Ghostwire: Tokyo

I don't even know how to start this because I have a LOT of thoughts about this game and it's in a note file on my phone, in no particular order. I'm just winging it. I guess I'll start by saying I really don't enjoy open world games. Never have. I get bored easily and by the time I hit the 20 hour mark, I start wishing for the game to be over...To be fair though, this is how I feel with every video game, even the ones I enjoy. So when I say that I spent 60 hours on my first save file, exploring and collecting everything so I could platinum the game, that really means something. And if I say I then started a second playthrough so I could get to the point of no return and make a save where all the side quests were still available so I could go back and replay them whenever I want...Well, you get the point, right? Ghostwire: Tokyo is an incredible game and the lore and horror elements made it so enjoyable and interesting that I never wanted it to end.

Without going too deep into the story (because I don't want to spoil anything), you play as Akito, a young man who is searching for his sister after everyone in Tokyo vanishes. Hitching a ride (in your body) is a paranormal investigator, KK, who has his own agenda. To be completely honest, the story isn't the game's strongpoint. It isn't bad by any means, but I found myself forgetting the story while I was roaming around the game's world. There's so much to see and do that the story itself kind of takes a backseat to everything else. That doesn't mean it isn't there though. In fact, I highly recommend reading and listening to everything in the Database menu. It gives you more details on keywords, characters/Visitors/yokai, key items, landmarks, relics and even consumables. KK's Investigation Notes go more in depth into what he was researching (including the case from the free prologue episode). And the audio logs give a ton of story background, including Hannya's motive for everything he does throughout the game. 

There are a lot of things I really liked and appreciated about Ghostwire: Tokyo. The lore is fantastic and so is the art style. I really hope they release an artbook for this game at some point because it absolutely deserves one. You can pet the dogs and the cats! (Strangely enough, you can feed the dogs, but not the cats so that's actually on my list of negatives about the game, but it's a really minor, insignificant negative.) The game has some great settings in the options menu, including one that allows you to turn off time limits for any events that have them. I didn't use this during my first playthrough, but I did during my second time through the game because I just wanted to relax and have fun. Hand seals are an interesting part of the game when you're using the PS5's DualSense controller, but as it went on, I found myself "leaving it to KK," which allows the game to automatically perform the hand seal for you. This is a really nice feature because sometimes, I found it difficult to trace the seal correctly. The last thing I want to mention is something I didn't realize until I started a new playthrough. Upon completing the game, any bonuses you unlock carry over to new games, too.

Because I'm a fair person, I'll admit that this game I love so, so much has a few cons. There are some bugs. A dog's head came through the door, a cat was floating in midair near a fence. Those ones aren't a big deal, they're kind of funny. What wasn't so funny was the game-breaking glitches I encountered. There weren't a lot, there were two occasions where side missions bugged and it made it impossible to progress any further. The best advice I can offer (and it's advice I would make for any game) is to SAVE OFTEN. Make MULTIPLE SAVES. That being said, here's the other con. There are certain points in the game where you can't save. On a couple occasions, I survived a pretty difficult battle and was unable to save again before the next difficult battle. If you die, that sucks. Those are my only real complaints though.

I've tried to think of another game to compare Ghostwire: Tokyo to, but I can't. Before playing it, I thought maybe the gameplay would be similar to Bioshock, but it feels completely different. This is a totally unique game and it makes it really special. There are some genuinely terrifying moments, but overall, I wouldn't consider it a "horror" game. And I'm grateful for that! It wasn't so scary that I had to psych myself up for 5 minutes every time I entered a new room. If you're looking for something fun and atmospheric, with a stunning environment and a million things to do, this is the game for you.

Now that all of that is out of the way, I'm going to get into minor-spoiler territory. The point of no return, the best abilities to unlock and beads to use, my favorite side missions and some tips to make the game a little easier.

So, the point of no return. The game will make it pretty clear to you when you've reached it (by telling you to complete any unfinished business/side missions). "Post game" takes you back to your last save before this moment, so keep that in mind. There's a specific set of side quests the game recommends completing before progressing past the point of no return and I'm not sure if you can go back to those quests after you beat the game (because I finished everything first). It might not be worth the risk to test it out.

Here are some of the best abilities to unlock early on:

1. Takehaya 1/2/3 (Charge Attack)
2. Wakumusubi 1/2 (Core Grab - HP Restoration)
3.  Fudo 1/2 (Core Exposure - Duration Boost)
4. Kukurihime 1/2 (Core Grab - Speed Boost)
5. Omoigane 2/3 (Spectral Vision)
6. Amenotori X (Grapple/Summon Tengu - You need 7 magatama before you can upgrade to Summon Tengu, but believe me, it's worth it and you want to unlock this ASAP.)
7. Amenokagami 2/3 (Glide - This will make it easier to access hard to reach places when you combine it with Summon Tengu.)
8. ALL the Water Weaving skills (I severely underestimated just how good this attack actually is for most of the game.)

