Ghostrunner - Jump,Slash,Die,Repeat


 Ghostrunner is a first-person platformer set in a cyberpunk world with high difficulty trial and error style of gameplay that may not be for everyone

Presentation-


Ghostunner is set in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world where you a cyborg ninja aka Ghostrunner finds himself without any memories but slick katana and voice in his head. Most of the story in Ghostrunner is limited to the background with characters talking and providing exposition while you play in fact you rarely see anyone else other than yourself and the enemies. The story of the game is pretty predictable if you have seen, read or played any media with a cyberpunk theme. The voice acting on the other hand is very well done especially your AI which guides you through the game. Also if you like synthwave music Ghostrunner doesn't disappoint with a soundtrack composed by Daniel Deluxe who did an almost perfect job capturing the game's cyberpunk feel. As for the visuals, the game looks absolutely gorgeous with effective use of neon lighting and reflections to create a beautiful landscape that makes you stop to just take in the scenery. There are also tiny details in the environment like shop signs or small rooms that makes it feel like a world where people live rather than simply being a parkour course for you.

 Then the game has these Cyber Void sections where you jack into a system to learn new abilities. These sections are puzzle areas instead where you receive most of the story by the aforementioned voices and while these areas look really nice the first time around on consecutive runs they kinda kill the pacing of the game.

Gameplay - 



The gameplay is divided into two parts - the platforming and the combat. Platforming involves wall-running, jumping, sliding and using your grapple hook to get past obstacles and its incredibly fun to navigate this obstacle course perfectly although it may take several tries more about that later. Throughout the game, more stuff gets added for you to use like handrails, drones that you can ride for a short time and the ability to slow down some machinery for platforming. You also get upgrades consisting of Super Jump, one that slows time and one that allows you to throw shurikens for a brief amount of time and the platforming makes full use of these. The platforming controls are very tight and it feels great when it flows but there are issues. The main issue with the platforming and the game, in general, is that it's inconsistent at times. There were a lot of times when a wall run wouldn't register or I would phase through to its other side and fall. Also since levels fly by at such hi-speed it can be difficult some time to determine where you're going next while platforming.
Next up is combat where you as well as your enemies all die in a single hit. This makes the game similar to a game like Katana Zero or Hotline Miami where you'll die easily but can restart instantly until you win. This is where game's high difficulty mainly shows as you basically have to die a few times before you realize the enemy location and layouts but once you do it is really satisfying to execute a room full of guards flawlessly. The enemy variety in the game is also pretty varied from simple guards that shoot at you to kamikaze zombies to sword-wielding Japanese guys who shout Jojo references before killing you. All enemies have a way to kill them and their placement is very well done so it never feels unfair.

As for you luckily you have more than just a katana to take care of your foes. The main ability that you would be using is sensory boost which basically slows downtime while in midair so that you can dodge projectiles and believe me you'll be using this alot. Other than that you obtain new abilities in the cybervoid like Blink which is a slash in a straight line and Overload which lets you hack the enemies for a short time. You can only equip one ability at a time and can use them when your Focus meter is full. 

You also have this Tetris style upgrade system where you can plug in different blocks which can change the way you use your powers but it also affects your Focus gauge, basically the more space you fill the slower the gauge would refill. If used correctly this system can help to make some challenging parts easier since you can swap upgrades in and out at any time so if I were having to get past a section involving a power up I can use the upgrade to increase the time power-ups remain active and then remove it once I'm past the section. 

The Verdict - 


Ghostrunner is a game that I really loved. The fast-paced platforming of the game is really well implemented and flows quite smoothly minor inconsistencies aside. The combat while brutal never frustrated me because of good enemy placement as well as the variety of approaches and tools at my disposal. The difficulty of the game might be a big turn off for some people but for me, it was all the more satisfactory when I would kill a group of enemies or get through a platforming section flawlessly. It requires patience and precision to finish but I heartily recommend Ghostrunner as its well worth your time and will make you keep coming back to shave off those extra few seconds of your runtime.









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