The first Ghostrunner admittedly caught me off guard. While I had managed to get around to it and finish it multiple times since its release, I had always been waiting on something to follow up on the parkour-infused action of Mirror’s Edge. Ghostrunner 2 is a solid extension in this regard, providing many of those free-running thrills while expanding in new and exciting ways. While the overall gameplay structure remains familiar, this sequel oozes with style and quality, as a short, yet action-packed experience I won’t soon forget.
Run Again
Ghostrunner 2 picks up shortly after the events of the first game. You once again play as Jack, as he is pitted against a new threat of cybernetically enhanced ninjas that threaten to take control of Dharma Tower, the once central location where humanity initially rebuilt itself in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world. While the story remained relatively simple in the original Ghostrunner, serving more as a means to an end to push the general pace of gameplay along, there’s a more nuanced level of storytelling at play here.
Cutscenes throughout each mission add weight to characters and voice performances while allowing Jack to explore a larger hub world that expands on supporting characters once again through extra conversations. I never really had an issue with the first game’s story but given the level of character development on display here, is a nice touch, one that I never really thought the franchise would attempt. Zoe, Jack’s best friend, returns for the sequel, while secondary characters like Doctor Saul and scientist Kira add depth and lore to a rather complex world and backstory.
The Thrill of the Chase
When it comes to gameplay, Ghostrunner 2 feels very much like the original. You’ll run along walls, slip through air vents and glide past enemies, slashing them with your trusty katana. Thankfully, wall running, grappling and swinging across poles about feels as good as they ever have. Controls are super responsive and intuitive, while the mechanics remain solid and functional. It feels so satisfying to run across a wall, grapple over a chasm and land on an enemy each time. While it’s still incredibly familiar at times in the grand scheme of things, there simply isn’t anything broken here that is worth fixing.
You can still die with a single hit, adding to much of the game’s challenge, but a newly introduced stamina bar will determine the frequency in which you block and dodge enemies during combat. Although encounters are quick and flashy, there’s generally little room to mess around or make mistakes. You can block enemies at the right time for a deadly counter, but some enemies will have unblockable attacks that must be dodged. While it’s stuff you’ve seen before in other games, the level of difficulty still feels heightened, without feeling cheap as a result.
Shurikens return, but can now be used at any time as opposed to a singular ability that must be recharged. This helps the combat feel smoother and more varied, with new and unique ways to attack enemies both up close and from afar at any given time. They are occasionally used for environmental puzzles to flip switches but never feel like much of a challenge. Jack can also utilise a couple of newer dedicated special abilities like the Shadow Skill, which allows him to turn invisible for a quick getaway, and Flux, which allows him to shoot a laser beam at a larger group of enemies.
Ghostrunner 2 also introduces vehicular combat, in which Jack can jump on board a motorcycle, fending off enemies on the open road. These moments generally feel guided, but it’s hard to complain too much when they make you feel like you’re partaking in an action scene ripped straight from a John Wick film. It also shares a very similar yet equally awesome electronic soundtrack which adds to the bombastic pace and tone.
Time for an Upgrade
Skill progression is a little more refined this time around, as you unlock new abilities simply by churning through the story. You can access them in the form of chips which are added to your overall motherboard. While your motherboard can be upgraded by finding extra slots, their method of delivery only adds to the overall sense of pacing, while exploration is encouraged for the sake of your capacity to hold multiple upgrades at once, along with cool new collectibles like character and katana skins.
After beating the 10-12 hour campaign, players can jump back in for the supplementary Rogue Runner mode, which remixes many of the game’s upgrades and enemies with random combat encounters and levels for an extra challenge. The roguelike structure lends itself to this existing formula quite well and feels like a rather natural addition to the game.
It’s also worth noting here that as we reviewed the game on the PlayStation 5, we were able to choose from three graphical settings, namely Quality, Performance and High Frame Rate. The Quality mode aims for a dynamic 4K (2160p) resolution that locks in 30 fps, although players can opt-in to unlock the frame rate, even if it feels a little uneven at this resolution. The Performance mode feels relatively similar, dishing out a dynamic 4K (2160p) resolution with a 60 fps target already in mind, while the final High Frame Rate Mode offers a dynamic 1080p resolution with a 120 fps target.
While the last option might seem like the best fit on these newer platforms, I recommend the Performance option, which provides smooth gameplay all while highlighting the impressive and immersive detail of this post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world.
Final Thoughts
Ghostrunner 2 shares many similarities with its predecessor, but is not defined by it. By adding new abilities and vehicular sections, Ghostrunner 2 does enough to stand on its own two feet when it comes to thrilling audiences for yet another ride. While the 10-12 hor story might seem short, the story feels much deeper thanks to additional cutscenes and an open hub to explore. The additional Rogue Runner mode is also accessible and punchy, leaving players with new and unique ways to interact and enjoy. There’s plenty to love here and ultimately plenty of reasons why you should return to the Ghostrunner franchise.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Incredible movement and fluid combat; Deeper narrative; New vehicular sections and upgrades; Rogue Runner mode
Lowlights: The story feels a little short; The game’s familiarity might not win over those who weren’t a fan of the first
Developer: One More Level
Publisher: 505 Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
