Ghostrunner 2 evaluation – a shock GOTY contender

I’ll admit, I questioned whether or not or not we wanted Ghostrunner 2. With The Architect destroyed and Dharma Metropolis free of its digital clutches, I questioned if there was something left for Jack, Zoe, and The Climbers. Seems that sure, there may be, and I’m so glad that I took on this Ghostrunner 2 evaluation – it could simply be one in every of my favourite video games of the 12 months.

The curtains open on a surprising cyberpunk cityscape, framed by bassy electronica, illuminated in neon pinks and vibrant violets. Ghostrunner 2 takes no prisoners, as you’re thrust into the motion instantly, with no time to breathe. I earn my first achievement by dying a couple of minutes (in all probability seconds) in, earlier than resetting and reminding myself that this can be a fast-paced parkour recreation, which means I had higher get within the zone.

In any case, solely the most deadly can survive Dharma Metropolis – and as a Ghostrunner, that’s what you might be. As muscle reminiscence kicks in and I begin darting off of partitions and slicing my enemies in two, I discover myself asking if that is simply extra of the identical. You’d be forgiven for making the identical assumption in the course of the recreation’s early levels, however belief me after I say Ghostrunner 2 provides a lot extra.

Essentially the most notable change is the sport’s new hub space, dubbed ‘HQ.’ The place the unique thrust you from mission to mission, you now get slightly little bit of downtime to talk to the assorted NPCs which have joined your merry band of misfits. Whereas I gained’t spoil their tales and encounters, my absolute favourite is Kira, a sassy hacker who’s accompanied by a really cute (however very nosy) robotic companion.

Whereas The Climbers are hardly Baldur’s Gate 3 characters with sprawling backstories and changeable characterization, they assist deliver a little bit of life to the sport’s world. Zoe is the silent, severe one, Connor is the irritating but playful chief, and Bakunin is a former member of the notorious Keys who admits that, in the event you’d met him in the course of the occasions of the primary recreation, he would have killed you (in reality, in the event you’ve performed the Venture HEL DLC, he does certainly attempt to do exactly that).

The hub isn’t only a place to hang around, although. You may also improve your abilities and tools, check out varied tutorial challenges, and, in the event you’re like me, equipment out your Ghostrunner with some flashy-looking weapons. The HQ is simply bursting with infinitely replayable facet challenges, including a complete new pillar to the expertise.

There are additionally new skills, after all – prime amongst them being the ‘Final Abilities.’ You purchase these as you progress, with selections starting from a lethal lazer that slices up something in its path, to ‘Bullet Time,’ which slows the whole lot round you a la F.E.A.R’s iconic slow-mo.

Early on you additionally purchase the shuriken talent – music to my ears, after all. Whereas some could groan when remembering all the totally different puzzles within the first recreation (which had been a nightmare on a controller), your star-shaped projectile has extra makes use of than simply short-circuiting switches. You may throw them at robotic enemies to stun them, then use your grapple to sprint into and slaughter them in a single fell swoop. You may hearth them at partitions to create grapple factors the place there weren’t any earlier than. Or you may simply launch them at explosive barrels and kill everybody close by. Sound like enjoyable? It actually, actually is.

However issues get even higher. You may formally go invisible – sure, actually. Jack creates a clone of himself and vanishes, reappearing after a set period of time, or when he lops an enemy’s head off. Apart from being very cool, this enables you entry to areas you couldn’t get to in earlier ranges, once more making for some enjoyable replayability.

These, in addition to your upgradable base abilities, are available clutch with the sport’s puzzles – which there are quite a lot of. The place Ghostrunner championed pace and parkour, Ghostrunner 2 is stuffed with varied logic puzzles that nearly made me really feel like I used to be in a barely extra gritty Aperture Science lab.

These retain that high-octane really feel, although, usually requiring you to short-circuit issues along with your shuriken from a distance, which you then want to shut earlier than the programs come again on-line and reduce you in two. One notably fiendish problem entails you utilizing your invisibility clone to interrupt a laser beam mid-air (twice) when you hearth out shurikens mid-flight – all whereas underneath time strain. Simply as with the sport’s hub, these puzzles add a little bit of meat to the bones of the primary recreation, making Dharma really feel prefer it actually is out to kill you.

And if Dharma doesn’t kill you, the newfound Asura will. A group of rogue Ghostrunners intent on subjugating the lots as The Architect and Mara did earlier than them, every character makes for a fully gorgeous boss struggle – The Avatar’s specifically being the standout.

Now I’ve fought quite a lot of bosses this 12 months – my Lies of P evaluation proves it. Nonetheless, The Avatar (or Rahu) could be my favourite battle of 2023. The encounter takes place contained in the Cybervoid, a fluid digital house that adjustments on a whim. To even get shut it’s a must to juggle totally different hacks to make sure that the partitions you leap on are stable, all whereas dodging large wave-like projectiles. As you wall run, you’re hit with these as soon as once more, however the sideways perspective means it’s a must to get your angles excellent mid-air or threat falling to your dying.

As you progress via the extent there are rails to grind on that remind me of Rail Canyon in Sonic Heroes, in addition to interactive followers that launch you straight at The Avatar’s face. All of the whereas, you continue to want to recollect to hack the encircling surfaces, which means you’re toggling ‘E’ sooner than the pace of sunshine.

The Avatar forces you to suppose but in addition depends on that muscle reminiscence I discussed earlier. At occasions, you’re higher off letting the sport take the reigns, whereas at others you profit from slowing down and considering. Coupled with the truth that the surroundings is gorgeous, this can be a boss battle for the ages – it forces you to suppose however isn’t so punishing that you just wish to ragequit when issues get powerful. It’s the right stability of issue and enjoyable, and that’s no imply feat.

All of that is enveloped in a cyberpunk cityscape that’s a feast for the eyes. Ghostrunner has at all times been fashionable, however One Extra Degree has taken Dharma to, nicely, the subsequent degree. The bowels of The Asura’s mechanical cathedral reverberate with the sounds of choral music combined with heavy electronica, paying homage to Korean rapper Lee ‘BewhY’ Byung-yoon’s Facet By Facet, whereas the town streets are slick with rain and awash in neon and dirt.

Taking a visit into the Cybervoid can also be breathtaking – particularly Kira’s den, which is spectral, but oh-so-beautiful. Actually, all of Ghostrunner 2 is a dream come true. One Extra Degree takes what made the unique so nice, innovates upon it, and makes the entire expertise higher. It maintains its issue with out being too punishing, and its construct selection provides a formidable quantity of customization, all wrapped up in beautiful surroundings with a soundtrack that’s simply good. I like being confirmed fallacious, and Ghostrunner 2 has performed that. Town awaits, my pals; go and put it aside – I promise you it’s value it.