As far as which beads to equip, this is really up to personal preference and depends entirely on your play style, but these are my recommendations for a first playthrough. Equip the Gust Beads until you acquire the Aqua Beads. Once you get the Astral Beads, always wear them, they increase the amount of ether that appears. This is extremely helpful because you need ether to use your elemental attacks. The last one depends on what you're doing in the game. Self Defense Beads are helpful if you know you'll be fighting enemies, but if you're just exploring the city, exchange them for the Spirit Perception Beads, it will make it a lot easier for you to find all the spirits scattered around each area (these beads will lead you right to them). If you've completed the game 100% and you want to start a new game for fun, you should have unlocked the Tireless Beads (infinite attacks, no more worrying about ether/talismans/arrows) and Transmission Beads (transmit souls on the go, you don't need to use a phone booth). I recommend using those, as well as the Flame Beads, because now that you have infinite attacks, why not blow everything up?

I was going to make a list of my Top 5 side quests, but I couldn't narrow it down, so we're going with a Top 10. And just as a note, I really appreciate the fact that most of the side quests in this game can be completed in less than 10 minutes. Anyway, here are my Top 10 side quests, in no particular order:

Strung with a Curse - You're tasked with investigating a cursed piano school. The quest itself is nothing special, but it's pretty creepy and I enjoyed it. (Also, why is it always Moonlight Sonata?)

Art Imitates Life - A dragon has escaped from a painting and you have to chase it down and send it back to where it came from. The thing that makes this side quest so special is how artistic it is. Ghostwire: Tokyo's art style is so beautiful and unique and this quest really showcases that.

Nesting Evil - While investigating the suicide of someone's boyfriend, you learn that the spirits trapped inside the building can't rest until someone else dies and takes their place. WARNING: This is one of two side quests that glitched and prevented me from being able to complete it. Luckily, I had an earlier save I could go back to. If you purge the specters too quickly (before the barrier goes up), there's no way to remove the barrier afterwards and you're trapped. Forever.

A Passage Beyond - An urban legend claims there's a hidden basement inside a nearby building, and no one who enters it ever returns. It doesn't sound that interesting, but trust me, you'll want to make sure you're prepared for this one. WARNING: This is the other side quest that glitched on me. I have no clue what happened, but the console wouldn't activate.

Haunting Visions - After a patient has an eye transplant, she begins to see terrifying things. Ghostwire: Tokyo may have horror themes in it, but in general, it's not that scary. There are very few moments in the game that genuinely frightened me (and I scare pretty easily when it comes to games). This side quest had me creeping around though, because I was afraid of what I would find inside the hospital.

A Stop in the Void - There's a legend about a train station that doesn't exist, so of course, you and KK go check it out. The first time I played through this side quest, I was exhausted. I played it pretty early on in the game and I struggled getting through it, but I thought I survived, so I ran to catch the train back to the real world and...I died. I was so frustrated (because again, I was exhausted) that I thought, "That's it, there's no way I will ever be able to complete this side mission, it's too hard." I gave it 2 more tries and I completed it, and it's probably my favorite side quest in the game now. It reminds me of one of my favorite scary stories, Kisaragi Station.

A Full House - This side quest has you looking into a very "spiritual" apartment. Again, the quest itself isn't that special, but it's very atmospheric and I definitely recommend completing it just so you can see how unsettling the apartment is.

After the End 1/2/3 - This is a series of three side quests and they add a bit to the main story. Rinko sends you on a search to find out what happened to Erika. They're all pretty short missions and they're worth doing for a little more backstory on Erika. (When I say, "a little," I really mean that.)

