Ghostrunner 2: A Worthy Sequel that Soars… and Stumbles
Ghostrunner 2 Review Slicing and Dicing, A Next-Gen Masterpiece in the Making
Ghostrunner 2, a new frontrunner in its genre.
Ghostrunner 2 is like chasing the Flow State in a cyberpunk speedrunning wonderland. When you hit that sweet spot, you feel like you’re soaring through the air with the grace of a bird. But oh boy, when you lose that magic touch, it’s like slamming into a concrete wall and watching all your momentum crumble to pieces. Despite some faltering attempts to reach new heights, Ghostrunner 2 remains a worthy sequel that will keep you hooked.
Set in the aftermath of the original Ghostrunner, Dharma, a towering ark, becomes a battleground for power struggles among the survivors of the apocalyptic Blur. This cyberpunk playground is a neon-drenched masterpiece, where the industrial flesh bursts through its synthetic skin. You feel safe within the tower, surrounded by intricate slides, rails, grapples, and wall-runs. It’s a place where you never want to touch the ground, where weightlessness replaces gravity, and you can almost taste the feeling of flight.
As the Ghostrunner, Jack, your feet rarely touch the ground in Dharma. You find joy in flirting with oblivion, narrowly escaping the fall by grappling onto a ledge at the last second. It’s the kind of adrenaline rush that keeps you coming back for more.
Fast Facts:
- Release date: October 26, 2023
- Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
- Developer: One More Level
- Publisher: 505 Games
But don’t get too comfortable in Dharma, because Jack’s freerunning is frequently interrupted by fierce battles. Armed with a body built for speed and precision, even the weakest enemies can take you out in a single hit. Each encounter becomes a lightning-fast test of trial and error. Go left, and you get blasted from the right. Go right, and you eliminate the threat. Every fight requires swift decision-making and precise execution. It’s not until you can seamlessly combine your moves, soaring through the air while slashing enemies, that you can achieve that elusive flow state once again.
Thankfully, Ghostrunner 2 provides you with an arsenal of moves to help you reach your flow state in record time. An electrified Shuriken dispatches weaker foes and temporarily stuns stronger ones, allowing you to grapple onto them for a quick kill before moving on. Temporary invisibility gives you the chance to reposition yourself and cunningly outsmart approaching enemies. The environment itself encourages experimentation, offering endless possibilities as long as you don’t catch a bullet in the process.
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Post-Dharma Bums
Once you’ve conquered Dharma, Ghostrunner 2 takes you outside the safety of the tower and into a desolate world. Unfortunately, this new setting lacks the vibrancy of its cyberpunk counterpart. The Earth is a barren wasteland, with empty highways and crumbling ruins as far as the eye can see. Cyberpunk as a genre rarely explores the world beyond its urban confines, and when it does, it focuses on the suffering of the excluded. In Ghostrunner 2, there’s no one left to juxtapose against Dharma.
These sections do offer glimpses of the game’s best world-building and exhilarating action. With a new tool at your disposal, you’ll experience a sense of speed and freedom unmatched anywhere else. However, Ghostrunner 2 struggles to fully embrace this open-world experience. Its heart lies in the intricately crafted, claustrophobic environments of its cyberpunk city. Every attempt to break free is quickly interrupted, bringing you back to the familiar parkour and combat arenas. These unconventional segments intentionally make you feel uncomfortable, serving as a narrative device. But the impact would have been more compelling in a more tightly-tuned world.
Despite the occasional distractions, Ghostrunner 2 is a genre frontrunner. Its explosive soundtrack perfectly complements the dark and light contrasts of its dystopian world, with Jack as the reluctant hero pushing forward at every turn. I want to master this game and effortlessly enter that elusive Flow State. Ghostrunner 2’s main flaw lies in its ambitious desires to break new ground, even if it stumbles occasionally. Nevertheless, it remains a highly satisfying parkour adventure.
Ghostrunner 2 was reviewed on PC, with a code provided by the publisher.
So, fellow gamers, are you ready to embrace the exhilarating challenges of Ghostrunner 2? How do you feel about the game’s attempts to break away from its cyberpunk roots? Share your thoughts and experiences with us below!
