Image courtesy of Tango Gameworks
Tango Gameworks’ upcoming action-adventure game, Ghostwire: Tokyo, weaves folklore, elegant fighting and evil spirits into a supernatural story.
The details: Ghostwire: Tokyo is a PlayStation 5 and PC title being developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks.
- A recent demo of Ghostwire: Tokyo shown to press, which takes place hours into the game, followed Akito — the game’s hero — through a modern-day Tokyo as he navigates the supernatural.
- Akito’s goal is straightforward: He’s tracking down Hannya, the mysterious mastermind behind the city’s strange and sudden disappearances, in order to find his sister.
- Akito isn’t alone. A ghost hunter-turned-spirit called KK has fused with him and provides guidance — and banter — as Akito faces off against “visitors” — hostile supernatural forces.
Akito’s method of fighting back is mystic. By making specific hand gestures, he can use supernatural energy to tame the evil around him.
- He relies on elemental attacks like wind and fire, each of which has its own strengths and fighting style.
Our thoughts: The game itself is beautiful, occasionally slipping into dreamlike moments where its world shifts into nightmarish hallways, surrealist backdrops and more.
- Combat looks stylish and smooth. One particularly interesting attack involves harnessing cat’s cradle-like strands of energy to destroy several foes at once.
Why it matters: The game is a highly anticipated title from the studio that made survival horror series The Evil Within, featuring several veteran horror developers.
- The studio is headed by Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami, though he stepped back from directing games after The Evil Within.
- Ikumi Nakamura, known for her work on Bayonetta, The Evil Within, was serving as Ghostwire: Tokyo’s creative director until she left the company in 2019 due to health concerns.
- Kenji Kimura of Tekken fame is currently the game’s director.
What’s next: Ghostwire: Tokyo launches March 25.
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