This has been a lot, but I'm not done yet. I can go on forever about the things that I love. Here are some helpful tips for getting the most out of your experience with Ghostwire: Tokyo:

1. DO NOT AVOID THE PARADE. It spawns randomly and it really sucks when this is the last thing you need to complete for 100%.
2. When you see the cats at the stalls who want you to collect items for them, you can click on each item and they'll show up as yellow circles on the map so you know where to search for them. I had NO idea you could click on them, so for most of the game, I was searching every corner for relics.
3. I strongly recommend saving up your skill points/magatama for the Grapple skill. When you upgrade it the second time, you can summon Tengu almost anywhere, so you're able to reach most of the rooftops. The game doesn't tell you how to do this though, so I will. Aim at a rooftop and hit L2. If you're able to summon a Tengu there, it will appear and you can hit the X button.
4. If there are ether crystals that are out of your reach, you can "pull" them to Akito by pressing L2.
5. BE CAREFUL WHERE/WHEN YOU PET THE DOGS. It can get you killed.
6. You can fast travel to shrines, Nekomata stalls and certain other locations on the map.
7. Don't forget that Wire In exists, it restores SP, stuns Visitors and makes it easier to expose their cores.
8. And lastly, each shrine tells you how many magatama, tanuki, jizo statues, and KK's Investigation Notes are in the area, as well as the reward for cleansing it and the percentage of spirits you've collected. This is extremely helpful if you're feeling overwhelmed trying to collect everything in the game.

And that's about it. I'll wrap this up with a few shots of me acting like a tourist.

This sounds awfully familiar.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PC: Shivers

 

I've talked about Shivers so many times now, but I'm going to do it again because this is one of my favorite games ever. Shivers is a point and click horror adventure game released for Windows 95 and I still have my copy from 1995. I never lost it or got rid of it because I loved this game so much. Even when I no longer had a PC that was capable of running it, I held onto it. Thankfully, GOG made it available through their website and it will now play on my computer.

In Shivers, you're dared to spend the night locked inside a supposedly haunted museum. Inside, you learn about the disappearance of the man who owned the museum and two teenagers who went missing when they snuck inside. You're tasked with capturing Ixupi, evil entities that will steal your life essence any time you get too close to them. It's not that simple though. You'll have to complete many puzzles, some that are infuriatingly difficult (that I could never have solved without the use of a guide).

Truth? The Ixupi are cartoonish and not scary at all. The thing that still makes me feel so on edge when I play Shivers is the music. There are some tracks that are downright terrifying and I find myself rushing through certain areas so I won't have to keep listening to the music. What I enjoy most about Shivers is the museum itself. It's filled with exhibits based on myths and legends. I always wished a museum like the one in this game existed in real life. Minus the murderous spirits, of course.

This wraps up the month of horror games! Next month I'm going to try to stay on theme with winter/Christmas, but I can't make any promises.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PSP: Corpse Party

 

Before their friend moves away, a group of kids decide to perform a ritual to ensure that they'll always remain friends. Unfortunately, they screw it up and end up being transported to a haunted school filled with vengeful spirits. Corpse Party is terrifying. The music. The Victim's Memoirs. I think the graphics make it 100 times creepier. You never know which decisions you make will get you killed (because there are a lot of ways to die in this game). And then there's the whole "Run, rabbit, run!" thing which ONE HUNDRED PERCENT caught me by surprise because I was so worried about the other thing instead. Without a doubt, Corpse Party is one of the best horror games I've ever played. There's a lot of reading, but it's not strictly a visual novel. There's still exploration and figuring out where to use key items. This is a game I would highly recommend playing if you're in the mood to be scared.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS5: Resident Evil Village

 

I had kind of given up on Resident Evil prior to RE7. I wasn't a fan of RE4/5/6 and the direction the series was going in. Resident Evil 7 was a step in the right direction, but it still felt kind of bland. The enemies weren't very interesting and neither were the locations. But Resident Evil Village? The entire game felt like a dark fairytale. Vampire-like enemies and werewolves? A creepy doll house? Something that looks like it swam out of Innsmouth? This was new and interesting. Each location felt very distinct, so the game never seemed repetitive. Honestly, I hate stalker-enemies so the castle is always awful for me to play through (and it feels the longest because I have to psych myself up to keep going), but it's nowhere near as bad as RE7 was with that. I really hope the series continues in this direction. It still felt a little too action-oriented at times, but it's infinitely better than previous games and I love it.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS4: Until Dawn

 

Let me start by saying I don't really enjoy games that are mostly cinematic. Like Heavy Rain. But Until Dawn is one of my favorite games of all time. A group of friends go to the mountains, where they believe someone is trying to murder them. There's so much more to the story, but I don't want to spoil it. Until Dawn does what other games always promise to do, but never actually do--It makes your choices matter. One tiny thing you decide to do in the beginning of the game can affect your chances of survival later on. Character interactions change based on how you treat your friends. Everyone can die or everyone can survive. Any number of characters can live depending on how you play the game. The most anxiety-inducing thing I've ever experienced in a game is the "Don't Move" prompts where if the controller is moved even a bit, you could get caught. I would actually not breathe during those segments (not purposely, I was trying not to move the controller and would notice afterwards), which made the entire thing even worse. Until Dawn has a ton of replayability and it's a really fun horror game with a good story.

