Tokyo has been the setting of a few popular alternate reality stories in games and series over the last two decades. Sample: The World Ends With You, Persona 5, and the Netflix show Alice in Borderland. In all these stories, the city that inspired Cyberpunk turns into a virtual sandbox where anything goes. Joining this list is Ghostwire: Tokyo. The gameis developed by Tango Gameworks, the brainchild of Shinji Mikami of the popular Resident Evil series.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Tokyo, as the game commences, is empty. It is invaded by Yokai (known as the Visitors) and the most of the residents have vanished. After a motor accident, the protagonist, Akito, is left for dead. He is, however, saved by a detective’s spirit, named KK, which gives him supernatural powers. KK, through Akito, wants to end the darkness that has engulfed the city. Akito, meanwhile, is more keen on protecting his family — in particular, he wants to save his kidnapped sister, Mari. The conflicts between Akito and KK and the bond they share make Ghostwire: Tokyo’s plot more engaging.
The game is rife with spiritual manifestations that are deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Traversing through Tokyo in the game, you experience its duality — of concrete-and-neon on one hand and old-word shrines on the other. Sometimes, roaming around an empty city reminds you of the lockdown. You get to grapple across rooftops, where some of the most fun elements in the game lie. The game also takes you indoors, where you get to see some of the coolest effects in the form of reality transformation.
The game’s action system is a bit of a letdown. The form of combat in the game is called ethereal weaving, where you cast spells with fancy finger movements, much like Dr Strange in the Marvel films. It looks interesting but after a point, you wish for more depth and dimension in the fighting style.
The graphics of the game, however, are smooth as butter. The art is fantastic, too. If you have played a lot of Yakuza games, you will feel right at home. One hopes the developers would tweak the combat style so that the game gets closer to perfection.
