I played the demo for Ghostrunner

Robot and Katana; tell me a more iconic pairing.

I wasn't joking around when I said that I was consuming demos last blog, friends, and in fact today I want to talk about my time playing the demo for a game that I actually discovered and discussed on my blog! (What are the chances of that, right?) So of course the very moment that I saw there was a playable demo for a game that so tickled my fancy I immediately queued it to play and also plugged in my controller which is the reason why all of the proceeding demo's I'm going to talk about will be addressing controller control schemes and PC titles. (I really thought about going back and trying them on keyboard to be ultimately fair but then I thought, nah. I've been surprisingly busy I'm sure it'll be fine.) But enough of that, today I want to take you all into a cybernetic dystopia as we discuss the neon drenched world of Ghostrunner.

First I want to hearken on a point I made in my original blog; yes, the game does indeed focus itself on a live-die-repeat model. In the way that the game moves (effortlessly fluidly) the combat plays out (You die from a single hit) and the speed of the reloads, (instant) it's clear that this is the sort of title that thrives on the ol' trial-and-error routine. Thus it may not exactly be the robot samurai cyberpunk title of my dreams, but it does promote a degree of self-competitiveness as, due to how quickly you get back into the action, you cannot help but stop and postulate on the quickest and most efficient routes through each scenario. (Something which the world design helpfully supports with subtly divergent pathways.) This very vibe of game, in fact, struck me hard with memories of another speed-based parkour game with heavy replay value and a sub-culture of self improvement; Mirror's Edge.

To call this the 'Mirror's Edge' sequel we never got is- factually incorrect as in 2016 there was a sequel under the subtitle 'Catalyst' - but spiritually dead on the money! Whereas 'Mirror's Edge: Catalyst' felt more like remake/modernisation rather than an actual step forward for the concept and what you could do with it, 'Ghostrunner' feels like it actually picked up that old baton and started leaping rooftops with it. (Just, you know, with a different character, thematic signature and world. Maybe this 'sequel' analogy isn't quite as one-to-one as I thought...) The simple movement scheme that make freerunning as easy as holding one button is there, the flashy eccentric presentation is there (albeit, with an almost polar opposite gradient) and so is that empowering aura of embodying an agility god. Before getting promptly shot in the face and dying, that is. (I'd imagine an actual god to be a tad tougher than that.)

Of course, the game itself is actually a lot more gory than Mirror's Edge actually was, as here we take control of a katana wielding cyborg who looks like he's late for the 'Warframe' dress rehearsals. Armed thusly, the player is tasked with navigating industrial looking areas (so far) and dancing around active fire zones so that they can close the distance for that satisfyingly meaty slash. Just like 'Metal Gear Rising: Revengence' before it, Ghostrunner features a dismemberment system wherein the runner's blade cuts through skin like butter, even going to far as to cinematically slowdown the final opponent of each area to emphasise that final cut. Of course, that doesn't quite make it a patch on the gruesome action of 'Revengence', not even remotely, but it's pleasing to the eye nonetheless.

This sort of split-second, death-at-any-moment, action is only as prevailing as the variety of the gameplay, however, and for that I'm afraid I haven't much experience to share. The demo only appeared to be the very beginning of the game and that only featured the standard onehanded pistol-slinger enemy who seemed to never have heard of leading your shots. That isn't to say this archetype didn't prove a challenge, the very nature of the game lends it's self to such, but I feel this game will need a little more variety than, say, 'Mirror's Edge' had to feel complete. (Huh, I keep bringing that game up, don't I?) Luckily, there have been some trailers released teasing some of the later chapters of Ghostrunner and from that I have seen at least one Gekko-looking weapons-platform firing vertical laser bolts that the player had to slide under. Gently hinting that we may see some truly incredible/excruciatingly tough enemy rooms in the late game. (Exactly what I want for a game like this.)

In terms of the movement, a very important aspect of a freerunning-based game like this, I'm pleased to report that everything feels ergonomic and natural to perform. You have your sprint, wall run, slide, leap, and even a grappling hook later on; as well as the ability to dash both on the ground and midair. This really comes into play in the bigger fights as, due to your inhuman robot agility, the player is capable of freezing time for a short amount of time and changing their flight trajectory mid-air; making for surreal and pleasing moments of stillness amid the incessant action. I don't know if there are plans for anything else in the player's movement repertoire later down the line, but even if there isn't this is all fine by me. It all serves as a great and powerful toolset that allows players to feel in control of every stunt they pull off, something which I resonated with greatly during my short time with the title.

As for the story, Ghostrunner remain this curious enigma that has me intrigued but not exactly foaming at the mouth to see it out. (And I get the sense that's not the point anyway.) As you've likely caught on, you play as a cyborg robot that has a slight murderous edge to him, and a package-deal Katana for some reason. (Maybe that's standard issue for future robots, I don't know.) Some entity known as Whisper has contacted you, however, and set you 'free' under the stipulation that you then free him from his 'prison'. I don't think I'm really spoiling much by revealing how, at the end of all this demo, you discover that your mysterious benefactor is some sort of corporeal entity, I assume and AI, who's set you loose presumably in order to exploit to his own ends. So yeah, there's nothing that truly takes advantage of the genre and it's ramifications on the human condition, but it doesn't need to be. (We're getting Cyberpunk this winter, I think that'll cover it.)

Ghostrunner is one of those titles that I cannot fully file away in the annals of my memory, under the dozens of other games I learn about on the daily. There's a special spark of life emanating from this game that I find appeals to my morbid lust for death-fuelled action titles. Getting to actually play this title hasn't really changed my mind on it but more reinforced what I already knew, that this is the sort of game I want to get my hands on as soon as possible. In conclusion; I love the concept, love the direction, love how it's shaping up, could do with some optimisation (though that could just as easily be on my end) and the game looks great. Look out for this one.