Oh yeah. Don't forget to high five Josh.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS3: Dead Space 2

 

I spent more time playing Dead Space 2 than I did the other games in the trilogy. Was it as scary as playing the original game for the first time and hearing necromorphs crawling around in the vents? ...Yeah, actually. It was. Dead Space 2 begins with Isaac in a straitjacket, completely defenseless against the necromorphs that are after him and it ends with a Regenerator chasing him around a tiny room that he has to hack his way out of (this is after you have to stab him in the eye with a needle, which was another nightmare to play through). I played on hardcore difficulty because back then, I had the patience to die over and over, and it was a challenge. On the PS3, you're only given 3 saves to complete the game and there are so many areas where you can die to something stupid. And I did. I can't tell you how many times I had to sit through that 10 minute unskippable opening cutscene .(I don't know if it's actually 10 minutes, it felt like an hour and it probably was by the time I reached my first planned save.) Later on, after you get the Contact Beam and you can use its secondary fire, the game becomes a lot more manageable.

It's not just the main campaign that's fun to play though. This is one of the rare cases where I felt the multiplayer was enjoyable, too. It's a 4 vs. 4 match where one team plays as the humans and the other team plays as the necromorphs. Unfortunately, team kills are a thing (and I have a story about this that's unbelievable, but true), so don't be that person.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS2: Fatal Frame

 

Here it is! My favorite survival horror game of all time, Fatal Frame. You play as Miku, who is in search of her brother. She travels to Himuro Mansion, the site of a ritual gone wrong, now haunted by vengeful spirits like Blinded and Broken Neck, the source of all my stress and anxiety in this game. Blinded is a nightmare during Demon Tag and Broken Neck's theme scares the hell out of me whenever she shows up somewhere unexpected. (Yeah, random ghosts are a thing if you take too long exploring.) Your only weapon is the Camera Obscura, which can be used to capture ghosts. It's a nice change from shooting things or hitting them in the head with a wooden plank.

I know most people consider Fatal Frame 2 to be the best game in the series. And if we're talking about the story, they're right. But Fatal Frame was the first one I played and it will always be my favorite. Plus, the ghosts are scarier. It doesn't actually matter which game is the best though, they're all great and worth being played.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - PS1: Silent Hill

 

Let's start off with something I probably shouldn't admit, but I'm going to anyway. I have no idea what the hell happens in this game. I understand that Harry is looking for his daughter in Silent Hill and that there's a cult. But the entire cult storyline confused me when I played it, so for me, this game is one of the weakest in terms of story. That being said, in my opinion, there are no bad Silent Hill games (I didn't play Book of Memories and as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't exist). Gameplay wise, this is a standard survival horror game. Explore, gather key items, solve puzzles, kill monsters. It's everything I loved about horror games when I first started playing them. It's a classic. And it led to so many other incredible games in this series. So for that, it deserves its place on my list.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - 3DS: Spirit Camera

 

Okay. So here's the deal. As a game, I feel like Spirit Camera is kind of...Barebones. There's not a lot to it. It's a spin-off of Fatal Frame which is awesome, but it's on-rails, so you don't get to explore and on top of that, the story is forgettable. So why is this my favorite horror game on the 3DS? Because it's innovative and it gave me something I didn't know I needed/wanted from the Fatal Frame series. AR. Augmented reality. You see the ghosts in your reality. I used to play this game on my breaks at work. I would hide in the non-fiction stacks and fight ghosts with my Camera Obscura 3DS and I had so much fun seeing them haunt the library. The game itself is unremarkable, but the use of AR was brilliant. I already said it when I talked about Fatal Frame 5, but Nintendo's gimmicks worked really well for the Fatal Frame series. They opened up all these new possibilities for it and I would love a proper Fatal Frame game in AR one day. Or VR. Can you imagine if they remade Fatal Frame in VR? And you had to fight Blinded? Absolutely terrifying.

Favorite Horror Games by Console - DS/DS Lite: Nanashi no Game

 

The Nameless Game was never released here, so I had to cheat a little, like I did with Clock Tower. The plot is basically The Ring, but with a video game. Anyone who plays the game will die in 7 days. (Why even risk it?) There are two parts to Nanashi no Game. The first is the MC's life outside the game, involving exploration and trying to end the curse. The second is the reason I was so interested in the game in the first place--the 8-bit RPG. I really liked the idea of a game within a game and it's even better that they look and play so differently. It offers a really unique experience and I wish developers would take more chances like this.