Many doubts, questions and few certainties arise when they are going to show you Ghostwire: Tokyo in deep. And it is not because one doubts the trajectory of Shinji Mikami or Tango Gameworks, with The Evil Within saga as a reference. You step on quicksand because the secrecy around the title has been a constant since it was announced back at E3 2019 or the negative feelings after the departure of Ikumi Nakamura. However, the fog has been cleared and what I have seen does not disappoint.
Throughout the presentation of the work, little by little, a thought began to invade me that I wanted to transfer to this text. Ghostwire: Tokyo It strongly reminds me of Ghostbusters, but not because Bill Murray appears spouting the joke on duty, but because of the work done by the New York company. This goes from capture spirits, cleanse the Japanese capital of specters come from beyond and find out what the hell is going on.
The novice and the master
Serious question: how do you deal with an extrasensory catastrophe when you’re on your own to save the day? You simply cannot do it on your own. It is because of that Akito ends up merging with KK, an experienced ghost hunter who has ended up becoming just another entity. Through a strange connection that manifests itself in the physique of the protagonist, the two characters will have to team up to face a threat like few others.
Mainly the one directed by Hanny, a villain who does not hide his intentions, crowning his appearance with a demonic mask that prevents seeing his face. has managed to the entire Shibuya area is engulfed in dense fog, which causes the population to have evaporated. Not only that, but strange creatures populate the streets and the sidewalks are full of the clothes of those who were once there, as if Cell from Dragon Ball had done an express cleaning.
In some way that is not yet clear, Hanny is able to have mental connections with Akito, giving the classic speech that the path he has taken is the right one and the others are wrong. Whether it is so or not, the truth is that Akito has something much more important at stake for him What is it like to help your own family? The cards are on the table and it’s time to play them.
Sealing and exorcising
Once the introductions have been made, it’s time to get into the real thing, the initial part of Ghostwire: Tokyo. With newly acquired powers, I could see Akito starting to get used to them under KK’s orders and directions. Balls of energy come out of his hands nonstop, which are used to attack the Visitors, the beings that you have been able to see in the last gameplay.
Office workers with umbrellas reminiscent of Slenderman, headless schoolgirls, the classic Hachishakusama from which the design of Lady Dimitrescu is inspired… the variety is wide and although they show different behaviors, the objective is the same: to exorcise them. The orbs we throw serve to break their bodies, at which point their cores are exposed for us to snatch.
Through L2, Akito releases a kind of mystical rope that is tied to the cores and pulls them to rip them out. Nothing confirms it for me, but everything indicates that the DualSense’s haptic triggers will have a lot to say at times like this. And it is that being Ghostwire: Tokyo a first person game, it is very visual in this sense. Our character makes complex positions with his fingers, turns and bends his wrists so that the attacks he launches are effective.
However, there is nothing more effective in cleaning up Tokyo than what looks set to be one of the main mechanics of the play. In several arts and gameplays we have been able to see those red Japanese arches, called Tori, and that act as a reference point to know where large amounts of fog are concentrated. Scattered all over the map, you have to find them, clear them of enemies and the fog will disappear. As a reward, we will receive a fundamental item.
They are about the Katashiro, paper figures that have the ability to absorb spirits that are scattered and keep them inside. Of course, we wouldn’t know any of this if it weren’t for KK, who constantly gives Akito directions about a world he doesn’t know. As in Forspoken, it is common to hear conversations between the two while we play, forging an unexpected relationship for both.
The oldest of the place will remember the telephone booths, strange devices that populated the streets of half the world and allowed calls to be made. In Ghostwire: Tokyo they have a new life, as they serve as a key machine to send the collected spirits out of the Shibuya area. And it does not seem that there will be few, since the count that appeared on the screen counted 240,050 spirits, although we take a few tens at a time. Coins and experience as rewards are welcome. And pay attention to the yokai, which will be present at different points in the game and will grant special abilities if we catch them.
The nooks and crannies of Tokyo
There’s no denying that Tango Gameworks is based in the very city it recreates. And it is that the development team has done a splendid job when building the city. The stereotypical, and often true, image of Tokyo full of neon lights can be found here and the fact that it is constantly at night helps make it look even brighter. A simple screenshot of the game makes you think unequivocally in the capital of Japan. Furthermore, it is even more shocking to see such an immensely populated place in real life and that is now completely empty.
The chaos caused by Hanny has left everything a mess, so it is common to find signs, lampposts and other pieces of urban furniture in strange positions. Floating, blinking, as if they did not know how to decide between the world of the living or another dimension that drags them. Nevertheless, Ghostwire: Tokyo lives not only on pure asphalt, but has more to say looking up and in. And I explain.
Verticality appeared as an element of surprise, without eating or drinking it, as soon as Akito managed to hook himself with his ropes to a tengu, a heavenly bird from Japanese folklore. A sudden impulse lifted him up and left him on a rooftop, where more Tori arches loom, complete with men in suits, mist, and flocks of ravens.
There doesn’t seem to be any fall damage, but that matters very little when you can hover and perch like a feather. If there are reasons to be attentive on the rooftops, the interiors are not far behind. It’s too early to tell, but it’s amazing how many places Akito can get into and not with few surprises. Perhaps the dream of many will come true when, after entering a store with the friendliest piped music in the world, you are greeted by a floating cat. There comes a point where you don’t question anything anymore and just buy him more Katashiro or stat-boosting food. And yes, confirmed that cats can be petted.
It’s not every day that a spirit appears to you in the middle of the street and asks for your help to exorcise its house. Daily routine for Akito, who enters the typical Japanese house, which begins to twist its rooms, show stains on the walls and try to cause the visitor to panic. little madness that reminded me of Double Fine’s imagination with Psychonauts, although it falls far short of the great originality shown by Tim Schafer’s team.
Eye to detective vision, in the purest Batman Arkham style and that allows you to see traces of spirits along with the traces they have left. They can be followed to find and put an end to them, but not before coming across a tree of corruption; nip it in the bud and more spirits for the Katashiro.
Appointment noted in the agenda
The help for Akito will not only come from KK, but it will be necessary to resort to his old spooky deterrence team. The members are scattered around the city, so we will have to collect information to locate them and receive their help. For example, entering one of the apartments, Akito had to break the seal that protected him. This can be done with the DualSense’s touchpad or by having KK take care of the task with a single button. This is where we get the bow that shoots fire arrows and more information about the story, which at least made me want to pull the thread further.
As soon as you leave, a barrier blocks the entire building, so with a time trial blowing on your neck, you have to find different nuclei scattered around the structure, both inside and outside. In this way the mystical wall is released and we can continue. A good starting time that I have been able to see, enough to convince me that the On March 25 I will be waiting for its launch on PS5 and PC.
Tango Gameworks ensures that Ghostwire: Tokyo is in the final stages of polishing and the truth is that it looks very consistent. Graphically it doesn’t look like a new generation game, but the personality it exudes makes it mark it on the calendar as one of the most interesting titles of 2022.