Ghostrunner captured the fantasy of being a cyborg ninja better than any other game before it. Its trial-and-error nature could be taxing, but it trained players to perform its many acrobatics in one smooth motion like a “real” cyborg ninja. Momentum defined that cyberpunk parkour game. However, that momentum hasn’t fully transferred to its sequel, Ghostrunner 2. Instead of fully darting forward, it opts to slow down both literally and metaphorically, which keeps this follow-up from reaching a new top speed.

Ghostrunner 2 is able to keep some sort of pace with its predecessor by having many of the same moves. Outside of a few rare and understandable quirks, its smooth controls ensure that it’s always possible to slow-mo dodge, wall run, dash, slash, slide, and grapple around its elaborate urban jungle gyms. Chaining these together perfectly to get through a tough section by mere inches is a rush that often only comes after failing a few times. Generous checkpoints, instant restarts, and the tight controls mean that it is never frustrating and, as was previously stated, allows players to feel more like an adept cyborg ninja. 

This also applies to the arenas with enemies that are more akin to puzzle challenges than combat ones. Figuring out how to most efficiently slash everything to ribbons without taking a single bullet is tricky but often open enough to allow for some player expression. Whereas platforming usually depends on nailing one route, these more violent sections are less linear and thus more liberating. Both halves require skill and reflexes to conquer but intelligently contextualize that thesis in their own ways. It’s one cohesive experience brought together by its fast-paced electronic soundtrack that often perfectly fits the action and cyberpunk aesthetic.

However, not many of these sections are as challenging as they were in the first game or its incredible expansion, Project Hel. Ghostrunner 2 is not an outright easy game, and most of its sections only require a handful of retries to get through. It lacks the tough gauntlets a sequel like this should have, ones that push skilled players and fully stress what its fluid controls can handle. Some of this challenge is relegated to its fantastic roguelike challenge mode, but the base game deserves more complicated sections that force players to improve.

Some of its relatively easiness stems from how many tools and scenarios it borrows from the first game; wall running across billboards and grappling to a platform isn’t tricky after spending a full game repeatedly doing that. The motorcycle and wingsuit seem like they are the tools to do just that, but aren’t properly utilized. 

This isn’t clear during the first section with the motorcycle since it’s a stunning set piece that has players speeding through a narrow hazard-filled tube and then down the side of the massive tower where both games take place. Narrowly avoiding lasers, ejecting from and then grappling back to the bike, and blasting obstructions make it an adrenaline-pumping exercise that takes the core values of the parkour and gloriously applies them to a completely different setting. 

But instead of only using the bike for explosive scenes like this, it mostly devolves into a means of traversing a boring wasteland. Its utility as a faster parkour machine is tossed aside in favor of being a normal bike. The wingsuit is similarly stunted. It’s the centerpiece in a handful of segments that add a whole new dimension to the platforming and show what’s possible, but Ghostrunner 2 simply doesn’t have enough sections like this. It’s also only introduced in the final hour or two, meaning it barely has any time to stretch its wings.

Both shortcomings also feed into how much Ghostrunner 2 slows itself down to a crawl. A lot of its more intense sections are padded out with out-of-place puzzles or sequences that don’t have much else going on. The action is constantly interrupted with cutscenes and brief trips back to base where players are expected to talk to the two-dimensional side characters about the superfluous story. 

Ghostrunner does movement better than most games, so it’s puzzling why it insists on branching out into areas it doesn’t specialize in. It doesn’t need an open wasteland full of mindless traversal, repeated treks back to headquarters, lengthy dialogue exchanges, or puzzles. Going into new territory is not a bad idea in theory, but it is questionable when those fresh ideas directly oppose the series’ core tenets. The fast platforming and action are excellent in Ghostrunner and almost everything that doesn’t support that actively impedes it.

Ghostrunner 2 Review: Final Verdict

Ghostrunner 2 goes against its programming by repeatedly slowing down, but it’s still made up of enough of its classic parts. Sprinting and dashing around the neon-lit city while cutting down its many cybernetic forces can be an empowering trip that’s only bolstered by its thumping electronic soundtrack. A strong core like this deserves to be expanded upon more robustly through its new and existing mechanics, which just isn’t the case here. Ghostrunner 2 has taken a few steps forward and a few steps back, but even though it is running in place, it’s still faster than most of its competition.

