14 DAY TRIAL // 
The first Ghostrunner, although set in the same trendy dystopian sci-fi universe as Cyberpunk 2077, offered a completely unique experience. Instead of an RPG with a moderate pace, it was a hardcore parkour/action game, in which you felt like a real net runner, always on the edge, almost overloading your senses just to keep up the insane velocity. The sequel promises more of everything: content, action, and especially speed!
It is hard to believe that almost 3 years have passed since a collaboration that included among others the legendary 3D Realms, resulted in Ghostrunner, a game that ingeniously mixed together gameplay elements seemed in other games, but never together. It had parkour and platformer elements as sharp as Mirror’s Edge, a sci-fi setting that could rival Cyberpunk 2077, and most important of all a combat as unyielding and unforgiving as any Souls game. The result was an extremely difficult, yet fun game, that conquered the gaming world.
The sequel picks up things right after the first game. Those who missed the events are shown a very brief recap as soon as they fire up Ghostrunner 2. You are presented in a nutshell with the rise and fall of the Ghostrunners, and you will also witness how Ghostrunner-74 becomes Jack, our protagonist, who ends up being the lone survivor of the cataclysmic events initiated by rebels who were fed-up with the ruling elites, and who wiped out completely the robot bodyguards.
Or so you would believe, because by the end of the first level of the second game it is revealed that Jack is not the only ghostrunner surviving the coup planned by Mara. Hidden in the shadows the former robotic assassins return with a bang, reviving Mitra, an extremely powerful and feared ghostrunner. Jack’s mission becomes clear, even if anything but simple: stop the other ghostrunners no matter the cost.
The story will unfold step by step, uncovering not just how and where these killing machines have been hiding, but also what is their real purpose. Fortunately, along the journey you are no longer a cyber ronin facing alone overwhelming odds, but you have a trusted pack of allies supporting you from the safety of your base. The new HQ serves as a hub where you can buy new passive abilities, but also you can chat up your companions - an informative, but not a very enticing endeavor.
The dialogues are not the most inspired, and neither is the voice acting. As a whole, the story is much more evolved compared to the first iteration, but, although there are a few more or less expected twists along it, the narrative’s role is still secondary compared to the action scenes. Ghostunner 2 still focuses on lightning-fast action infused with design elements encouraging creative traversals, and the tale behind it still feels less important.
The fans will be glad to hear that the basics of the game remained unaltered: as a cyber ninja you will have to cross large levels, while jumping from wall to wall, avoiding any kind of attacks and slicing your opponents in order to find the exit to the next level. Along the way you are free to look for secrets and hidden resources, but you have to be aware that one attack is enough to send you back to the last checkpoint to start again.
The first major difference you will notice will be the even faster paced action and the increased size of the levels. The level design is less chaotic this time around, but also the bigger levels mean more enemies keen to pull your plug. You will have to get used to tackling groups of enemies not just lone assailants and figuring out the best tactics to avoid their attacks and slice them into sashimi. In between the encounters you will have to tackle platforming challenges, jumping, sliding and zipping around.
The story will circle you back to areas you visited before, but the challenges and the opponents will be different. There are no rehashed ideas or cheap shortcuts, the developers respected the players enough to offer fresh sequences for those they terrorize with a gameplay that does not forgive even the smallest mistake. One unnoticed bullet, one badly timed jump, one parry activated too late, and you have to start over.
As such, even the best laid plans will be thwarted and you will have to formulate, reformulate and re-re-re-re-re-re-formulate attack plans until you succeed. The good news is that there are more checkpoints, and these are placed closer to the most challenging platforming sections or boss fights. These last encounters are longer, harder and more complex than before, making you sweat just like any soulslike creation.
The bad news is that by the end of the game your head will be spilling with all the abilities you have to juggle in order to keep up with the complex platforming. Especially if you want to gather all the collectibles, including skins for your trusted blade, relics and recordings, or if you want to successfully complete the various challenges embedded in the levels, you will have to prepare mentally for steeper and steeper mindboggling parkour schemes needed to reach well-hidden nooks and crannies.
The list of changes continues with a higher emphasis on character development, the skill tree having much more abilities than before. The new system features a motherboard with a limited number of inputs, that can be used to host passive abilities. It is completely up to you if you want a build focusing on offensive or rather defensive capabilities. These complement the active abilities that are unlocked by progressing through the game.
Naturally, there’s the bike – starting as an adrenaline packed pedal to the metal unlimited fun that turns into a somewhat monotonous experience. You will spend much more time in the ruins of the old world than in the neon bathed cities, and this will affect the entire atmosphere. Beyond the memorable moments, including combat scenes in the saddle, your bike will be mainly used to traverse these big relatively empty spaces. Also, the easy control is paired with an unexplainable decision: you cannot rotate the camera while on the bike, making orientation quite an ordeal.
The Good
- Great level design
- Fast paced and fluid gameplay
- Immersive cyberpunk feeling
The Bad
- No camera rotation on the bike
- Some monotonous sections
- The difficulty is still pretty daunting
Conclusion
It is a must play for fans, and the best way to start the series for those who are curious about the game but were turned down by the high difficulty. Ghostrunner 2 is just as hard as the original, but at the same time it is more accessible and most of the quirks have been ironed out.
Review key provided by the publisher.
