Ghostwire Tokyo Review
Tokyo has never been a city lacking in dark and damp urban legends. And perhaps, to depict that realistically and compellingly, the Tango Gameworks team has courageously departed from the highly acclaimed survival horror formula of the previous series, The Evil Within, and shifted to an entirely new perspective - Ghostwire: Tokyo. Will this somewhat daring change bring about a material that is as dark as it is enchanting, creating a mysterious and captivating Tokyo that we have been waiting for?
Tokyo has never been a quiet city, as it is one of the most vibrant and luxurious cities in the world. To effectively depict that, we need to go to Shibuya, one of the busiest and liveliest places in Tokyo. However, at the beginning of the game, players are not welcomed by the classic sights of the city as I mentioned earlier. On the contrary, players are plunged into something even more bizarre and darker than ever when the protagonist, Akito - the character we will control throughout the game, falls into a tragic event: death. Fortunately, because there is a soul named KK entering Akito's body, he can still survive, and now it's time for the two of them to investigate what the darkness enveloping Tokyo is.
At this point, the city is shrouded in loneliness and dampness, as there is no sign of life as if Thanos had just snapped his fingers. Tokyo is engulfed in mist, and it is a place for the various monsters mentioned in Japanese urban legends to continuously spawn and attack the players.
In this game, perhaps the aspect that didn't really captivate me was its storyline. It carries a vibe reminiscent of shounen anime, which is quite common when the main plot of the game revolves around the adventures of a mage-in-training on a quest to rescue his little sister. The protagonist, Akito, gains magical powers after merging with a self-proclaimed figure named KK and embarks on a journey to find his sister in a hospital. Soon, a formidable antagonist attacks and kidnaps her for some dark purpose. With a somewhat familiar archetype like this, I don't have any issues since I enjoy the hero's journey trope in anime. However, what needs to be considered is its pacing. The game isn't overly long, but the plot progression is somewhat inconsistent and feels a bit drawn-out, while the story takes detours that make it somewhat lacking in coherence and polish.
I can't deny that in the first 2-3 hours of the game, there were quite a few yawns, matching the number of monsters I defeated. You see, the opening storyline felt like an unnecessarily lengthy and verbose tutorial that made me want to skip through quickly to investigate the incident and find clues about my sister. However, as you progress further into the game, the story starts to become more serious, and you may soon regain your interest. If I were to offer a piece of advice, I think the game should introduce a boss battle early on to create an exciting and dramatic atmosphere while incorporating tutorial elements to help players adapt more quickly. Unfortunately, what I mentioned is just a wish.
Contrary to the need for improvements in its storytelling, the combat in the game is truly fantastic. All the magic in the game is based on natural elements, but when you see and even use them, you can still feel something very Eastern, very Japanese, without being overshadowed by the many Western-style magic-themed games out there. The biggest difference lies in the highly flexible animations that bring remarkable diversity to your choices when using spells. This inspiration comes from Kuji-kiri, a common hand gesture technique seen in ninja-related works. Especially when the game uses a first-person perspective, players become more immersed in the visually engaging view of a true mage. At times, I even forgot that I was an Akito and believed I was fulfilling the pure childhood dream of having the power to be whatever I wanted.
The game offers a variety of spells, each with distinct functions suitable for different types of monsters. The developers even delicately balance the power level and the number of spell types inversely to make the game fair. In other words, the more powerful a spell is, the less you can use it, and vice versa.
As a result, combat in the game carries a sense of excitement and tension because you don't know if you'll run out of ammo first or if the enemy will disappear into thin air. However, in terms of fairness, the game isn't overly difficult. Even when playing on the Hard difficulty level right from the start, I only had about 3-4 game overs throughout the game. So, for those of you who are up for a challenge, don't hesitate to choose the harder difficulty settings to enjoy a more thrilling and engaging experience.
Moreover, if we don't mention the various types of spells, it's a bit lacking. Corresponding to the spells, various talismans are also quite diverse, such as paralyzing or invisibility talismans. In general, players are provided with many different weapons to find their own combat formula, and don't forget, just like its predecessor, The Evil Within, the game also provides a skill tree for character upgrades. So besides the main quest, be sure to tackle side quests to earn experience points and train Akito to become a formidable mage.
It's no exaggeration when I admit that this is a very beautiful game. It's also not surprising that it doesn't exist on older systems like the PS4, as it's a true next-gen game. In terms of technology, the game uses advanced Ray-Tracing lighting systems to recreate a Tokyo that is extremely dazzling yet dark and frightening. It's quite surprising as typically such technologies tend to appear more frequently in Western games, but Tango Gameworks wanted to prove that they're not left behind.
While Tokyo has appeared in numerous games worldwide, Ghostwire still manages to leave a mark due to a certain kind of meticulousness. Sega's Yakuza series is already beautiful, but the Raytracing in Ghostwire brings a comprehensive transformation like never before. So, in addition to exterminating the terrifying monsters on the streets, don't hesitate to explore the streets of Tokyo and enjoy this affordable trip to Japan.
Moreover, the game is a suitable combination of a mini open world with a conventional hub world. I know the game's map is small, but with two legs, you won't easily explore all of Tokyo in one playthrough. This theoretically well-thought-out design not only portrays a cramped and mysterious Tokyo but also provides a breath of fresh air amidst many other open-world games that are large but empty.
The game also offers convenience stores with an adorable cat as the shop owner. Don't hesitate to visit neko-san here because there are plenty of items, both for attack and healing, that will make a significant difference during those life-and-death moments. And if you simply enjoy petting and chatting with your animal companion, then that's reason enough to get closer to them.
VERDICT
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a breath of fresh air in March, and it's also a new face for Tango Gameworks in general after many years of silence since The Evil Within 2 was released. It's a game that holds a lot of intrigue and mystery in its concept, with a first-person perspective and a touch of anime-inspired magic. However, concerns about the storytelling may be a bit overwhelming at the beginning, but trust me, set those aside, and you'll find joy in defeating the supernatural beings and restoring Tokyo to its original state.