The cyberpunk trend is not exclusive to recent years, let alone to CD Projekt Red and their Cyberpunk 2077. Since the 1970s, this genre has captivated readers and cinephiles. And in recent years, it has also captured the hearts of gamers, thanks.
Video games have seen a growing number of cyberpunk titles over time, especially in the last decade, where several companies have decided to try their luck. Some games have been failures, while others have been so well-received that they have even spawned sequels. Such is the case with Ghostrunner 2.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the review of a game that launches today, October 26th, worldwide. We’ve had the opportunity to play and complete it a week before its official release.
The city is ours, the katana too
Ghostrunner 2 is a first-person action platformer game developed by One More Level (and published by 505 Games), set in a cyberpunk dystopia where you must slice, slide, and jump wildly through a megalopolis and its surroundings to thwart a growing terrorist uprising.
You play as Jack, a Ghostrunner or cybernetic ninja suffering from amnesia. Due to your actions in the previous game, the city is now grappling with a massive power vacuum. Various emerging factions are vying for control, including a newly formed group of Ghostrunners believed to have been disbanded. They view you and your group as tools of their oppression.
In the extras menu, there’s a handy summary of the events from the previous game, but the game itself provides enough context for you to catch up, even if you skip it.
The story of this game starts with a refreshing premise that suggests the fall of a ruthless dictator isn’t immediately followed by rainbows and sunshine: finally, a bit of realism.
Some defectors from the old regime join the cast of supporting characters from the first game, and the tensions between the groups now trying to work together create intriguing drama. However, many of the characters lack personality. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you end up skipping the dialogues because they are weak.
However, the Ghosrunners’ enemy faction doesn’t have that problem, as their overly dramatic rhetoric and displays of aggression keep the events engaging.
A wonderful gameplay experience, but one that can become overwhelming
If there was one thing Ghostrunner 1 did well, it was turning simplicity into a fantastic gameplay experience, especially for keyboard and mouse users like me. However, as the game progresses, the number of keys and buttons we have to press keeps growing.
In the first game, powers and actions struck a perfect balance between difficulty and simplicity. In this sequel, in an attempt to make it a bit more complex, it has crossed the line from challenging to confusing. More than once, you’ll find yourself wondering, “Which button was I supposed to press?”
Because every sequel is expected to be “more and better,” Ghostrunner 2 ends up being very confusing as the game progresses. It introduces mechanics that we barely use on a single screen. Yes, learning something new only to barely use it is a very bad idea.
I wish One More Level had stuck to the gameplay of the first game and focused on more pressing improvements (platforming sections tend to have issues, and some scenarios haven’t been worked on much). But overall, the game is quite enjoyable.
An artistically delightful game with powerful graphics
Visually, Ghostrunner achieves the cyberpunk aesthetic admirably and does a great job of making the environment feel like a real city rather than a ninja’s playground.
It hides a lot of collectible items in small side routes that can provide you with new weapon skins or background lore to explore, and the missions will tell you how much you have left to find upon completion.
The game lasted me 10 hours, having died a few hundred times. But the desire to replay and improve my times and deaths is remarkable. That’s why we can view it as if it were a hack & slash, aiming for the perfect score in terms of time, collected resources, and deaths.
Ghostrunner 2 is a fantastic action platformer that offers plenty of spectacle, challenges, and fun. I’m eager to see what the series has in store for us because, believe me, there will be a third part. I would give it a 6.5 if this magazine assigned scores.
The game is released today, October 26th, for 39.99 euros on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
