Ghostrunner - Review

Ghostrunner - Review

Review for Ghost runner. Game for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 27/10/2020 The version for PC came out on 31/12/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/12/2020 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/12/2020

Cyberpunk lovers can sleep peacefully: new generations are coming to flesh out the ranks of this subgenre of science fiction on Steam and consoles. The forerunner of this fall season dedicated to sci-fi is Ghostrunner, a First Person Puzzle in which action, frenzy and sword fighting will dominateis. Will the work of 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks and One More Level be able to pass the wait for more famous titles and carve out a place of honor in the genre? To find out, all that remains is to venture into the futuristic complex of Dharma Tower where the mysterious Ghostrunner moves with speed and frenzy.



Although the nostalgics of Metal Gear Solid can only think of Gray Fox, the unforgettable Ninja Cyborg behind which Frank Jaeger was hiding, the protagonist of Ghostrunner does not have a precise identity but immediately his peculiarity as a fighter is highlighted fast and deadly. However the title opens with the defeat of the Ghostrunner, as if to suggest that death will be a constant presence with which the player will soon have to learn to live with, trying not to let go of the easy frustration of failure. The plot of the title is easily said: humanity is one step away from extinction and is perched in the imposing Dharma Tower at the helm of which we find Mara, Master of the Keys, who rules with an iron fist thanks to his machines and his soldiers, with no respect for the lives of others. As can be seen from the initial CGI, the Ghostrunner is closely linked with Mara and will be guided on his path of revenge and freedom by another key character, the Architect, reduced to AI after being killed by Mara in his plan to gain absolute power over the huge fortress.



Ghostrunner - Review

Although the opening incipit may not be entirely original, Ghostrunner's narration still presents some interesting ideas and accompanies the frenetic gameplay that characterizes the 17 levels that make up the work published by 505 Games. As indicated at the beginning of this review, Ghostrunner is an adrenaline-pumping FPP featuring a sword fighting system which, when compared to an FPS, we could summarize with the expression “one shot, one kill“. Our futuristic ninja is in fact as fast as he is deadly, and there will be no escape for the enemies hit by his cyberkatana. However, it will not be so easy to both reach and hit the enemy without the risk of perishing under the blows of pistols and laser rifles. Fortunately, in these phases we will be able to get a huge advantage over the enemies thanks to the innate abilities of the Ghostrunner such as the deflection of bullets, the sprint and the sensory ability, able to slow down the action to be able to capture the enemy in its weak point.

Ghostrunner - Review

The fights therefore prove to be fun, fast-paced and challenging, in part due to an AI totally addressed to scripted movements and automatic hooking on our character - to be considered also the main production defect - but above all for the complexity of the levels. In the most agitated and difficult phases we will have four devastating abilities, unlockable in particular levels within a cyberspace managed by the Architect and usable thanks to the concentration bar (rechargeable by killing enemies, dodging bullets and so on) as well as improved by unlocking upgrades to equip by fitting them into a Tetris pattern. In addition to the skill enhancement section, the inventory is completed by the Armory (even if the katanas are limited exclusively to the mere aesthetic factor) and the Codex that collect artifacts and records hidden in the various levels. All these components should be sufficient to make gameplay and fights satisfying, also thanks to the presence of some boss fights, however a certain repetition of the situations undermines the general picture of a work in which in some cases frustration takes over. The checkpoint system and the lack of manual rescues do not help in this, which, in addition to forcing us to completely finish a level in order not to lose the progress made, could force us to repeat an entire combat zone even for a single fatal mistake.



Ghostrunner - Review

What the platform phase, on the other hand, proves to be really fun, with wild runs, slides, jumps with the grapple and the exploitation of time bonuses scattered in the game areas (slowing of time, super jump and electrified shuriken): the completion of these phases, gradually more complex, returns a very high degree of satisfaction. Even in these sections of the game, the slightest mistake will mean death and in the long run it could lead to situations of frustration, both due to some mechanics of jumping and hooking that are not always perfect and due to the repetition of situations already seen and faced. Since the Ghostrunner story is concentrated on a single (albeit mammoth) building, the level design is not very varied and does not help, in advanced levels, to diversify a gameplay that, although increasingly difficult, is predictable several times.

Ghostrunner - Review

On the graphic side, the Unreal Engine 4 performs well and, although it was not possible to test ray tracing, the graphic rendering is pleasant and gives a good cyberpunk experience. Certainly it would not have spoiled a greater variety - both of the environments and of the enemies - and a greater interaction with the scenographic objects would have brought a great benefit to the title, with the consequent benefit of breaking some moments of repetition and relative increase in the fun factor. Ghostrunner's sorties will be underlined by an original soundtrack and characterized by songs mostly attributable to the genre of electronics, which lends itself well to the type of adventure and to the many hectic and hectic game sections. A convincing effects and a good dubbing (in English with Spanish subtitles) complete the picture of a sound sector not free from some small smears due to the little variety of phrases and exclamations of the enemies that we will meet in the game phases. Ghostrunner has a difficulty calibrated on medium-high levels which helps to increase the longevity of the title (between 15 and 20 hours for the first run) already very good base, also considering the possibility of recovering the various collectibles and unlocking the usual achievements.



Ghostrunner - Review

Ghostrunner proves to be a valid and demanding title, characterized by good longevity, a convincing cyberpunk concept and a frenetic and satisfying gameplay. There is no shortage of defects, especially in relation to the AI ​​of the enemies and to various repetitive game sections not properly supported by a plot that does not represent the strong point of the Slipgate, 3D Realms and One More Level production. Despite this, the narration is pleasant and with convincing characters, still managing to break the most frustrating situations. On the graphic side there is a good job done with the Unreal Engine 4, but a more varied level design characterized by the presence of interaction with the scenographic objects would undoubtedly have increased the general evaluation of the work, which remains a difficult and satisfying one. FPP cyberpunk.

► Ghostrunner is a Shooter type game developed by One More Level 3D Realms Slipgate Ironworks and published by 505 Games for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 27/10/2020 The version for PC came out on 31/12/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 31/12/2020 The version for Xbox One came out on 31/12/2020

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