Long remained in the shadows after its announcement in June 2018, Ghostwire: Tokyo has finally lifted the veil on some of its secrets. During this preview, the title signed Tango Gameworks gave us a long gameplay session to take stock of what it will have to offer us when it is released on March 25th. Pack your bags and head for a chaotic Japanese capital!
This first approach was made within the framework of an online conference orchestrated by Bethesda Softworks. We were unable to directly test the game running on PS5. The gameplay footage in question was captured from a beta release and changes may well be coming between now and launch. To finish with the context in which this preview took place, let us specify that the demo lasted approximately 30 minutes and that we were not authorized to capture it. The visuals that punctuate our article were therefore provided to us by the publisher. Additionally, the footage was different from the one Sony aired this week (see below).
Everyone (or almost) will disappear
Developed by Tango Gameworks, the Japanese studio responsible for The Evil Within license and directed by Resident Evil's father Shinji Mikami, the game takes us, as its name suggests, to Tokyo. The player embodies Akito, a young man who has to face supernatural events in the heart of the Japanese capital. Indeed, 99% of the population has evaporated and spirits inspired by local folklore invade the streets. Our hero will seek to understand what is happening while trying to find his missing sister. Alas, these fearsome entities will stand in his way, but Akito quickly gains elemental powers to defend himself.
If Tango Gameworks had so far only dabbled in the survival-horror genre, another approach was chosen for Ghostwire: Tokyo. The latter is more like an action-adventure game with a paranormal dimension. The atmosphere is resolutely gloomy without pouring into jump scare and other terrifying passages. Despite its rather austere setting, Ghostwire: Tokyo benefits from an inevitably very Japanese atmosphere that does not lack charm. The context of the game is quite original.
An almost unexpected twist?
Contrary to what the first videos might suggest, Ghostwire: Tokyo does not opt for a linear structure... Quite the contrary! We are rather in the presence of an open-world which will open its playground over the hours. Each sector can be freely explored once the Torii (a traditional Japanese gate) is cleared through a simple interaction. These gates are also usable for fast travel. And if some missions take place indoors, not all buildings can be explored. The roofs will also be surveyed. To get there, our hero will use Tengu's ability to grab hold of the attachment points that come in the form of flying creatures.
From what we've seen, Ghostwire: Tokyo will include side quests and other collectables (like spirits). An RPG dimension is also in the game with the presence of a skill tree, an inventory and stores used to buy items. These shops are managed by Yōkai, that is to say spirits taking the form of an animal (a cat in the demo). Akito can also search cupboards and trash cans in order to unearth valuable tools. The game definitely has many faces. The mix seemed to work during our preview, but it remains to be seen whether these mechanics, which are quite classic, will retain their consistency over time.
A real role to play
The FPS camera is another oddity in Ghostwire: Tokyo. A first-person point of view that reinforces immersion while providing a good dose of adrenaline during clashes. Indeed, the fights against the spirits will be numerous. Fortunately, Akito is endowed with supernatural abilities that he can cast with his hands... The style of this mystical art, called Aetherweaving, strongly reminded us of how to use magic in Skyrim. After suffering heavy damage, the spirits expose their hearts that must be extracted to eliminate them permanently. Attacks can also be blocked. And if infiltrating the back of an opponent to kill them instantly is a possible solution in certain situations, the fights still seemed repetitive to us and the threats encountered during these first minutes little varied.
More conventional weapons will attempt to alter this apparent repetitiveness. One example is the bow which, in addition to dealing violent blows to the spirits, is used to move quickly over short distances by shooting an arrow. The hero also has a power that points the way to his next goal and another that allows you to follow a trail (à la The Witcher). In short, nothing really revolutionary since Ghostwire: Tokyo is content to borrow rather usual gameplay mechanics in any good self-respecting RPG.
An original journey in perspective
Overall, Ghostwire: Tokyo was fun to watch. The general modeling is very convincing and the environmental effects, like the reflections caused by puddles of water, hit the bull's eye. For their part, there is something terrifying about faceless (or even headless) spirits. The basic enemies are content to walk towards Akito but others are able to run or even fly to chase us. The few music and sound effects that we could hear reinforce this palpable oppression at every moment.
JVFR
However, the direction taken by Tango Gameworks on a purely aesthetic level will not please everyone. Currently, only night passes have been leaked by Bethesda Softworks, which quite logically limits the color palette on screen. If the billboards and cherry trees of Japan bring some artistic flashes, the image is generally rather dull on the sets outside. The interiors and visual effects spawned by Akito's powers enhance this moody tone a bit. The captures scattered throughout this article are at this level much more encouraging than what we were able to observe during the preview session.
JVFR
Ghostwire: Tokyo, our first impressions
These first minutes spent in the company of Ghostwire: Tokyo turned out to be surprising. We weren't expecting a "quasi role-playing game" in an open world and all in first person. The title of Tango Gameworks shines with its paranormal atmosphere and its many elements borrowed from Japanese folklore. The confrontations are not lacking in pep and the spirits encountered are chilling.
Now, we will have to put our hands on the game itself to find out if the formula is not running out of steam too quickly. Because after only 30 minutes of gameplay, some limits began to emerge on the repetitive fights as well as on the redundant mechanics seen and reviewed in recent years in many productions of the same ilk. See you in a few weeks for our final verdict.
