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Ever since its announcement earlier this year, Ghostrunner 2 has been on many gamers' "Most Anticipated Games of 2023" lists. As a successor to the 2020 cult-classic original, this new entry from One More Level promises another cathartic journey full of challenge, gore, and chaos. All of this comes in at an adrenaline-pumping pace, dripping with audio-visual style.
But do fans have reason to be worried? After all, the team has opted for a more ambitious project this time around, with a larger scope and brand-new mechanics on top of the core fundamentals that made the first Ghostrunner great. Well, fear not, because Ghostrunner 2 is as good as expected.
Step outside Dharma Tower for the first time in Ghostrunner 2
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Taking place a year after the events of the first game, step back into the metallic soles of the protagonist, Jack. With the Keymaster fallen, Dharma Tower - the final bastion of humanity - has fallen into chaos once again. New factions have risen who fight amongst themselves for power. One group, known as the Climbers, aim to bring peace to this lawless reality.
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As part of the Interface Council, players will witness a new consipracy brewing in the background with the rise of another series of Ghostrunners, who are cyborg-like creations. The latest title is undoubtedly a story-focused game, and players will need to have played the first to understand why things are the way they are.
So without spoiling anything, just get ready to meet varied characters - both familiar and new - as well as big plot twists. But really, most players are here for Ghostrunner 2's slicing-and-dicing gameplay.
Blink and you'll miss it
Those who loved the gameplay loop of the 2020 game can dive into Ghostrunner 2 head-first. The fundamentals have not just been pristinely preserved here, but further improved upon. For starters, Jack's controls are as expected: He can dash, and block and parry using his signature sword. He also has his iconic Sensory Boost, which can slow time around him for precise attacks and dodging, although at the cost of stamina.
On that note, blocking enemy attacks will drain the stamina gauge. When empty, it leaves him vulnerable; so both blocking and dodging need to be used carefully. As expected, Jack can finish foes in one-hit — but the same applies to him as well. This means players must excercise caution at all times, even against trash mobs. To aid his endeavors, Jack has many utilities at his disposal. He has three primary abilitties, acquired over the course of the game, are: Shuriken, Shadow, and Tempest.
The first throws a shuriken at the target, which is great for defeating smaller foes and stunning bigger ones. Shadow turns Jack invisible and summons a decoy at the location the ability was used — ideal for getting heat off of him. The final, Tempest, is a returning skill from the original Ghostrunner and allows Jack to launch a blast of wind that sends foes flying.
All of these have environmental uses as well, such as using Shuriken to hit switches, Tempest to move crates, and more. Yes, the game places as much focus on platforming as combat. Jack can also crouch-slide, wall-run, and use his grapple to reach far away points (including stunned enemies). Coupled with the tight-knit, linear level design, it is bound to put players in a zen-like state of laser-focus.
Lastly, Ultimate abilities are a thing as well, and can be swapped at any time during combat. There are a total of five that will be acquired through the course of Ghostrunner 2: Blink, Flux, Sensory Overload, Motoric Overheat, and Overlord. The latter, which returns from the first game, and Motoric Overheat, were my go-to Ultimates. They allow temporary mind control of an enemy and enhance Jack's movement respectively.
Overall, combat is fun and fair, and by far the highlight of the game. Players who are patient enough to master it can pull off anime-esque kill montages. However, platforming can feel sloppy at times. The grapples and air-vent jumps in particular have to be perfect because getting knocked into a small piece of geometry can send the player tumbling into a bottomless pit, ruining a 100% perfect run.
Challenges galore
It should go without saying that Ghostrunner 2 is a challenging game. It is not on the level of something like the Soulsborne series, but enough to make players who refuse to learn its fundamentals pull their hair out in frustration. The pacing often dances between combat and platforming, saving the gameplay from getting tiresome.
Starting off small, the roster of enemies grows the further gamers get into the campaign. From standard melee-striking thugs and laser-projectile spewing robots, to zombies on jetpacks and vehicles, players need to stay on their toes at all times. Each has a different attack pattern, and knowing how to dispatch them is key to progression.
At times, enemy encounters can turn into a puzzle of their own, thanks to cheeky combinations forcing players to dispatch the stronger foes first. That's not to say the title lacks environmental puzzles, because it does not. Players can expect to spend a lot of time grinding on rails, hitting switches, and creating makeshift platforms to move further into a level.
Once again, those who have played the first game will be intimately familiar with what's on offer. Given how well everything comes together, that is not a bad thing. But there are new challenges to face too. Cue the Roguerunner.exe mode. This discreet gameplay offering is a rogue-like take on the formula, which is a perfect marriage given the one-shot, one-kill nature of Ghostrunner 2.
This mode sees players fight through a node system, just like the progression map in Slay The Spire. Unlike the main game, Jack has a limited number of tries to beat the run. Thankfully, beating a sub-section may reward extra lives or a modifier to help alter gameplay style. Those who want further replayability from Ghostrunner 2 will have a lot of fun with this.
Build-your-own Ghostrunner
Speaking of replayability, Ghostrunner 2 offers a swathe of modifiers to equip, which can drastically alter gameplay. Just like the first game, players can purchase various upgrades to slot into the Motherboard, which in turn is upgraded using purple Memory Shards. Upgrades affect different elements of the Ghostrunner, like optimizing dash to consume less stamina.
