Ghostwire: Tokyo Review – Playstation 5

Exquisite, Yet Otherworldly

The bustling Tokyo district of Shibuya is arguably Japan’s most famous and popular destination, a hive of high-rise activity and exploration for tourists and residents alike.

Visited by people from across the globe, everything from the massive Shibuya Crossing to the Hachiko Statue are some of the most iconic visuals from a country that proves overly familiar, and yet still distant to many.

The game Ghostwire: Tokyo takes this locale as the hub for an incredible experience – one of the most unashamedly and wholeheartedly Japanese games ever made. Steeped in history and uniqueness, with incredible attention to detail, the culture and respect for its setting, Ghostwire Tokyo creates an equally thrilling and ominous adventure that will no doubt stay with you long after the credits roll.

Find out why in our spooky Ghostwire Tokyo review!

 

Story

The game focuses on Akito as our primary protagonist, the sole survivor of a mysterious fog that engulfs the ward of Shibuya, turning it into a mysterious ghost town – both figuratively and literally.

Swept clear of its residents, he remains alone trying to discover what exactly has happened to turn it into a neon-drenched hellscape.

Akito’s main objective from the outset is clear – venture to the nearby hospital to find his sister.

However, a wrinkle in this plan is an unlikely alliance with a wayward spirit – K.K. – who has not only his own objectives which slowly reveal themselves but a very different idea on how to go about achieving them.

This pairing makes for a surprisingly well-crafted heart to the game – the usual ‘odd couple’ quarrels and differences give way to deeper and more meaningful context as the plot progresses.

The characters’ backstories – steadily metered out through incredibly well-animated cutscenes as well as in-game dialogue – are a huge boon, as Akito decides to adopt KK’s supernatural powers to level the playing field against the horrors they are pitted against.

 

Graphics and Audio

The graphics in this game hit hard from the opening moments, delivering a distinct visual style that is incredibly realistic in depictions of the environment, and yet highly stylised for its inhabitants.

The incredible character designs for the monsters and ghosts which patrol the rain-slicked streets are ripped straight from familiar Japanese tropes – salarymen with umbrellas, schoolgirls, oni masks – all viewed through a warped horror lens. Think psychological creepiness, rather than buckets of gore…

The visuals are crisp and impressive throughout – overwhelming fear from the familiar is well placed here, with hospital wards, subway stations, cramped apartments and the like rendered with an almost photo-realistic sheen – and the Playstation 5 version has no less than six modes to select, in order to strike the best balance between frame rate and visual fidelity.

Ray-tracing is also present, and as an environment filled with all manner of reflective surfaces, proves to be an excellent addition to immersion.

When it comes to audio, authenticity strikes once again.

A Japanese audio track is the default, with the option for English – the former (with subtitles) adds an extra level of welcome polish and attention to the story being told, as the cast does an incredible job of being evocative and natural despite the extreme places the tale takes us.

The bleak audio from the screeching of ghosts to eerie tannoy messages and the blaring of J-Pop as you pass by derelict bars is uncannily realistic compared to the din you would hear in the real-world locations – awesome aural stuff.

 

Gameplay

An interesting combination of fast-paced first-person action in an open world, Ghostwire: Tokyo is not like any game you’ve played before.

There are certainly nods to modern-day trappings, from XP and side-quests to skill trees and levelling, but applying these to supernatural ninjutsu skills brings some welcome novelty.

Combat does boil down to some rudimentary stealth mechanics and hurling elemental fireballs at foes, but a lot of the variety is spurred on by experimentation by the player, rather than fundamental changes in mechanics from the game itself.

Foes react realistically and the pyrotechnical splendour of these fights can create exciting moment-to-moment gameplay, but the lack of diversity in both enemies and strategies can mean some overpowered spells become a crutch to brute force the gameplay.

 

Summary

Ghostwire Tokyo is easily one of the most engaging, engrossing and refreshing titles of 2022. The fantastic rendering of a fictional Shibuya is the standout star, making traversal, combat and exploration of its streets – and rooftops – highly rewarding.

The fog-thick atmosphere and engrossing storyline more than offsets any shortcomings in the core gameplay mechanics, making for a fresh, fun and fully paranormal adventure which proudly wears its country of origin – and love of all things Japanese – as a badge of honour.