across open-ended levels. It's clear that this is the point where Ghostrunner II falls apart for many people since it kind of becomes a different kind of game at the halfway point, but as I've said, I actually really dug it. Not just for the change of pace, but also for the great set pieces and vistas you're treated to at this part of the game. One particular level involves you tussling with a giant tunneling worm-like machine, which, oddly enough, was reminiscent of the vehicle levels in James Bond games, where, even though it's heavily scripted, the way it all comes together is wildly engaging.
Once again, though, the story is decent, and yet, the way it is delivered leaves much to be desired. One of my critiques of the previous game is how disconnected the narrative was from the overall gameplay. Here, however, it seems they've overcorrected in order to alleviate this. Between every level, you visit a small hub where you can chat with people and upgrade yourself before moving on to the next mission. It seems like a fine idea at first, but you find yourself skipping through much of it just to get to the next mission.
The first boss battle is also needlessly frustrating and sets a false precedent for the rest of the game's otherwise good boss battles. In fact, you'll no doubt have more trouble defeating the first boss than the final boss. Not that it isn't tricky, but more that the first one requires split-second movements and very specific timing in a way that harkens back to the frantic nature of the first game.
Still, these issues don't disrupt the whole thing, and Ghostrunner II is still a damn fine sequel that towers above the original (at least for me). There are, of course, still some qualms that One More Level would need to reevaluate should they continue the series, but otherwise, I'm thoroughly impressed with their work here.
8/10