{"id":42990,"date":"2020-10-26T23:37:21","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T15:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sirusgaming.com\/?p=42990"},"modified":"2020-10-26T23:37:44","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T15:37:44","slug":"ghostrunner-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sirusgaming.com\/ghostrunner-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghostrunner – Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fictional stories set in a cyberpunk world are always very captivating. It tends to remind us of the grim, yet real implications of the technological advancements we are so used of today. Movies, books, and video games love dipping its toes in the cyberpunk-ish river. The Triple-A industry has one coming right out in just a couple of weeks, and the indie stage isn\u2019t falling behind either. Ghostrunner, a game by Polish developer One More Level, is a cyberpunk first-person action game set in a highly technological dystopian world. Players will take control of a \u201cGhostrunner\u201d or an engineered assassin designed to cut down everything in its path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First things first, this game looks incredibly gorgeous. Its sharp details and incredible texture rendering are incredibly well-done, which is almost necessary in a cyberpunk setting. The gun metal design of almost everything on the screen and the popping neon colors really give this world life. No expense is spared when it comes to graphics and visuals in this game. Even the \u201ccybervoid\u201d levels look incredibly breathtaking. This game really pulls you in with its visuals and drives you to explore this world as deeply as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What a lovely day, indeed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the gameplay. Ghostrunner is very much fast-paced action incarnate. It almost feels roguelike, but that\u2019s not exactly what it is. It just feels that way because of its one-hit-kill system where you or the enemy die after one hit. This makes playthroughs very intense. The players will really have to mind their surroundings and strategize every move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trial-and-error is also very apparent in this game. Once you reach an area where there are a ton of enemies, you will end up doing a lot of dying and learning before you can finally clear an area out. This is all fine and good, but it becomes pale and boring as you reach the final levels of the game. This may be due to Ghostrunner not having the best combat mechanic to really make this process bearable in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game\u2019s hack-and-slash combat mechanic does its job just fine. This is the only aspect in the game\u2019s combat that really worked for me. It was even incredibly satisfying slashing down enemies and seeing them crumble after being on the receiving end of your blade. It\u2019s the skills you earn along the way that\u2019s mediocre at best. They\u2019re flashy, they make you feel cool for a while. But the skills themselves reload way too slowly, even after a few upgrades. They\u2019re not \u201cenough\u201d given the number of enemies you\u2019ll have to deal with. One of the skills even feels broken (which I won\u2019t dive too deeply as it might stand on spoiler territory).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speaking of upgrades, the game has a very unique way of skill upgrading. You will literally have to fit pieces together properly if you want upgrades for the Ghostrunner. This is something you\u2019ll have to experience for yourself – as it is very creative, unique, and even fun to mess around with. It can be very restrictive, however. It\u2019s awe-inspiring as an idea, but has a few flaws in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parry and reflect mechanic are also very inconsistent. The way parrying and reflecting projectiles work in this game is to simply press the attack button at a specific window of time. This window of time seems very wonky, odd, and uncomfortable. One boss in particular has a parry timing that\u2019s almost right after their attack lands. You can also reflect projectiles via the same manner, but this is equally as inconsistent as the parry system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m being a little harder than normal on this game\u2019s parry system as it is nowhere near as smooth as the other games who have incorporated this very same combat mechanic. The parry and reflect system need to be absolutely stable if your game has a one-hit-kill system. If this area of combat is very inconsistent and wonky, it makes the players feel their success is tied to luck instead of skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the boss fights. There are very few of those in the game, but I have to say, even though they are scarce, they are absolute highlights of the game. They\u2019re very unique and you\u2019ll have to fight them differently in order to win the fight. I was initially skeptical when wondering whether a boss fight would work in a game like this, but the developers found a way to make it just right without betraying the game\u2019s core combat mechanic. As mentioned earlier, though, one boss fight in particular relies heavily on the game\u2019s parry mechanic, which is wonky at best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motion is the name of the game when it comes to Ghostrunner. You will have to move around the world quickly and efficiently, whether you\u2019re fighting enemies or not. In fact, you will need to move around consistently when fighting multiple enemies. This game\u2019s traversal mechanic, though, is so much better than its combat. The way the Ghostrunner moves around feels very stellar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your hand-eye coordination will be tested to the fullest in this game. The levels you run around in are interwoven in a great way too. The game\u2019s level design and platforming element are two of Ghostrunner\u2019s greatest strengths, which is amazing for a fast-paced, highly mobile game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there\u2019s the story. The game\u2019s story is\u2026 okay. At best. It\u2019s not really this game\u2019s focal point, and it\u2019s not too bad. It\u2019s just predictable. It\u2019s basic, but it\u2019s not poorly written either. It\u2019s as average as average comes. The voice acting isn\u2019t too bad either. The voice actor for the Ghostrunner and the Architect did a really good job with what they were given. The main antagonist\u2019s voice acting was really off in comparison, though. Especially once you get to that enemy\u2019s boss fight. She will spew off in-combat dialogue in the most clich\u00e9, cartoonish, almost humorous manner that it just pulls you out of the game for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I really feel like this game was created with speedrunners in mind. I\u2019m sure, some time in the future, speedrunners will find a way to finish this game at record-breaking lengths. It personally took me about 8 \u2013 9 hours to finish the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-in-all, I had so much fun with Ghostrunner. It\u2019s a great game for those who love being challenged by video games. If you want to have a relaxing time and game casually, however, this isn\u2019t for you. This is one of those games where you\u2019ll have to put in the effort to succeed. It\u2019s a thrilling, daunting experience, which provides satisfaction once you\u2019re done with it. It\u2019s not a perfect game. It has a lot of flaws, but it\u2019s also good enough for what it\u2019s trying to be.<\/p>\n

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Ghostrunner – Review<\/div><\/div>
Score Definition<\/div>
You better have to choose if it\u2019s worth spending your spare cash, because it might not be the game for you and it might be for others.<\/div><\/div>
Pros<\/div>
Amazing graphics<\/div>
Perfect for those who love a challenge<\/div>
Level design is great<\/div>
Traversal mechanic is very smooth and satisfying<\/div><\/div>
Cons<\/div>
Skills mechanic could\u2019ve been better<\/div>
Story is mediocre<\/div>
Parry and reflect system is inconsistent<\/div><\/div><\/div>
6.5<\/div>
Justified<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>