Ghostwire: Tokyo

Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a varied arsenal of paranormal powers, and a well-realized deception of the Japanese capital. However, it does fall into some familiar open-world grooves.

The story stumbles and not all of the side missions are particularly engaging, yet these aspects are easy to push to the back of your mind when you're using finger guns to tear through corrupted spirits with dazzling aplomb. Shinji Mikami is a legendary director, but taking a backseat and letting new voices come to the fore has paid off.

An eight to ten hour plot that can so quickly stretch out to around 15 – 20 hours defined more by pure satisfying exploration. Tango’s technical handling plays its part, but it’s thanks to its level design and suggestiveness on top where the game is at its best. The moments in-between — especially those the game deems most critical to plot and progression — may not have the same punch, but Ghostwire: Tokyo though brief just about shines through where it matters. A journey you will actively and quickly decide against sprinting through.

Ghostwire: Tokyo was not the game I was expecting from Tango Gameworks, but I definitely enjoyed it. Blending magic-filled FPS action with Japanese mythology and an open world Tokyo that reminds me of the Yakuza series, it stands out from the crowd even if it’s not truly groundbreaking. Ghostwire has a lot of potential as a new franchise and I’m looking forward to seeing what Tango Gameworks does with it next.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an impressively bold step in a new director for Tango Gameworks, and it pays off beautifully. Tango’s artists and designers are working wonders with zany and menacing creatures, set against the wonderful backdrop of a colour-struck Shibuya. While its leading pair and open world design stumble at times, Ghostwire’s wonderfully weird side stories and engrossing combat, more than pick up any slack and work in harmony with the game's more zany and offbeat elements to create a world that hasn't just got looks, but one hell of a spirit, too.

This is an environment I loved being in, and all the more so because of the many touchstones to iconic elements of Japanese culture and mythology. If the moment-to-moment gameplay – in particular its one-dimensional combat and uninteresting mission design – weren’t such a disappointment, Ghostwire: Tokyo could have truly captivated me. As it stands, the merely adequate stealth and action do little to add to the fantastic setting, but they don’t diminish its brilliance, either.

Ghostwire has the spirit of these older action games in bucketfuls and, though it's by no means perfect, it's like a glass of Coke after a long walk in the sun. Water might be better for you, but you want to indulge in something sugary and sweet despite the million health warnings. Though there are better games than Ghostwire in terms of theme, horror and graphics, this is just uncomplicated fun.

Ghostwire: Tokyo feels like a throwback to a different era of action game design. It takes an off-beat approach to world design, story encounters, and combat pacing that won't be for everyone, but if you can get it to click into place you'll have a resoundingly chill time hunting ghosts throughout Tokyo.