Each upgrade has an associated cost that eats into the total Memory cost, so players must think about how to arrange each piece around the Motherboard. Furthermore, some can have extra tiers that become active when placed in certain locations, making this process a brainteaser as well.
All in all, there are some incredibly handy upgrades to acquire. My build centered around parrying and dodging. So I equipped upgrades that help me parry better, such as perfect parrying (i.e. hitting block just as the enemy is about to strike) will electrocute foes around the player. With upgrades centered around the three skills, Ultimates, and more, there are many build possibilities.
On the hunt for treasure
Ghostrunner 2 features collectibles in the form of in-game lore and cosmetics. On the former front, there are Artefacts and Audio Logs. Both flesh out the world lore in textual and audial manner. The cosmetics primarily consist consist of Gloves and Swords. The former can be obtained via beating Roguerunner.exe levels, while the latter is scattered around levels.
There are over a dozen levels in Ghostrunner 2, with many featuring Artefact, Audio Log, Memory Shard, and Sword skins to find. Most of these are often tucked away behind an extra layer of challenge that requires going off the beaten path or tricky manuvering to obtain. Thankfully, players can replay beaten missions to go back and track down the missing collectible.
Feel the rush of wind on your metallic cheekbones
Perhaps the biggest attraction of Ghostrunner 2 is the motorbike. Abundantly showcased throughout marketing material like trailers and artwork, this silvery beast is Jack's main mode of transport as he explores the post-apocalyptic outskirts of Dharma Tower. Nothing else compares to the sense of speed and style that traversing on the bike does.
The motorbike feels a tad slippery to handle during fastpaced sections, especially where players have to keep the momentum going to keep up with the signal. Thankfully, most bike exploration is otherwise organic, and can be taken at the one's own pace. That is to say, developer One More Level switches to a semi-linear sandbox format halfway through Ghostrunner 2.
It is absolutely unlike anything seen before in the franchise, with ruined buildings and crushed vehicles strewn all about. All that remain are zombie-esque monstrosities called the Scions, which has resulted in brand new enemy types. However, this area is also carefully handcrafted with subtle environmental cues, gently nudging the player along the story's progression.
Eventually, gamers also obtain a wingsuit that allows traversing gaps easily. Given how late it is offered into Ghostrunner 2, perhaps a sequel could expand on it. The game does end on a good note if they are curious, so that does leave room for more possibilities.
Battle of the machines
The true stars of the show in Ghostrunner 2 are the boss fights. Players who were disappointed with how the first game handled them can rest easy as the ones in the sequel are drastically improved. Without spoiling much, they will mostly face off against other humanoid foes, which feel like true bosses this time around.
These enemies will test all that players have learned up to that point, so they need to ensure that their platforming, dodging, and parrying skills are fine-tuned. Each fight is unique in its own way, and it will be hard to be disappointed given how varied the set-pieces are.
Graphics, performance, and sound
Ghostrunner 2 is an Unreal Engine 4 game, just like its predecessor. With modern offerings opting for Unreal Engine 5, this does come at a surprise. However, One More Level has still made the most of the engine, which has resulted in striking visuals across the board.
From neon-soaked interiors of Dharma Tower to the rusty outskirts, everything looks good. This is complemented by the solid electronic soundtrack that perfectly fits the tone. The visuals do falter a bit in the sandbox areas, with obvious shadow cascading even at max settings. On that note, the game was reviewed on PC with the following specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-12650H @4.7 GHz
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (8 GB)
- SSD: 1 TB NVME
The game ran well for the most part, with frames well above 60 FPS even at 1440p with all settings maxed out. I did see performance to dip in open world down to the 40s, further worsened by the biggest problem plaguing Unreal-driven games: Shader-compilation stutters.
Given the speed at which players can travel through the desolate streets of the sandbox area, they should expect a lot of stutters as the game loads in assets. This happens even during contained linear areas in Dharma Tower, so some further optimization is needed on that end. I also had the game crash on me once while exploring the open world.
Additionally, do not be surprised to see the vehicle or even enemies get stuck in geometry. Thankfully, the checkpoints in the game are frequent and solid all around, which makes makes backtracking and replaying sections much less painful.
Ghostrunner 2 also includes a photo mode for players to capture the striking scenary. On that note, the review build does not include raytracing, so I could not test that. It will arrive day one with the full game's launch.
In conclusion
Ghostrunner 2 is an impressive successor to the first game, and may even fix some issues players had with the original. It presents new ideas and executes them wonderfully without losing sight of core aspects that make its gameplay loop so addictive. However, it is not perfect.
Minor design issues and spotty platforming aside, the game suffers from technical problems, which become particularly noticable in the open-world area. Thankfully, none of that is enough to blemish Ghostrunner 2's high-points, making this a must-play for both old-time fans and newcomers.
A demo is currently available on Steam for interested players to check out, which offers a curated slice of both combat and vehicular gameplay.
Ghostrunner 2
PC
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer(s): One More Level
Publishers(s): 505 Games
Release date: October 26, 2023
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