The original Ghostrunner was the pinnacle of first-person platforming, and as such, is an extremely hard act to follow. Fortunately, Ghostrunner 2 is just about everything that you’d look for in a sequel: new gameplay twists and settings while retaining the fluidity of movement and core gameplay and feel that made the first game so great.
Following on from the first game, players once more get to step into the metallic feet of cyber-ninja Jack (or Ghostrunner 74 as he was previously known), as Dharma Tower – a mega-structure thousands of meters high holding what is believed to be the last of humanity – is attacked by foes from its past. There’s more of an emphasis on story and environment this time around, and Dharma Tower has been massively expanded from the previous game. The Tower’s not the only environment that’s been expanded (and looks terrific): the wastelands, which were previously only mentioned, have now been realized, and players will get to explore the blasted waste as well as take part in one of the coolest boss battles I think I’ve come across.
But for newcomers, what is Ghostrunner 2? In a nutshell, it’s a precision parkour platformer with a heavy emphasis on one-hit-one kill combat, with a dash of speed-running thrown in (with each level showing you how long it took to complete, and how many times you died trying to complete it). Players will wall-run, slide, dash, leap and rappel their way across the environment, bifurcating their opponents with their razor-sharp katana. Also, for those with jedi-level reflexes, you can also block incoming projectiles at the last second to send them back towards whoever fired them. Getting the best time possible is as much about reflexes as it is about rapid tactical thinking, and the best way of tackling any given situation (hmm, if I go to the left I can take out the cyber-ninja, but that exposes me to the fire from the machine-gunner...). It’s fast, fluid, and oh-so-fun.
Speaking of fun, the new motorcycle sections are an absolute blast. Whether it’s racing through the Dharma Tower at over 200kph, tearing through the wasteland, or literally driving upside down at breakneck speed (at full speed the bike can cling to surfaces, leading to some pretty twisted level design). It’s an absolute joy, even taking into consideration the occasional glitch which saw me getting stuck on some geometry and having to reset. This also set the scene for what is perhaps the best boss battle in the entire game – where players have to take down a gigantic and rapidly moving robot which looks like a cross between a sandworm and a tunnel drill. What starts off as an attempt to avoid this mechanical monstrosity, soon turns into a race through it, dodging grinders, blades, hammers, and repair drones. It’s truly exhilarating.
Ghostrunner 2 is also perhaps more newcomer friendly than its predecessor. It could be that, as a veteran of the previous game, I simply found it easier than the first instalment. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely no problem with any of this, and it still feels great – it’s simply different. The only thing that didn’t seem to quite gel was the greater emphasis on story, with players returning to a central hub where they can talk to various characters and get the briefing on their next outing. While it does make the game feel more of an actual world rather than an abstract construct, it does pull back the momentum a bit. While it works, this is about as far as I would like to see story and world-building intrude into what is usually a high-octane ride.
All up, this is one of the best sequels I’ve seen for a long time. Not only does it retain all the great elements of the first game, it adds new twists and turns, making it a truly different experience, and giving a compelling reason for playing both. Ghostrunner 2 isn’t an upgrade of Ghostrunner which renders the first game obsolete. It’s simply a different experience. Whether you’re new to the Ghostrunner games or not, I can absolutely recommend Ghostrunner 2. And if you’re into fast, slick action, you can’t go wrong with either game. ■