In 2021, Microsoft formally acquired Bethesda Softworks and their respective studios. This means that gamers have, over the past year, experienced what could be the grand finale of PlayStation console-exclusive releases thanks to the grandfathering in of existing agreements. Although not offering major IPs such as Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, which would likely never leave the multiplatform sphere given their popularity status, this past year has seen some of the greatest games offered by their studios. Last year we received DEATHLOOP from Arkane Studios, a clever first-person action/shooter which utilised time travel to have players chart the happenings of targets to be able to kill them all in three days and break a time loop. In March 2022 we have Ghostwire: Tokyo from Tango Gameworks, which continues the impression left by Arkane Studios that open-world gaming in the newest generation of consoles, at least on the Xbox, has much to offer.
First-person action games have never been my go-to option for gaming, albeit warmed by the likes of DEATHLOOP, which has helped with the sudden bouts of nausea I would typically face while playing, Ghostwire: Tokyo has been on my must-play list since first being announced at E3 2019. From the atmospheric moon-lit streets of Shibuya, Tokyo stuck in a perpetual night-time, to the glimpses of spirits of Japanese folklore – as an otaku – this game came across as just plain “cool” and “awesome”. While this could be perceived as just fabulous marketing material, the final release proved to be a satisfying 20-30 hour gaming experience that met many of my expectations. Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a semi-authentic open-world environment, a compelling narrative, and an enjoyable albeit chaotic system revolving around defeating meaty enemies with elemental abilities.
Ghostwire: Tokyo barely gives you a moment to breathe before forcing you into the story. You control the protagonist Akito, who begins the game having died. But before you can be greeted with a [Game Over] screen and shunted back to the main menu, his body and soul become possessed by a detective named KK, who keeps him alive and serves as a conduit for using an increasingly growing array of elemental powers. Tokyo has been engulfed by a supernatural fog, causing all humans who touch it to vanish, and harrowing spirits known as ‘Visitors’ spread throughout the city. Together the pair must stop the Visitors, the threat posed by a mysterious figure in a Hannya Mask, and what exactly is the relationship between them and Akito’s hospitalised sister?
The narrative on offer in Ghostwire: Tokyo is succinct, and every action you take through the main campaign feels like you are guiding the plot along rather than being forced into needless filler content to make the overall game weightier. One could argue that the first couple of hours are a bit too drawn out as you get your bearings, unlock more of Tokyo through cleansing the shrine geats and obtain different elemental abilities. Yet the twists and turns on offer are satisfying, and while nothing is particularly ground-breaking, I was left feeling investing in the journey of Akito and KK, and welcomed every chance to see what the writing team had to throw at me next. The most considerable appeal was the writers drawing from Japanese culture and folklore and seamlessly fusing it with their own concepts and tropes. They combined into an experience that rewarded you with fresh content as you continued through the story.
Complementing the tones and themes of Ghostwire: Tokyo’s narrative is its impeccable aesthetic quality – both around overall visual quality and the attention to detail in bringing the world of Tokyo to life. The game comes with a myriad of visual presets – from the traditional choices of Performance (Focusing on FPS) and Quality (Improved textures with ray-tracing) to several other options that I have never seen provided on a PlayStation game – seeking to greater balance performance and quality. Regardless of what option you choose, it is easy to admire the cityscape at night, adorned by various forms of lighting (from street lights and building lights to shrine lanterns), illuminating a world where every corner offers something picturesque and screenshot worthy (Which is thankfully possible to capture kudos of a built-in photo mode). In my opinion, this is one game best enjoyed by focusing on quality over performance. While it may not compete with Elden Ring in terms of an open world laden with things to do, it is undoubtedly one of the prettiest looking open worlds to date.
As mentioned earlier in the review, rather than relying on a stockpile of various weapons lying around the game world, as one would typically expect from a first-person open-world game, players are instead thrust into more of a “Mage” role. Starting with Wind Weaving early in the game, which is castable at a rapid pace, has a large stockpile of casts, with the downside of being relatively weak – combat will see you unlock an increasing number of abilities from water swords to fire missiles to stun arrows (the latter via a bow you keep on your person – one of the few weapons you have access to). These add incredible diversity to the game. You have to balance the number of casts you have of each elemental ability and adapt your approach based on the unique strategies to combat every enemy. It can be hard to learn once you have a few abilities under your belt, but once you upgrade your skills a bit and have their capabilities committed to memory (mental and muscle), battles can be oh-so-satisfying. The big challenge is determining what you should upgrade first, as what may seem like a weak attack at first, can become a pivotal element of your arsenal later in the game. Plus, with the varying particle effects of each ability, you continuously get those dopamine hits as you seamlessly transition between abilities against a mob of enemies. That is, of course, unless you die or find yourself caught unawares.
Between environmental hazards and the small variety but increasing numbers of Visitors you will routinely face against, it can be hard to keep your wits about you and risk being overwhelmed. You can find your HP draining quickly after a few minor hits. With every enemy type having its individual attack style, you can turn around to find a foe in close-quarters combat with mere seconds to defend against, or otherwise, attempt to replicate a bullet-hell shooter from afar. Players are provided with multiple difficulty settings before beginning the game, with the freedom to change it at any time. I would argue the difficulty level are a tad higher than one would expect from each setting – but it was nice to be offered an ample challenge on a standard difficulty level.
After a break from the main story? There are a variety of side-quests available across Tokyo as you make your way throughout the city. Some of these can be simple fetch quests, while others are much more interesting, sending you into corrupted versions of homes, explore areas of the city you might not otherwise think of, or otherwise tackle some of the more fun challenges in the game. A perk and fault of these quests are that they are short, meaning you are not dedicating hours to obtain some unknown reward, but at the same time, you do want to explore the lore and figures of these missions more. But regardless, the bonuses are generous for the time and effort you put in, so you shouldn’t feel like you have wasted any time ignoring the main mission prompts for a while. Alternatively, I highly recommend finding a nice spot and taking a few photos using the detailed photo editor.
There may be no other humans in Tokyo, but that doesn’t mean the city isn’t full of life and activities to partake in. Fancy yourself a rescuer of humans? There are many spirits you can gather after defeating waves of difficult enemies or in hard-to-reach places which can be traded in for points towards skill progression, many of the vendors and stalls across the city and manned by some feline friends who will part with their goods for profit, donation boxes can have funds contributed for small (or major perks) and should you hear a screach coming from above, find its source and use it to elevate yourself to the rooftops. There are so many exciting things to discover as you progress through the game, and there is enough variety and charm on offer not to make it feel like a slog.
While it will probably not hold your attention for anywhere near as long as other recent open-world games on the market, such as Elden Ring, Ghostwire: Tokyo is a technologically impressive game. It bucks the stereotype that open-world games tend to be devoid of life, collect-a-thons, and feature worlds that are big for the sake of being big. Ghostwire: Tokyo is a gratifying single-player experience that offers a world and experience that borrows from its source locale, delivers great challenge and is visually stunning.
A PlayStation 5 review code was provided by Bethesda Australia for the purpose of this review.