Disclaimer: This Ghostrunner 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.000.001.

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October continues to get more and more crowded. One More Level contributed to this by announcing the Ghostrunner 2 release date. The cyberpunk action game is coming out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 26, as shown by its new trailer.

The Ghostrunner 2 release date is just after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The trailer has some gameplay and sets up the general story, demonstrating a bit of how players will be able to slash and parkour around in the final game. And while not detailed in the footage, the studio also went into other editions players can order. All pre-orders will come with a skin pack that contains two sword skins and two hand skins.

The standard edition is going to be available digitally and physically for $39.99, while the $49.99 Deluxe Edition is only on digital storefronts. This more expensive version has four hand skins, four sword skins, and a hand hologram that displays the player’s online ID.

The $69.99 Brutal Edition has all that stuff, as well as early access to the game on October 24, some animated sword and hand skins, a motorcycle skin, and the $19.99 season pass. This season pass will have a new game mode and four packs of cosmetics. The first game did not have a season pass, but did eventually get multiple cosmetic packs and one story-based expansion called Project_Hel that let players control another acrobatic cyborg ninja.

This release date puts Ghostrunner 2 right in the middle of a crowded season. While now a little further from Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ghostrunner 2 is now less than a week after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as well as a day before Alan Wake 2. It’s also quite close to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which is slated for November 10 (and early access to the campaign is around a week earlier).

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Ghostrunner 2 was a known quantity, but now One More Level has shown off more of the title at the PlayStation Showcase. This cyber parkour title is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in 2023.

The Ghostrunner 2 release date window is close

The sequel takes places only a year after the last one and lets runners venture into the “wasteland beyond.” It’ll also still have the “fast-paced-push-forward combat and its signature challenging gameplay,” but will, according to One More Level, be amped up in “every conceivable way.” This includes new vehicular combat, which can be seen in the trailer.

Bucking a common industry trend, One More Level had confirmed that Ghostrunner 2 was in production just a few months after the first one came out.

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The release date for the upcoming Ghostrunner Project_Hel DLC expansion has been delayed. Originally set for January 27, 2022, the expansion will now release on March 3, 2022. The game is currently available on PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox consoles, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Ghostrunner DLC expansion delayed for the “safety” of the team

Publisher 505 Games and developers 3D Realms, All in! Games, and One More Level, decided to delay the expansion a week ahead of its original announced release date. The companies announced the delay via the official Ghostrunner Twitter account. According to the official post, the team will use the extra time to further improve the game. Additionally, the delay is to ensure the continued health and safety of the development team and partners in the ongoing pandemic.

The global release of the Project_Hel DLC will be delayed to March 3rd. We appreciate your understanding and want all our fans to know that we will use this bonus time to make even more worthwhile improvements while ensuring the health & safety of our team and global partners. pic.twitter.com/NAf4Zvbo6K

— Ghostrunner (@GhostrunnerGame) January 19, 2022

Project_Hel originally started as a smaller add-on for Ghostrunner, which released in 2020. The expansion later became its own “full-blown Ghostrunner experience”. The player will control Hel, one of the antagonists of the main story, as she goes through Dharma Tower defeating enemies and bosses. Unlike the original Ghostrunner, Hel will be able to withstand an extra attack. Furthermore, developer One More Level is currently developing the sequel title Ghostrunner 2.

In other news, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Pacific Season 2 has also been delayed. Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard has also caused Sony’s stock to tank almost $20 Billion in value.

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First-person cyberpunk action platformer Ghostrunner will be getting a new expansion called Project_Hel. The DLC will add a new campaign with a new playable character and players will be able to get their hands on the expansion at the end of January 2022.

Developed in partnership between 505 Games, One More Level, All In! Games, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks, the new expansion was originally planned to be a smaller DLC but is now a “full-blown Ghostrunner experience”. One of the game’s original bosses, Hel, is the focus of the DLC (as you may have guessed with its name). Across six new levels, she’ll be descending Dharma Tower while taking on new enemies and bosses. Hel is intended to be more combat oriented and will have her own ability progression system. To help with this, she also has the capability to survive an extra attack compared to the original Ghostrunner Jack.

