Ghostrunner is a cyberpunk action game that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The game is a blend of Doom, Titanfall, and Dishonored with the perfect visuals and aesthetics that give you an immersive experience of the cyberpunk city. With its pleasant and immersive cyberpunk feel, this FPP slasher fantasy game stands out against its competitors. Although the developers One More Level and Slipgate6 are not big names in the videogame industry, Ghostrunner’s popularity soared quickly after its launch in October 2020, making it one of the most popular games set in dystopian times. So, without further ado, I shall talk about everything you need to know before playing the game in this Ghostrunner review.
Gameplay:
The gameplay mechanics of Ghostrunner is one of its many strong suits. The player controls a deadly swordsman wielding a katana who is also a bio-engineered human of sorts.
The game progresses through many levels. You travel through dangerous environments, jump around, run on walls, and kill your enemies strategically and skillfully. You acquire numerous abilities later on, which helps to balance the power dynamic between you and the bosses.
The levels are constructed in a puzzle-like manner with a variety of enemies that kill you differently. The challenges are pretty rough and punishing at times, and you will find yourself dying a lot. Enemies can kill you in 1 hit, so you have to be wary about your movements. However, you respawn instantly at a nearby checkpoint, allowing you to instantly get back into those fights.
Ghostrunner requires a lot of practice, skill, and determination. It is, however, a super addictive game.
Story:
Ghostrunner’s weakest part is its story which takes place in the city Dharma Tower, which safekeeps humanity – or whatever’s left of it after a cataclysmic event called ‘The Burst’.
At the start, the Ghostrunner finds himself thrown out of a building by an evil ruler named Mara. Having no recollection of what happened in his life, the swordsman starts hearing voices in his head; from an entity called ‘The Architect’ who serves as his guide.
He soon finds himself on a journey to defeat Mara whom he faces after battling a number of enemies and technologically advanced super-soldiers. Mara finally gets defeated after a pretty intense fight. However, there is a twist! The Architect is exposed to be the creator and ruler of the Dharma Tower who wishes to control all humanity, making him worse than Mara. With that said, the ghostrunner destroys the Architect – thus freeing humanity.
While writing this Ghostrunner review, I realized that the story does get somewhat predictable, and the ending is not that great either. If you are smart enough, you will sense the ‘plot twist’ from miles away.
Visuals:
Ghostrunner provides breathtaking visuals with a hands-on immersive cyberpunk atmosphere that just pulls you deep into its world. Its neon signs, weird architecture, gloomy lighting and, grim ambient music, and intense beats, all make it so successfully robust.
Conclusion
The game is super well-crafted with a lot of attention to detail and soundtracks that boost your adrenaline. Not only that, Ghostrunner provides challenging gameplay that can be frustrating sometimes, but it is handsomely rewarding once you understand the mechanics. Though, it is pretty short. The only real downside is its mundane plot which I discussed in this Ghostrunner review.