Japan is the place to be this week, as reviews for Ghostwire: Tokyo have gone live. Developed by Tango Gameworks, the game is an eerie voyage into Japan’s capital city after it has been struck by a supernatural calamity. The streets are now populated by malevolent entities, there’s a mystery to uncover, and someone has to be brought to task for unleashing a sinister apocalypse on the district of Shibuya.
Reviews for the Tango Gameworks-developed title have praised it for creating a unique and unsettling sandbox to explore, which is enhanced by engrossing combat. Where reviews mention problems, however, is in the storytelling department. Characters barely get a chance to develop their personalities so that more dramatic moments in the narrative can land with maximum emotional impact.
“The story’s shortcomings are disappointing considering the early potential of its alluring mysteries, but even this isn’t enough to detract from Ghostwire: Tokyo’s fantastic combat, setting, and world-building,” critic Richard Wakeling wrote in his Ghostwire: Tokyo review.
For a wider look at the critical reaction to Ghostwire: Tokyo, check out more reviews below, or check GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more impressions.
- Game: Ghostwire Tokyo
- Platforms: PS5, PC
- Developer: Tango Gameworks
- Release Date: March 25
- Price: $60
GameSpot — 8/10
“Ghostwire: Tokyo doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to open-world games, but its unique setting, tremendous attention to detail, and singular combat make it stand out amongst its contemporaries. The story stumbles and not all of the side missions are particularly engaging, yet these aspects are easy to push to the back of your mind when you’re using finger guns to tear through corrupted spirits with dazzling aplomb. Shinji Mikami is a legendary director, but taking a backseat and letting new voices come to the fore has paid off.” — Richard Wakeling [Full review]
Siliconera — 10/10
“After watching the credits roll on Akito and K.K.’s journey, I still find myself itching to finish up every single thing in Ghostwire: Tokyo. Pray at those last few Jizo statues. Find the remaining tanuki. Figure out how to get inside of the 24th floor of the shopping complex so I can take out its pesky corruption spot. I’m forty hours in and counting and one hundred percent willing to do it all over again. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun playing a video game, and I don’t want it to end.” — Annette Polis [Full review]
VG247 — 4/5
“Ghostwire: Tokyo is an impressively bold step in a new director for Tango Gameworks, and it pays off beautifully. Tango’s artists and designers are working wonders with zany and menacing creatures, set against the wonderful backdrop of a color-struck Shibuya. While its leading pair and open-world design stumble at times, Ghostwire’s wonderfully weird side stories and engrossing combat, more than pick up any slack and work in harmony with the game’s more zany and offbeat elements to create a world that hasn’t just got looks, but one hell of a spirit, too.” — Hirun Cryer [Full review]
Game Informer — 8/10
“I fully expect some people won’t be smitten with the game the way I am, and I think it’s completely understandable if you don’t want to forgive the game for that. But if GhostWire connects with you, I think it’ll really connect with you. It’s weird and unique, and I think it’s great to see this kind of game get this kind of budget, put it all on the table, and use that money to do some baffling and great art. And for that alone, I can’t help but love GhostWire.” — Blake Hester [Full review]
IGN — 7/10
“If the moment-to-moment gameplay–in particular its one-dimensional combat and uninteresting mission design–weren’t such a disappointment, Ghostwire: Tokyo could have truly captivated me. As it stands, the merely adequate stealth and action do little to add to the fantastic setting, but they don’t diminish its brilliance, either.” — Cam Shea [Full review]
VGC — 3/5
“At times it feels like the game’s incredible art direction, music and visual style deserve a game that’s better mechanically, but when it all comes together, Ghostwire Tokyo is one of the more memorable recent games in the triple-A space, if you can ignore its gameplay stumbles.” — Jordan Middler [Full review]
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