The expansion will be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, and PC on January 27, 2022. Before then, the expansion will have a private beta test on unspecified platforms. Those wanting to sign up for the beta can fill out a form but be aware you will need to be a member of the official Ghostrunner Discord and official Ghostrunner subreddit to be considered for selection. The beta will also be under NDA so can not be streamed or shared.

In just a few days time, all players can make use of the free cosmetic Holiday pack that includes festive swords and gloves. Players will get the gift-wrapping inspired Rudolph’s Run and Boon swords, as well as the frosty Solstice katana and the Nini Wonderland blade. Each will have their own matching glove accessory. The DLC pack will be arriving on all platforms in just five days’ time on December 7.

[Source: 505 Games]

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Ghostrunner, the first-person cyberpunk parkour game from developers and partners All In! Games, One More Level, 3D Realms, and Slipgate Ironworks (that’s a lot of partners!!), will be releasing on Tuesday, September 28th for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is getting both physical and digital releases, and will be a free upgrade for those already own the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

With the jump to next-gen consoles, Ghostrunner will boast the typical improved graphics and performance. The PS5 and Series X|S versions will come with all modes added since launch, including time-attack style Kill Run Mode and Photo Mode. Other modes, such as Wave and Assist Mode will be coming later this summer. For those who haven’t checked out the game yet, we reviewed Ghostrunner back in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, with our reviewer having the following to say:

As I came away from Ghostrunner and started writing about it, I realized that I genuinely wished there was more game to play. That’s not a comment on the game’s length, which is very well paced, filled with bonus collectibles and perfect for speedrunners, but more a comment on how much potential there is here. Give me more levels, more platforming gauntlets, more cybernetic abilities to use, just give me more Ghostrunner.

Ghostrunner is available now for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions coming on September 28th, 2021. Do you plan to pick it up? Leap your way to the comments below to let us know.

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505 Games has announced they’ve agreed a deal with developer One More Level to develop and publish the second installment in the Ghostrunner franchise. The game will arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in the future.

Last month, 505 Games acquired the Ghostrunner IP from previous publisher All in! Games for €5 million. At the time they confirmed there would be more free and premium content scheduled for the first game, but it seems like they’re trying to make the best use of their new purchase.

The publisher considers the IP to be “capable of contributing for a long time to the 505 Games product portfolio” and One Level Games has been given an initial budget of €5 million to create the next game. This is double the budget of the first title, which recouped its production costs of €2.5 million in a single day and has now sold more than 600,000 copies, having hit the 500,000 units sold milestone in February. CEO of 505 Games’ parent company Digital Bros, Raffaele Galante, said:

We are particularly excited about the future release of Ghostrunner 2. Together with One More Level, we have created a thrilling and engaging video game. This new collaboration deepens 505 Games presence within the Polish videogame market, a reality now among the firsts in Europe for the development of video games, new projects and talents. We will continue to pay close attention to the Polish market to constantly improve and expand our product portfolio with video games capable of satisfying the tastes of the entire gaming community.

Following the spring update that added Photo Mode and Kill Run, there are two seasons of scheduled content remaining for Ghostrunner. These will include two new bundles, a new game mode, the Ultimate DLC, and two premium Vanity Packs. 505 Games also promises the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S console upgrade will still arrive before the end of this year too.

[Source: 505 Games]

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At the end of March, 505 Games bought the Ghostrunner IP from fellow publisher All in! Games for €5 million. Now the dust has settled on the deal, the new owner has released a roadmap of all of the upcoming free and premium content to arrive throughout the rest of the year.

Ghostrunner has been incredibly successful, selling 500,000 copies just four months after its release in October last year. All in! Games believes that number will rise to 1.5 million copies by the end of 2021. The game’s production costs of €2.5 million were also recouped in a single day. This success led to 505 Games making a “hard to refuse” offer for the IP, and they now have exclusive rights to the IP and “all licenses for the technological solutions used in the game”. All in! Games will keep some profits as detailed in their initial publishing agreement. 505 Games’ co-founders Rami and Raffi Galante said:

Ghostrunner is one of the most impressive indie games we’ve seen, boasting AAA tech and a unique futuristic cyberpunk-inspired world that’s both intriguing and terrifying. Ghostrunner is a welcome addition to the 505 Games library of owned IP.

