Also, the soundtrack from Daniel Deluxe slaps. While the approaches are different, it still retains that DOOM feeling of being able to conquer everything in front of you. Leaping off walls to slice an enemy from above, dodging out the way of the next guy’s shots only to carve him into pieces before lunging at the last enemy Ghostrunner at its best is a highlight reel of incredible kills and moments that make you feel like a complete badass. Once you finally do nail that perfect fight, Ghostrunner is absolutely sublime, especially after particularly challenging fights that take dozens of tries. As fast-paced as Ghostrunner is, the game promotes careful strategy and execution to succeed. Running in, swinging your katana around like a Dynasty Warriors character will only lead to ruin. Unlike DOOM, where you overwhelm opponents with raw power, Ghostrunner is more comparable to surgery, with sharp and precise strikes. While in the air, dodging will briefly slow down time, letting you avoid projectiles easier.Įncounters feel more like puzzle-solving than anything, as you’ll likely spend a couple of deaths per fight memorising enemy placements and figuring out the best way to move through the environment like a force of nature. Dodge is mapped to the left bumper too, so you can still aim while you’re trying to avoid getting shot. By default, jump is mapped to the right bumper, meaning you can still get aerial without pulling focus from other tasks like aiming and your abilities.
In all honesty, this game would likely feel massively better on PC via mouse and keyboard, but Ghostrunner still plays surprisingly well with a controller. Fortunately, restarting from a checkpoint is practically instantaneous, meaning you’ll be right back in the thick of it immediately. For the most part, you’ll be utilising parkour and grappling hooks to traverse the environment, getting you close enough to your enemy for that sweet one hit kill, but you also die in one hit.
If you upgrade yourself too much, can you even be called human to begin with? It’s decent, but it’s not the reason why you’ll be downloading Ghostrunner: it’s the gameplay.Īs a whole, Ghostrunner sits somewhere between Mirror’s Edge and Hotline Miami, which is as awesome as that sounds. There’s some witty lines and dialogue between the various characters, and the overall narrative touches on traditional cyberpunk themes of what it means to be human. The plot is serviceable enough, though it’s nothing to write home about. Along the way, you’ll be aided by Zoe, a human resistance member, and The Architect, the AI voice inside your head. Taking place in Dharma Tower, the last bastion of humanity after “The Burst” decimated the planet, you control the titular Ghostrunner as he journeys to the top of the tower to oust the dictator Mara. If you’ve been put off by Cyberpunk 2077’s delay, allow Ghostrunner to close that gap. Ghostrunner subscribes to this theory, and quite frankly, it succeeds, becoming one of 2020’s sleeper hits. Playing a ninja is cool, but playing as a cyborg ninja is better. There are some universal truths when it comes to gaming.