What a distinction a twenty years makes. When Ghosthunter launched in 2004 for PS2 it was met with poor gross sales and blended critiques from the critics of the time. Usually, reviewers thought it regarded nice, nevertheless it was too linear and at a mere ten hours or so in size it was far too transient. Right now, Ghosthunter appears to be like like a bag of hammers, however we actually respect how the sport simply will get to the rattling level, does not throw 100 meaningless side-quests at us, and is not 40 hours lengthy.
Ghosthunter tells the story of the ludicrously named Lazarus Jones, a detective on his first day on the job who’s investigating an deserted highschool and discovers that there is one thing supernatural afoot. Inside 20 minutes we’re launched to Lazarus and his associate, ghosts escape a confinement facility throughout the faculty, and a giant unhealthy ghoul voiced by Michael ‘Dumbledore’ Gambon begins throwing his weight round.
Lazarus’ quest, as given to him by an AI face on a tv display within the faculty’s basement — simply go together with it — is to seek out the ghosts utilizing magic ghost weapons, cease Dumbleghost, and rescue his associate who in fact will get kidnapped by a ghost. Lazarus bumbles his method from location to location capturing highly effective ghosts as he goes, uncovering mysteries, and assembly unusual folks each good friend and foe. It is PS2 storytelling and we find it irresistible.
Battling ghosts is considerably clumsily carried out nevertheless it’s additionally fairly straightforward so it not often frustrates. As you are operating world wide in customary third-person view, tapping the Triangle button switches you into taking pictures mode which brings up crosshairs and slows Lazarus to a stroll. We shoot at ghosts with R1 and tapping R2 throws out a grenade which capabilities in mainly the identical method as a lure from the film Ghostbusters, sucking the spirit in, and confining it so long as you have weakened it with gunfire.
And so preventing ghosts mainly boils all the way down to taking pictures them a bit after which throwing a grenade at them after which they’re trapped. Later, there are exceptions to this rule, as some ghosts can solely be seen utilizing particular goggles, whereas others cannot be broken in any respect conventionally and you may have to get inventive. Switching from operating mode to taking pictures mode feels archaic as a result of it’s, and not one of the weapons are significantly thrilling to make use of, however the basic gameplay loop of taking pictures and grenade chucking works as a result of battles are normally transient.
The sport strikes at fairly a brisk tempo and that works in its favour as properly. We reside in an age of single participant video games filled with unwarranted side-quests, errands, talent timber, crafting, a number of currencies, expansions, and no matter else devs can consider to pad the sport out. In Ghosthunter we go to a spot, seize a bunch of ghosts, resolve a number of puzzles. after which transfer on to a different place and do it once more. In accordance with the PS5 stats it took us eleven hours to achieve the top of the sport however we bought caught on a puzzle for some time as a result of we’re silly so you possibly can in all probability do it faster for those who’re not.
A few of the puzzles contain using a ghost good friend who can study numerous abilities all through the sport to assist Lazarus attain new areas beforehand blocked. These sections are clearly marked by a glyph on the bottom, and so whenever you see one you understand you are going to have to make use of your ghost pal to proceed. We discovered these moments to be essentially the most difficult components of the sport, and in addition the least fulfilling.
For instance, when controlling the ghost woman you should utilize a talent that makes her heavy, permitting her to stroll on the bottom and work together with switches, however you possibly can solely work together with some switches, and utilizing her weight to maneuver objects solely works on some objects. Later you unlock extra abilities, like the power to appeal some ghosts and get them to do your bidding. The ghost puzzles gradual the tempo of the sport significantly, and we regularly discovered we did not know what we may work together with to proceed resulting in trial and error.
The digicam within the sport additionally feels a little bit wonky, significantly in enclosed areas. A dodgy digicam is to be anticipated when enjoying a sport from 2004, however that does not alter the truth that enjoying Ghosthunter at the moment might be an train in frustration. Thankfully, the aforementioned amiable issue of the sport implies that the digicam quirks in all probability will not lead to a demise or misplaced progress, and in the event that they do you possibly can all the time use the power to rewind your gameplay that comes with all PS2 video games on PS5.
What Ghosthunter actually nails is tone and environment. It is not scary or tense like a conventional survival horror. It is pulpy, and camp. The ghosts designs are cool. They’re enjoyable scary somewhat than scary scary. The music seems like one thing you’d hear at a enjoyable home. The ghosts make creepy noises that increase a smile somewhat than disturb. Even when the extent design falters, the environment that Ghosthunter conjures is robust sufficient to maintain the places fascinating.
Conclusion
Should you’re acquainted with the quirks of PS2-era sport design, then you definitely’ll possible have a a lot simpler time enjoying Ghosthunter at the moment than individuals who aren’t. One individual’s trash is one other individual’s treasure, and so the place somebody could also be pissed off by the unhelpful digicam, B-movie dialogue, and simplistic degree design, we checked out it with nostalgia. After years filled with large, bloated single participant video games, spending a weekend with Ghosthunter appears like a breath of contemporary air.
