Ghostwire Tokyo invites us to a walk through Shibuya different from what we have seen to date
Japan is a country where there is great attachment to the spiritual world. We all know urban legends and fables about it, and there are many ghosts, objects and even fauna that refer to this mystical terrain. Of course, we have seen this culture about the afterlife reflected in video games for years, sometimes in an animated way and other times with a more formal tone. But we never had sense as extensively as in Ghostwire Tokyo, the work of Tango Gameworks and Bethesda that invite us to discover practically all the Japanese folklore while we wander through the streets of Shibuya. Are you up for this astral journey?
between good and evil
Ghostwire Tokyo is a first-person adventure where we will control Akito, a boy who will be caught between the world of the living and the dead. On the way to the hospital to see his sister admitted, he has an accident that ends in his own death. Luck smiles at him at that moment, since a spirit enters the scene, possessing the inert body of the protagonist and offering him a new opportunity to redeem himself and say goodbye to a convalescent sister.
Those will not be all the problems surrounding Akito. At the same time as his fateful deeds, a dense fog invades the Shibuya neighborhood, eradicating all forms of human life. Instead, a whole army of undead and spectral beings will roam the streets of Tokyo. And not only that, but our own sister is kidnapped to submit her to a ritual that enhances the power of these invading spirits. So, equipped with the powers that our ghostly friend has given us, we must investigate the strange events and find the whereabouts of the captors to put an end to this nightmare.
Japanese beauty on the outside…
One of the biggest attractions that Tango Gamework’s work has is the Japanese folklore regarding the spiritual world that I mentioned before. It is true that we will be alone at all times, but that does not mean that there are “ethereal” friends, monstrosities in every corner and even animals that entertain us along the way. It is a fantasy to see how the typical Yokais, the mysticism of tanukis or even mythological beings such as kappas converge in the same game. that appear when they see a cucumber. The entire game is a constant display of mystical legends that will dazzle those who are into the subject.
On the other hand, we may prefer take a tour of the Shibuya neighborhood. At first it will be limited by the dense fog that I have mentioned, but as we play and unlocking the torii gates of the sanctuaries, we will be able to visit other points of interest. From shopping centers to the typical crossroads that we have seen countless times, passing through the bus station or more indigenous neighborhoods. Everything gives off a special touch despite not finding other forms of human life. Of course, slap on the wrist to the study for not allowing us greater interaction with objects or places, such as, for example, arcade halls so typical of Japanese culture.
… and inside
And that we have only talked about the exteriors… because the interiors are just as interesting. Ghostwire Tokyo arouses the curiosity of those players eager to learn about the way of life in Japan (as is my case, wow…). Knowing what hospitals are like inside, the metro station with its corresponding stores, houses abandoned to their fate for years or even some currently decorated. At least in my case, There have been many times that I have stayed to browse each room. And there have not been a few times that I have started to read the descriptions of various objects that we can collect.
We have Shibuya but not Hayabusa
In its most playable part, Ghostwire Tokyo has reminded me a lot of Far Cry, saving certain distances. We will have a great leader to defeat, but first we have to annihilate his captains. Instead of watchtowers or towers like in the Ubisoft games, we will have the sanctuaries that I mentioned before. There will be collectibles, side missions and even a skill tree that we will improve as we go rescuing spirits. Of course, here we do not have conventional weapons.
And like a good Far Cry, completing everything can be slow… and tedious. Some secondary tasks like finding all the tanukis, or even freeing the spirits have become a ball for me who await their freedom on the streets of Shibuya. In all, there are over 200,000 souls waiting to be found, and that’s a long time. On the other hand, despite the simplicity of the secondary stories, thanks to the implementation of Japanese folklore, everything takes on a different face. Even As in the Yakuza saga, the studio takes advantage of these optional missions to offer a more relaxed and funny tone. compared to the main adventure.
There is a friend in me…literally
KK, which is the name of the spirit that possesses us, has not only brought us back to life, but He has given us supernatural powers to face the abstract beasts that roam Tokyo. We will have the elemental power of wind, fire and water, each one with its own characteristics that we must control. While the power of the wind grants us quick and concise shots, the fire will cause a great explosion, while the water will create a huge horizontal blade capable of damaging several enemies at once.
Be careful with the ammunition, because at Ghostwire Tokyo every “bullet” counts. We will not have infinite magazines, and if we start shooting like crazy, it is most likely that we will be completely sold out in front of the enemy. This happens especially at the beginning, since our charger is more limited, and ways to get extra ammo are reduced. On the stage we will have objects that when hit will drop this long-awaited ammunition, and the same will happen when we weaken the enemy and tear out the core that ties it to the underworld.
With this blow I send you to the other neighborhood
Although the exploration is very well achieved, with the possibility of going both on the sidewalk and from roof to roof, we cannot say the same about its gunplay. We have a thousand ways to approach the fights, several movements that we will unlock in our skill tree and even objects such as talismans to annoy the enemy. But despite all the possibilities, the combat system is crude and not very fluid.
In our favor is that the enemies are not very fast and are usually predictable. And luckily they are like that, since it is very difficult to aim exactly at the point where we want. If we also add the reload time between shots, many times we will want to secure the target before pulling the trigger. Or the index in this case, which is the finger with which Akito shoots.
Travel without leaving home!
In the audiovisual aspect, Ghostwire Tokyo has strong points and other more debatable ones. Personally, as I have reiterated in the analysis, I really liked visiting Shibuya. But there are parts that look more than others. Although the first bars of the adventure are magnificent, with those flooded streets that reflect the light from the shops, then there are other flatter ones. For example, the mall, big as it is, doesn’t have that charm that I think it should have. On the other hand, the subway, with its narrower corridors, does have that special touch.
It is difficult to implement so many details on the screen, and the truth is that the title does not do without objects on the stage. To fully enjoy the experience, On Xbox Series X we have up to 6 graphic modes to choose the one that best suits our tastes and possibilities. There is the classic performance and quality mode, where the fps or the details on the screen are boosted, respectively. But then we have the performance and quality mode with HFR, and finally, the same performance and quality modes with HFR + Vsync. It will depend on your television, monitor or other device to make the appropriate selection, although in my personal point, due to the amount of movements, particles and objects on the screen, it is highly recommended to enjoy a good (and stable) rate of 60 frames per second.
Ghostwire Tokyo Conclusion
The game developed by Tango Gameworks finally comes to Xbox, and it does it in a great way. The adventure invites us to visit a Shibuya neighborhood full of spectral beings, collecting in the same title all the traditional Japanese folklore about these creatures. In addition, it has very good locations that you will enjoy as soon as you like Japan. It is true that in the playable part, except for the way to shoot with our elemental powers, we have seen everything else in other known sagas focused on the first person. In addition, the optional tasks lose a bit of steam and meaning, being relegated to an excuse to wander around the most iconic points of interest in Japantown. Even so, enjoying the 15-20 hours that Ghostwire Tokyo can last us is quite an experience that Xbox Game Pass users can download right now if they wish.
Ghostwire Tokio
69.99€
Pros
- The setting is sublime
- Many graphic options at our choice
- Disponible en Xbox Game Pass
Cons
- Perfect performance is not achieved with any graphics mode
- Playable is similar to many open world shooters
- There are completely filler missions or tasks