GHOSTRUNNER

It’s no secret, one of my all-time favourite videogames is Hotline Miami and a big reason for that is this one idea that is deep, deep rooted in the core of the game, and that is that death is just a means of learning, you can instantly retry the second you die and this is all tied together by this relentless, aggressive aesthetic, the soundtrack driving you onwards on your goal of being the most efficient, ruthless killer.

It’s not a new or unique idea, but Hotline Miami does it better than anything else. Ghostrunner takes that concept and, for my money, is still the most effective translation of that core into three dimensions. Ghostrunner constantly urges you to push your abilities to the absolute limit and, due to the fact that death isn’t a particularly bad punishment, you’re given this injection of fearlessness that helps put your right into the cybernetic boots of Jack, the Ghostrunner himself. The result? A thrilling cyberpunk symphony of precision and speed.

Much like Hotline Miami, death can come in an instant, so you need to be constantly moving, constantly evaluating your surroundings and picking out the most imminent threat and how you’re going to deal with it. A single hit will kill you and you’ll have to restart that section but, all enemy positions reset. There’s no surprises here once you’ve learned the lay of the land. It is possible, through skilful execution, to chain kills together in one flawless combo of death. Different enemies require different approaches and the various combinations of them, plus the shape of the arena you have to fight them in, can result in encounters feeling wildly different from one another.

Of course, being a 3D game, traversal is much more of a focus than in Hotline Miami. Here, you have the ability to use the Ghostrunner’s parkour skills to run along any surface, grab hold of ledges and rails and generally continue to move with momentum at all times. In fact, a lot of deaths can come from hesitation, second guessing a jump or losing track of where you should be going. Movement in Ghostrunner is a thing of beauty and mastering this art is crucial, as even the slightest misstep can prove fatal. The level design is ingeniously crafted, offering a mix of open spaces and verticality that keeps you constantly engaged. Often, instead of a particularly tough combat section to end a level, you’ll have to do a challenging section of platforming. Hell, even the true final boss is a platforming section - one of the most difficult you’ll ever encounter.

You have access to a dash that causes time to slow down, allowing you to plan your next move carefully. Each combat encounter requires split-second decision-making as you deflect bullets, dodge attacks, and deliver lethal strikes. There’s no firearms, only the Ghostrunner’s katana as a weapon, with each successful strike sending sparks flying and bisected enemy pieces scattering all over the shop. As you play through the game, you gain four special moves that can turn the tables in your favour, such as a move that dashes through projectiles or a means of hacking an enemy to have them fight for you. Switching these up offers a surprising amount of freedom in approach, despite how ruthlessly precise you need to be to succeed. You can still fly by the seat of your pants a bit and make things up in the moment.

Again, much like Hotline Miami, Ghostrunner has a pulsating synthwave soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere. The energetic beats and adrenaline-pumping melodies feel like they sync up with your every move, heightening the feeling of being a a cybernetic ninja, carving his path of vengeance. It’s a simple trick, that constant hypnotic bass drawing you in, helping you get into the zone. Dying and restarting over and over until you hit that perfect run and get the big release of adrenaline. Perfect. An itch only a handful of games can scratch for me.

Any game with tight combat mechanics and a quick restart after death, encouraging you to learn sections and master them is always going to appeal to my tastes, but there’s something about Ghostrunner’s simple setup - you’re a discarded robot ninja repurposed by some rebel group against some evil dictator who runs a bit future city tower thing and you’ve got to get to the top of the tower and stop them - that I really enjoy. There’s no shades of grey or massive unpredictable twists, you’re just the fucking good guy and you’ve got to save the day. It’s enough motivation to keep you on the hook while you’re doing all the cool combat and platforming.

It’s short, sweet and relentless, with zero fat on it. There’s not a weak moment from start to finish in Ghostrunner and if you find yourself with a gap in your schedule, this is a nice six hour belter to get your teeth into that marries next-gen visuals with a truly classic mechanical core.

THANKS FOR READING.

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