I missed the boat on the first Ghostrunner at launch. It wasn’t until earlier this year as I was working through my extensive backlog that I discovered the absolute thrill of wallrunning at high speeds while deflecting bullets in an ultra slick cyberpunk setting; it’s as satisfying as it sounds. The first Ghostrunner filled a void left by games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater with its addictive skill-based gameplay. Though I felt at times that the cyberpunk setting and inconsequential story brought the entire experience down. So I went into Ghostrunner II with an open mind and it brings me no pleasure to say that even though the experience is polished from top to bottom, it just might not be for me.
From the outset, Ghostrunner II feels more story focused. Set right after the events of the first game, the sequel sees players stepping once again into the role of Jack, a cybernetic free running ninja, the type of character you would see if you looked up “cyberpunk” in the dictionary. After assassinating the big bad of Dharma tower, Jack is forced to venture out into the city and deal with the direct fallout of doing so and as you can expect that involves a lot of freerunning and a LOT of dying. While there is a bigger story focus, I’ll be damned if it made any sort of impact on me. Often Ghostrunner II runs into generic Cyberpunk genre tropes and often the story feels like it’s only there to get you from point A to B.
Which is ironic because that’s what most of Ghostrunner II boils down to. Going from point A to B. Gameplay in Ghostrunner II is fast and frantic. With little preparation you’ll be tasked with wall-running and jumping, grinding on rails, grappling to points, and deflecting bullets all in the name of pure adrenaline. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and dying in one hit can be insanely frustrating, but perhaps the best feature of Ghostrunner II is its “Tony Hawk” style of respawning where it puts players right into the action to try again. This paired up with a very generous checkpoint system makes the whole experience less frustrating and soon you’ll be able to recognize patterns in combat and traversal to turn once impossible runs into dazzling displays of ninja mayhem. Though I can’t help but think that sometimes Ghostrunner II asks a bit too much of players. There were a few moments where I felt like I hit a wall until I tried a different approach in the more open-ended levels. Even with that advantage, it always felt like it was spinning 4 plates and whenever I made the slightest mistake it would all come crashing down.
This gets amplified in boss encounters and the new motorcycle segments that feel like the ultimate test of everything Ghostrunner II throws at you. These are also when I felt most frustrated with the experience as a whole. While I had freedom to tackle situations how I saw fit in the open free running levels, bosses and motorcycle levels felt like frustration city as it was all about pattern recognition and the moment I deviated or slipped up from what the game wanted me to do, I was punished. I don’t think it’s particularly good game design to have open-ended gameplay bookmarked by tailored encounters (the original version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution comes to mind for the same reasons). Combat is a little basic as well; despite having some options, most of it boils down to blocking and smacking enemies with the sword.
What I will praise though is the art direction and visuals. Ghostrunner II has a killer cyberpunk style that would make even Philip K. Dick blush as its neon soaked visuals provide breathtaking sights over the course of its levels. I played the majority of my time on the PS5 in performance mode and was constantly amazed at how well the game keeps up with the fast paced action. Ghostrunner II also features a killer soundtrack that I never grew tired of despite having to hear it over and over upon repeated attempts to progress through the game.
Ghostrunner II is a game that I respect. I totally see the appeal of nailing the perfect run and becoming a ruthless ninja in a dystopian world. But moments like that are often buried under a sea of frustrating deaths and mental flow charts about what to do. Ghostrunner II at times feels more like work than fun. It feels tailor made for the gamer that wants a no-frills experience and to just jam out on some cyberpunk insanity. If that sounds like your thing, you can’t go wrong with Ghostrunner II. But unfortunately for me, I’ll move on to the next thing.
Review code provided by the publisher.
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