The game’s new content will begin to arrive in the spring with two new modes, including a Photo Mode. Kill Run is a new “challenging” game mode where players have to complete levels in a limited amount of time. There will also be a premium Vanity Pack ending this season of content. The rest of the list is a bit more vague, but includes two new bundles, a new game mode, and another premium Vanity Pack for the summer. The list concludes in the fall with a final Vanity Pack and the Ultimate DLC. There will also be the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S console upgrade, which will be free to all players who own the game on PS4 or Xbox One.

Ghostrunner is available now on PS4. Those who haven’t yet tried the game can do so through the game’s demo that is also available now.

[Source: All in! Games, 505 Games]

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One More Level, Slipgate Ironworks, and 505 Games have announced that their cyberpunk slasher Ghostrunner has sold 500,000 units. Accompanying the news was the game’s console demo, which is now available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The Ghostrunner demo has just hit consoles! Run it on your #NintendoSwitch, #Xbox One, and #PlayStation4. Bonus: the demo is so fast that it even runs on Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility. Can you be faster than that?#BeGhostrunner pic.twitter.com/6q35eqRqHh

— Ghostrunner (@GhostrunnerGame) February 18, 2021

For the uninitiated, Ghostrunner tasks players with confronting a tyrannical Keymaster in a world where humans are on the edge of extinction, and chaos threatens life. Jack must climb the Dharma tower and correct the course. An official overview is as follows:

The streets of this tower city are full of violence. Mara the Keymaster rules with an iron fist and little regard for human life. As resources diminish, the strong prey on the weak and chaos threatens to consume what little order remains. The decisive last stand is coming. A final attempt to set things right before mankind goes over the edge of extinction.

As the most advanced blade fighter ever created, you’re always outnumbered but never outclassed. Slice your enemies with a monomolecular katana, dodge bullets with your superhuman reflexes, and employ a variety of specialized techniques to prevail. One-hit one-kill mechanics make combat fast and intense. Use your superior mobility (and frequent checkpoints!) to engage in a never-ending dance with death fearlessly.

Make sure to check out our Ghostrunner review for more.

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Neo-futuristic, first-person, action-platformer is a weird jumble of words, but it’s a collection that matches Ghostrunner very well. All throughout my playthrough, I couldn’t help but think that Ghostrunner is the result of what would happen if Hotline Miami, Ninja Gaiden, Mirror’s Edge and Metal Gear Solid all had a weird drunken night, and it is glorious. Beyond some minor issues, it’s also some of the most fun I’ve had with an indie title, and one of the most satisfying-to-play games this year. 

Ghostrunner has you playing as the titular cyborg ninja, who must slice his way through a cyberpunk cityscape to prevent it from being corrupted by an evil overlord. If that sounds a little generic, that’s because it is, but it’s also surprisingly well-acted with some interesting characters giving good voice performances as you play. It was enough to keep me going from mission to mission, but I can’t say I was following the actual events too closely. As you’re running through these environments you’re accompanied by some awesome cyberpunk music tracks and visuals that are synonymous with the genre; think neon lights and drones everywhere. Similarly to the story, it didn’t stand out as much as the actual gameplay but all of the presentation and set-up elements are good enough in their own right.  

Thankfully, it’s playing Ghostrunner that’s the truly memorable part of the experience. 

Ghostrunner Review – Running Incognito

You control the Ghostunner from a first-person perspective as you platform through levels, slice through enemies in puzzle-like combat arenas and learn new abilities that give you a hand through the game’s brutal eight hour campaign. Each element here is incredibly fine-tuned, with the movement rivalling the parkour perfection of Mirror’s Edge and the combat making you feel cool with (relative) ease. 

As great as combat encounters can be, it’s the movement that’s really the star of the show here. Jack (a name given to the Ghostrunner that’s far easier to type out across a review) can wall-run, slide and do pretty much all the things you’d expect from a first-person platformer, but he can also grapple onto surfaces from far away and use a short teleport blink that also slows time down. The puzzle-platforming starts out pretty basic, but eventually has you running on walls as they move and hacking platforms so they shift around the environment. Many of the levels also introduce new gimmicks that help keep things fresh, like grind rails and air flows that blow you around. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but it all feels really good to do here and makes the adventure feel like it’s evolving as you play. There’s almost a rhythm game-like quality as you time your jumps and swings to an electronic beat. 

