GhostRunner 2 Review on Xbox

GhostRunner 2 is a hardcore FPP slasher set in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future. Become the ultimate cyber ninja and prepare for epic boss fights, improved skills, an interactive story, new game modes, and captivating synth-wave soundtrack.

The premise is you take control of Jake from the first instalment, who is back to deal with the violent AI cult that has assembled outside Dharma Tower and once again shape the future of humanity.

The game boasts new skills, new challenges, new enemies and a new progression system, which has been completely redone, providing opportunities to experiment and customize your gameplay.

Accessibility

With regards to accessibility, there very little in the way of options, even the subtitles only have the option to be turned off or on. Because of this, should you have any disability, especially those with motor function issues, this would not be a game you could play.

Gameplay

I never played the original as most of my time was spent reviewing other Indie games, however at a event earlier in the year called WASD, I was one of the first to try out sequels demo. From that moment I was hooked and intrigued to see what the game was offering..

For those that don’t know what Ghost Runner is, the best way to describe this is a blend of Mirrors Edge and Cyberpunk with brutal killing sequences smooshed all the way through. You take control of Jake, from the first game, a cybernetically enhance ninja who is after killing the previous villain is woken to find that other hidden cyber ninjas known as Ghostrunners have appeared after some hibernation and are now wanting to take over.

The gameplay loop is much like its original from what I can tell, with its running along walls, dashing through air vents, gliding past enemies, all whilst slashing them to pieces with your trusty katana. Now this may sound easy, however there is a catch, and its the biggest one, is that you will die from a single hit. And die you will, multiple times as you try to work your way around using the environments and skills available to you at that given time. Thankfully, when you die, you restart again in the same area where you failed.

To ensure this doesn’t become a nuisance, you are given a vast arsenal of skills to combat what can seem from the beginning as a hugely difficult task. You see the game is all about precision of your tactical movement / skill usage. For example you have a dash ability which is invaluable for getting out of the way of enemies attacks and countering them, in order to finish them.

Now if you hold the dash button whilst in the air, time will also slow to a crawl and you’ll be able to dodge out of the way even further of any incoming danger, like bullets and energy beams. You can block attacks, but blocking only allows you to stop a few hits before your guard is broken. Because of this, you are then enticed to try parrying instead for an instant kill, or perfect your blocks, which deflect bullets back at your enemies. 

To ensure this mechanic cannot be spammed, the is restricted with a limited stamina bar, which both dash and block utilise. Meaning depending on the attack, carefully choice of your actions is required. The stamina bar will replenish with time and as you progress further into the game, skill can help buff this further.

Secondary skills are later added, like Shuriken, Tempest and Shadow. Shuriken are your quick ranged attack, Tempest is like a force push, and Shadow allows you to create a duplicate of yourself and go invisible. Ultimate abilities are also given as you progress, like the ability to shoot a laser out of your hand or my favourite, an ability to hack an enemy and they become a friend attacking your enemies, for a short period. Much like all the abilities though, these have limited usage and will take time to regenerate, with some only doing do as you kill enemies.

This is where the new perk tree comes into play, which you can access them from your homebase after every level at a vendor station. Perks are purchased by earning XP which is acquired from defeating enemies, clearing missions, and playing the various challenges dotted throughout each level.

Once purchased these can then be added to your motherboard empty nodes to suit your particular playstyle. The perks themselves often buff a specific skill's damage and cool-down rates, but there are others which can dramatically change things. For instance, some can increase your stamina, give secondary damaging affects and even unlock new tiers for your ultimate attacks.

The motherboard is limited with its number of slots at first, but as you find more purple chips hidden within the levels or by completing level based challenges, you start to really open up your options. This pushes the player to really explore the environments in abid to increase your capacity to hold multiple upgrades at once. Alongside the purple chips to be found, are also physical collectibles, which can be shown off at your homebase and a variety of character, bike and katana skins, which can be turned on at anytime. 

The games controls are super responsive and intuitive, ensuring the movement / skill usage remain precise and functional. Failing on this game intuitively feels more an issue with the players skill rather than the games mechanics. And once you have clicked with its control system, you will too feel satisfied, as you smoothly glide across beams, run across a walls, or grapple over huge chasms, all whilst being attacked in a variety of ways.

Breaking up the continuous bombardment of attacks, are level-based challenges which I mentioned earlier. In some areas there is a terminal which you can engage with to activate timed challenges that task you with clearing the area of enemies, using a specific skill well, or running through checkpoints. Rewards are often XP for bronze, and purple chips for silver and gold. You don’t have to play this straight away, but this adds to the replay ability of the game in the long run after you have completed it.

One of the more unique inclusions in Ghostrunner II is a mini rogue-like game mode called Roguerunner.exe that can be booted up at your base HQ or through the main menu, unlocked half way through the game. This itself tasks you with completing arenas and progressing to the final zone, with random skills and abilities being unlocked the further you progress. A enjoyable side content that could have easily been segregated as paid dlc, which I’m thankful they did not do.

Graphics

When it comes to the graphics of the game, the visuals are superb and showcase off the neon cyberpunk aesthetics beautifully. Even the most darkest of areas like the cybervoid are stunningly lit and visually pleasing as you traverse your way through them, that often makes you want to stop and admire. The levels are huge, and a nice blend of gauntlet-style zones spliced with fast-flowing platforming sections that gain more intricacy the more you progress.

It's not all combat zones though, as the developers have also added in bike sections. Once you have your escape from Dharma City, you venture into the desolate wasteland surrounding the huge city tower. These action packed sequences are about traversing lots of roads using jumps at highs speeds, mixed with little hub areas to re-open paths to progress. The bike gameplay stick out for me and was one of the better experiences, as you fly past gritty post apocalyptic highways whilst jumping through tiny gaps in closing doors.

Boss fights are equally fast and relentless, and with a huge push on pattern recognition within a stunning vista. However pattern recognition will only get you so far, and its your own precision that will win the day. But I will say that having some perks that are able to block energy attacks or being quicker with your dodges do make a huge difference, and being they can be switch out at any time, don’t be afraid to do so. Thankfully like the main game, even when you do die, there are checkpoints at varied levels of each boss’s health, ensuring you don’t have to go back to scratch when fighting them.

Sound

When it comes to the soundtrack, the games music is top notch, with its explosive beats combining perfectly with the action on screen. It’s a combination of heavy rock and new age synth-wave, which just oozes futuristic intent, regardless of the arena your in.

Voice acting is also in the game and is very serviceable in its telling of the story and narrative choices when in your HQ. Whilst dialogue options are minimal, it does help flesh out these characters in a bit more depth whilst giving you a needed respite from your death dealing parkour. Weapons, explosions and general AI sounds are perfect in their punchy delivery and alerting you, when shots from a distance happen.

My recommendation here, is a good quality headset as this seems to resolve a lot of the sound mixing issues for some reason.

Verdict

This leads me onto the rating of the game:-
Now I rate games in order of, avoid, on sale, great purchase and must own. My rating for GhostRunner 2 is a "Must Own’’.

You don’t have to be familiar with the original to find this game enjoyable and engaging. For me this is the definitive parkour action game currently on offer right now, that you will find addictive till the credits roll and beyond.

The game is currently priced on Xbox at £34.99 or approx. $40 and depending on skill and patience would give you about 20+ hours worth of gameplay. Due to number of unlockable skills, weapons and costumes, and a separate game RogueRunner mode, this could add another 10+hours.

This is probably one of my recommendations for Game of the Year, as its addictive combat/traversal loop keeps me wanting to play ‘’One more Level’’.