Ghostwire: Tokyo - Expensive Cheap

"Lyrical digression"

Sony's policy of late has followed the trajectory of pretty pictures and poor game content. As a rule, the games are hollowed out. When I heard about the new creation of Tango Gameworks, I internally tensed up. On the one hand the developers have already shown the height of flight with they're The Evil Within, on the other hand I've heard only lukewarm reviews about Ghostwire: Tokyo. So what do we see in fact?

I wish Ghostwire: Tokyo had been an anime...

There are some things in our world that are undeniable. No matter how you feel about Japanese culture, you have to admit that the Japanese are brilliant. The land of the cherry blossoms has produced plenty of talented writers and screenwriters.

Ghostwire: Tokyo was no exception and offered its own original backing for the story. It's a shame that only the first drafts of the setting can be called original here.

The story unfolds in Tokyo. The city is hit by an ominous fog that literally vaporizes all of the locals. The main character, Akito, gets into a car accident and almost dies, but a spirit named KK possesses him. The guy Akito isn't exactly happy about his death, so he doesn't get along with KK at first, but they quickly find a common ground.

Akito's sister lies in the hospital (God, how original!) and our protagonist rushes to her rescue. It is there that he meets the main antagonist, Hannya. The villain kidnaps the protagonist's sister for a mystical ritual and escapes...

Well, there is, in fact, the whole backstory, from which we will dance.

To say that such plots are not a level for the Japanese is to say nothing. Do you smell that? I think it smells like hackwork.

One of the few strengths of Ghostwire: Tokyo

Let's just say that Ghostwire: Tokyo is a former PlayStation 5 exclusive. The PC version doesn't reveal any of the game's features, and the system requirements and optimization are likely to discourage you from checking my words on your own experience.

Getting to Ghostwire: Tokyo, I didn't expect anything from the game. And at first my fears were confirmed. There is a boring gameplay, where we are literally chasing our enemies to death, a boring open world in the worst traditions of the old "FarCry" and completely banal branch of character progression. Half of the skills can be ignored at all.

Playing as Akito, we will be using magic derived from CC.

This would quickly get boring if it weren't for the adaptive DualSense triggers from PlayStation 5. Before sending another ghost to rest, you first have to pull the "core" - the soul - out of it. The triggers fight back nicely to the beat while doing so. Any spell is accompanied by a similar effect in the gamepad, which at first is even impressive.

I was able to enjoy the gameplay only when I abstracted myself from the meager mechanics and focused directly on the picture.

The emptied evening Tokyo shimmers with neon signs, the things of the recently disappeared people are scattered on the ground. Here comes the rain, and the wet asphalt and leaden clouds bring to mind the transience of life. And here's the mall, where the heck is going on.

Usually, you only write about the graphics in games when they're either so lousy or so amazing that you can't help but notice it. Well, in the case of Ghostwire: Tokyo you have to write about the graphics, because it is the only "trump card" of the game.

It's really Next-gen, you can't pull off such a picture on some Xbox Series S. Whatever it is, Ghostwire: Tokyo isn't lacking in visuals. Any gameplay footage won't convey this, but take your word for it - the aesthetic pleasure of the game is guaranteed. The world here is beautiful, but it's a shame that it's so cardboard and more like a scenery.

Verdict

Empty, undeveloped, but beautiful and at times atmospheric. Ghostwire: Tokyo is another PlayStation 5 "exclusive" that soon hit GamePass for quantity. Don't waste your time on Ghostwire: Tokyo...