Ghostwire Tokyo invites us on a walk through Shibuya different from what we’ve seen so far
Japan is a country where there is a great attachment to the spiritual world. We all know urban legends and fables about it, and there are plenty of ghosts, objects, and even wildlife that reference this mystical land. Of course, we’ve seen this afterlife culture reflected in video games for years, sometimes in a lively way and other times in a more formal tone. But we never had meaning as broadly as in Ghostwire Tokyo, the work of Tango Gameworks and Bethesda which invite us to discover practically all Japanese folklore while strolling through the streets of Shibuya. Are you up for this astral journey?
between good and evil
Ghostwire Tokyo is a first-person adventure where we will control Akito, a boy who will be caught between the world of the living and that of the dead. On the way to the hospital to have his sister admitted, he has an accident that ends in his own death. Luck smiled on him at that moment, since a spirit enters the scene, possessing the inert body of the protagonist and offering her yet another opportunity to redeem herself and say goodbye to a recovering sister.
That won’t be all the issues surrounding Akito. Along with his fateful deeds, a thick fog invades the Shibuya district, eradicating all forms of human life. Instead, an entire army of undead and spectral beings will roam the streets of Tokyo. And not only that, but our own sister is kidnapped to subject her to a ritual that enhances the power of these invading spirits. So, equipped with the powers our ghostly friend has given us, we must investigate the strange happenings and find the whereabouts of the kidnappers to end this nightmare.
Japanese beauty outdoors…
One of the biggest attractions of Tango Gamework’s work is the Japanese folklore regarding the spiritual world that I mentioned earlier. It’s true that we’ll be alone at all times, but that doesn’t mean there are “ethereal” friends, monstrosities around every corner, and even animals entertaining us along the way. It’s a fantasy to see how typical Yokai, tanuki mysticism or even mythological beings such as kappas converge in the same game.
On the other hand, we may prefer take a walk in the Shibuya district. At first it will be limited by the dense fog I mentioned, but as we play and unlocking torii gates sanctuaries, we can visit other points of interest. From shopping centers to the typical crossroads that we have seen countless times, passing through the bus station or the more indigenous neighborhoods. Everything exudes a special touch despite the absence of other forms of human life. Sure, slap on the wrist studying for not allowing us greater interaction with objects or places, like, for example, the arcades so typical of Japanese culture.
… and inside
And that we only talked about the exteriors… because the interiors are equally interesting. Ghostwire Tokyo arouses the curiosity of players eager to know the way of life in Japan (as is my case, wow…). Knowing what the hospitals look like inside, the metro station with its corresponding shops, the houses abandoned to their fate for years or even some currently decorated. At least in my case, There have been many times I have stayed to go through each room. And there were not a few times that I started reading descriptions of various items that we can collect.
We have Shibuya but not Hayabusa
In its most playable part, Ghostwire Tokyo reminded me a lot of Far Cry, saving some distance. We will have a great leader to defeat, but first we must destroy his captains. Instead of watchtowers or towers like in Ubisoft games, we will have the shrines that I mentioned earlier. There will be collectibles, side missions, and even a skill tree that we’ll upgrade as we save spirits. Of course, here we have no conventional weapons.
And like a good Far Cry, completing everything can be slow…and tedious. Some secondary tasks like finding all the tanukis, or even freeing the spirits became a drag on me who await their freedom in the streets of Shibuya. In all, more than 200,000 souls are waiting to be found, and it’s a long time. On the other hand, despite the simplicity of the secondary stories, thanks to the implementation of Japanese folklore, everything takes on another face. Even As in the Yakuza saga, the studio takes advantage of these optional missions to offer a more relaxed and funny tone.
There’s a friend in me…literally
KK, which is the name of the spirit that possesses us, not only brought us back to life, but He gave us supernatural powers to take on the abstract beasts that roam Tokyo. We will have the elemental power to wind, fire and water, each with its own characteristics that we must control. While the power of the wind grants us quick and concise shots, the fire will cause a large explosion, while the water will create a huge horizontal blade capable of damaging several enemies at once.
Be careful with ammo, because At Ghostwire Tokyo, every “bullet” counts. We won’t have endless magazines, and if we start shooting like crazy, chances are we’ll be completely sold out before the enemy. This happens especially at the beginning, since our loader is more limited, and the means to obtain additional ammunition are reduced. On the stage we will have objects that when hit will drop that long-awaited ammunition, and the same will happen when we weaken the enemy and rip the core that binds him to the underworld.
With this blow I send you to the other district
Although the exploration is very well done, with the possibility of going both on the pavement and from roof to roof, the same cannot be said for its shooting. We have a thousand ways to approach the fights, several moves that we will unlock in our skill tree and even items such as talismans to annoy the enemy. But despite all the possibilities, the combat system is rudimentary and not very fluid.
In our favor is that the enemies are not very fast and are generally predictable. And fortunately they are like that, because it is very difficult to aim exactly where you want. If we also add the reload time between shots, many times we will want to secure the target before pulling the trigger.
Travel without leaving home!
In the audiovisual section, Ghostwire Tokyo has strong points and some more questionable ones. Personally, as I repeated in the analysis, I really liked visiting Shibuya. But there are parts that are more alike than others. If the first bars of the adventure are magnificent, with these flooded streets which reflect the light of the shops, there are other flatter ones. For example, the mall, as big as it is, doesn’t have the charm that I think it should have. In contrast, the metro, with its narrower corridors, has that special touch.
It is difficult to implement so many details on the screen, and the truth is that the title does not do without objects on stage. To take full advantage of the experience, On Xbox Series X we have up to 6 graphic modes to choose the one that best suits our tastes and possibilities. There’s the classic performance and quality mode, where fps or on-screen detail are boosted respectively. But then we have the performance and quality mode with HFR, and finally, the same performance and quality modes with HFR + Vsync. It will depend on your TV, monitor or other device to make the appropriate selection, although in my personal point, due to the amount of movement, particles and objects on the screen, it is strongly recommended to enjoy a good (and stable) rate of 60 frames per second.
Conclusion of Ghostwire in Tokyo
The game developed by Tango Gameworks is finally coming to Xbox, and it’s doing it in a great way. The adventure invites us to visit a district of Shibuya populated by spectral beings, bringing together in a single title all the traditional Japanese folklore about these creatures. In addition, it has very good locations that you will enjoy as soon as you love Japan. It is true that in the playable part, except for the way of shooting with our elemental powers, we have seen everything else in other known sagas focused on the first person. Additionally, the optional tasks lose a bit of vigor and meaning, being relegated to an excuse to wander around Japantown’s most iconic points of interest. Even so, enjoying the 15-20 hours that Ghostwire Tokyo can last us is quite an experience that Xbox Game Pass users can download right now if they want.
Ghostwire Tokyo
69,99$
Benefits
- The setting is sublime
- Many graphics options to choose from
- Available in Xbox Game Pass
The inconvenients
- Perfect performance is not achieved with any graphics mode
- Playable is similar to many open world shooters
- There are completely completed missions or tasks
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