Just last week, I got a fantastic opportunity to play the demo for Ghostrunner 2, which was recently available at Gamescom. So what’s the deal with Ghostrunner? It’s an exciting action-platform video game co-developed by One More Level and Slipgate Ironworks, produced by 3D Realms, and co-published by 505 Games and All in! Games.
The game was first released in October 2020 for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, followed by a release for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020. If you’re lucky enough to have a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, you can now enjoy the next-gen version that became available in September 2021. There’s also a version for Amazon Luna that you can check out, released in April 2021. Recently, on March 3, 2022, a story expansion, Ghostrunner: Project Hel, was released, so make sure to give it a try!
I have the original game on both Xbox and PC, and it was a blast to play but also incredibly frustrating, thanks to the multiple options available when trying to defeat your enemies and progress to the next area. This game takes time to get to grips with, but thanks to fantastic checkpoints, the hundreds of deaths you encounter never become a chore.
Ghostrunner 2 continues as the original started, and this build-in progress demo gives a good idea of what to expect. The Cyberpunk world looks impressive, with neon lights almost guiding you to your next objective. For the most, the demo played exceptionally well, as did the original. For context, the first game is available with a 120Hz option on current consoles, and my relatively high-end PC hit 4k 120 with every option maxed out. From what I’ve seen so far, I’d expect similar performance levels again.
The sequel is more of the same, which is no bad thing, as you run, jump, swing and grind through areas. The game is challenging, though; in my 40 minutes with the game, I managed to rack up 70 deaths, roughly 1.8 per minute. I never got tired of the game, only frustrated as I made mistakes that stopped me from making it to the next area. As I mentioned, the game’s checkpoints are plentiful, and you’ll never need to go back further than a minute or so. The game is addictive, and I uttered many swear words as I tried to get further and failed again and again.
Enemies come in different types: melee, big bruts, shooters, and more. You use your katana to block and parry and then cut them down, with a lot of the difficulty coming from the fact that you’ll die in one hit. The katana easily slices through basic enemies, but you’ll need to mix it up with everything you’ve got for the more advanced ones. You also have abilities like matrix-style slowdowns to dodge and move out of the way. Shurikens can be used from a distance to either take down or stun people, and they are also used for puzzles to hit switches to unlock doors. Finally, you have abilities or powers that can be used during combat or for puzzles to progress.
For anyone returning from the first game, it’s a direct sequel set around a year after the first game. You once again play at Jack the Ghostrunner. I didn’t get much narrative in the demo I played, but the audio chat with other characters was well done and could pull me in further when the game fully releases.
The game is a blast and challenging in the right way; as much as I never finished the first game, that had more to do with what else I was playing at the time rather than anything to do with the quality of the game. Think party Mirrors Edge and part Souls (as in dying a lot), and you are not a million miles off what to expect. Ghostrunner 2 feels like an improvement in almost every area compared to the first game. In my brief time with the sequel, I’m incredibly keen to dive back in and play this, and that’s before I get to the best bit…..the bike sections.
Towards the end of the demo, you find a motorbike. It’s a stunning vehicle decked in black and chrome. The game is fast at the best of times, but this takes everything to a new level. I can’t explain how addictive and fun this final section was, and I genuinely hope it features heavily in the entire game.
This section was almost sickeningly fast (I’ve noted to friends that this would also be an amazing VR game or at least this kind of section), but I loved it, and many of my deaths came here. You’ll need to time jumps, avoid objects and use your boost to get past timed energy gates.
It’s not like we need any more good games to release before the year is finished, but Ghostrunner 2 might have fought its way onto my purchase list on the strength of this demo. If you fancy jumping in, Ghostrunner 2 will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (via Steam, Epic, and GOG) on October 26.
-BigGP