Jack doesn’t just jump around though, he’s got plenty of enemies keeping him from getting to his goal. Enemies will pop up as you play in sections that feel like puzzle-combat arenas as you figure out how to take them down without dying, which is pretty hard to do when you can only take one hit. Do you wall-run to avoid projectiles until you get in close, or do you master the timing and try and reflect shots? Do you use your blink ability to dodge towards enemies or do you try and grapple around them? These combat encounters all feel very open to whatever you want to do, and by the end of the game you end up feeling unstoppable. 

There are a fair amount of enemy types, all with their own unique abilities that make each time you enter combat feel more like a puzzle than a fight. Each of these areas also has platforming elements to it as well, so it always feels like Ghostrunner is going at a breakneck pace. When you finally learn the rhythm, it feels fantastic, although getting to that point is going to take a lot of deaths and learning. As you get further into the story you’ll slowly unlock abilities that help turn the tide of battle in your favour, such as a force blast and a projectile slash. As awesome as these moves are, I loved that you didn’t have to use them if you didn’t want to and all of the encounters can be done just by using your sword if you want to.

Ghostunner Review – Tough to be a Ghost

I referenced Hotline Miami earlier, and that’s mostly due to the difficulty, which is likely going to be a talking point. Ghostrunner is equal parts challenging and fair in both its platforming and combat, as it gives you plenty of challenge whilst also giving you enough tools to have a fair chance of succeeding. Every time you die, you can respawn instantly, which is made very easy thanks to some generous checkpointing. There were a few instances where it felt like checkpoints could be moved around a bit, but that was mostly when my fingers had given up trying to get a specific platforming challenge down. This difficulty extends to the few boss battles as well, which are frustrating at first but become a lot more fun when you’ve finally got it down to a pattern. 

It’s this awesome combination of platforming and combat that really makes Ghostrunner shine, but that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. The only thing that gets Ghostrunner’s pacing down a bit are some smaller elements that feel a bit out of place. The more obvious of these are the puzzle sections that put you in a cyber-world and have you moving shapes or collecting orbs. It’s fine enough on its own but when you just want to get back to cutting stuff up it can be a bit of a slog. The upgrade system is similarly hit or miss as there are actually some pretty cool improvements and modifiers like extra dashes, but it’s all done through a block-sorting inventory mini-game that really puts the brakes on. Call me stupid but I’d rather leave all of my thinking to the other elements of the game. 

Beyond being a little bit frustrating sometimes and having some pacing issues, the biggest problem I have with Ghostrunner is sadly one specific to the PS4 Pro version. For whatever reason when I played everything was just a bit of a mess on the Pro, with game crashes, slowdown, frame drops and screen-tearing aplenty. It looks like a Switch port of a modern game at times and is just downright a bit ugly thanks to some washed out textures. It’s still completely playable from start to finish, but something just feels off about it all and it’s a real shame that it’s specific to the PS4 Pro. Without it, Ghostrunner is easily one of the best indie games of the year, but currently it would almost be better to wait for a few patches that fix things up. There’s also a free next-gen upgrade coming next year that could help clear up a lot of these issues.

Still, if your worst problem is one that is almost assuredly temporary, you’re certainly doing something right. The only other issue that jumps to mind is another fixable one- the checkpointing. I’m not talking about checkpointing within a level, I’m talking about how the game always restarts your level if you exit the application. If you’ve made good progress on a level but decide to call it a night then there goes a lot of time on your part. It’s a small issue but when combined with how difficult Ghostrunner can be it can be pretty frustrating. 

As I came away from Ghostrunner and started writing about it, I realized that I genuinely wished there was more game to play. That’s not a comment on the game’s length, which is very well paced, filled with bonus collectibles and perfect for speedrunners, but more a comment on how much potential there is here. Give me more levels, more platforming gauntlets, more cybernetic abilities to use, just give me more Ghostrunner.

Ghostrunner review code provided by publisher. Reviewed on PS4. For more information on scoring, please read our Review Policy.

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