Not counting the banger year that we’re currently in, 2020 was one of the best for video games in the last decade, with incredible releases likeThe Last of Us Part 2,Final Fantasy 7 Remake,Animal Crossing: New Horizons, andCyberpunk 2077… eventually.
As great as those triple-A heavy-hitters were, one of my favourite 2020 releases was one that came out of nowhere -Ghostrunner. A lovechild ofMirror’s Edgeand Hotline Miami, Ghostrunner quickly became one of my all-time favourites thanks to its one-hit twitch-reflex combat, white-knuckle precision platforming, and electric soundtrack.
Even though the first Ghostrunner was a successful first attempt at a new formula, its jankiness and overall simplicity felt like it could be refined into something even greater. By sticking to that winning foundation and building upon what worked without rocking the boat too much, that’s exactly whatGhostrunner 2does.
Ghostrunner 2 is shockingly similar to what came before it. You’re still Jack, a robotic ninja peacekeeper who carves through enemies like a hot knife through butter, and you still spend most of your time sprinting, wall-running, and grapple-hooking your way through platforming sections before one-shotting an arena full of squishy humans, lacing your shoes back up, and doing it all over again.
Instead of changing up that satisfying core gameplay loop, Ghostrunner 2 instead aims to improve upon it. Although most of the changes feel like polishing an already razor-sharp sword, the refinements made to combat, like the addition of a block button to deflect attacks and a new shuriken ability that finally gives you an option for ranged attacks, help make enemy encounters feel like more than just running around and slashing wildly at everything in sight.
The only thing that hasn’t improved is the platforming which, aside from a few level-specific gimmicks, feels exactly the same. That’s no bad thing when it was, and still is, tight and responsive. But it’s a shame that nothing substantial has been added to Jack’s core movement abilities considering all of the attention that everything else in Ghostrunner 2 has received.
While the first half of Ghostrunner 2 feels like a refresher course in anger management, the second half mixes things up significantly. Not only do you leave the neon-soaked cyberpunk city behind for more open-ended levels set in a deserted wasteland filled with ghouls, but Jack also gets introduced to his new best friend - a motorbike.
It fits Jack like an Akira-shaped glove, proving to be an awesome addition that dials the game’s already-turbo pace up to 11. Jetting through levels at mach-10, driving up walls, and leaping off the bike just in time to avoid a wall of lasers before grappling your way back onto your ride feels incredible, and fits perfectly with the rest of Ghostrunner 2’s breakneck speed.
Combine that with the late-game sequel-bait addition of a wingsuit, and Ghostrunner 2’s second half feels like a true successor compared to its more iterative and familiar first half. Not all of its new ideas fit perfectly, though, as its bigger levels can drag and feel like too much of a deviation from the tight, linear environments the first game is known for, no matter how cool it is to fly through them on a sick motorbike.
One thing that sadly hasn’t been improved much in Ghostrunner 2 is its story. Jack is more likeable than the one-note badass he was before, but his quest to take down a group of powerful robot ninjas is surprisingly forgettable, and only just about motivates you to move from level to level. A clear effort has been made to construct a more involved narrative, as evidenced by optional dialogue trees, but they don’t add all that much when the characters Jack interacts with aren’t worth talking to in the first place.
Ghostrunner 2’s campaign feels brief at around 10 hours, but it’s supported by a new roguelite mode called Roguerunner.exe. This mode has you making your way through parkour and combat challenges as a skill-less Jack, while occasionally being able to purchase abilities and buffs to try and make it all the way through in a single run.
It’s not particularly complex as far as roguelites go, but it is tough as nails and acts as the real test of everything you’ve learned in the story mode, which dials the challenge back from the spirit-breaking difficulty of the first Ghostrunner. I must be a masochist for being slightly disappointed by that, but at least Roguerunner.exe is there if you fancy grinding your controller into a fine dust.
Despite its uninteresting story and occasional jankiness, Ghostrunner 2 still manages to be a great successor by understanding why the first game was such a success, sharpening nearly every mechanic, and building upon them with the addition of the bike and wingsuit. It might not be the most innovative sequel in the world, but considering how great the original Ghostrunner already was, that’s no bad thing.
Score: 4/5. A PS5 code was provided by the publisher.
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