REVIEW – As usual, when something is successful, the publisher orders a sequel. That’s what 505 Games did when they asked One More Level to develop Ghostrunner 2. Three years after the first installment, it has become irrelevant, as the sequel maintained the positive aspects of the first installment, but was able to build on them and develop further to be seen as a worthy sequel.

Blood will run in Ghostrunner 2, a hardcore FPP slasher set in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future. Become the ultimate cyber ninja and prepare for epic boss battles, improved skills, an interactive story, new game modes, and an immersive synthwave soundtrack.

Jack

The second part of Ghostrunner continues the story of the first part, and this time the narrative is not so much in the background. Jack is leading a group of climbers to clean up the city, and although it doesn’t seem that complex at first, the story gets more complicated later on, and it’s a pleasure to say that he was able to tie up the loose ends from the first part. Jack’s past and goals unfold in G2 (again, the name is written in full at the end), while he is now his own man. He is determined to do his job, but he does not blindly follow those who give him a job to do. Often the problem can be that the story often interrupts the gameplay when it starts to get good, but this time it is not the case, because the story can progress during the platforming segments (or even the motorbike riding), for which it is recommended to know the first part. Although the motorcycle has just been mentioned, the goal is still to run to the end of the level, grab, jump, and it’s good to take out any enemies that get in your way.

It’s important for a game of this genre to have a fair level design, so you don’t get messed up because of a random piece of geometry in the level that shouldn’t be there. Neon White, for example, isn’t like that either… it’s similar, but less cyberpunk, but with more enemies to beat. The gameplay is similar to NW: you have to restart more than once (luckily you don’t have to wait half a minute!), but once you get into the rhythm it’s a great experience. But there are also some maps that aren’t exactly linear, and these are important because you can unlock and learn skills and abilities to use later. And learning the basics is also well done: when you start, the game slowly but surely demands more and more of you, while you’ll know at a glance which buttons to use. Coming back to the bike, this is how you get out of the Dharma Tower. It breaks up the perceived monotony and adds variety to the gameplay, which can make for a different kind of platforming experience. Dividing? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

Motherboard

No laughing. This lead implies that this is how Jack is upgraded, as you don’t just get the skills, you have to install them and update them later (and of course you won’t be able to install all of them, hence the sacrifice to increase replayability). Finding the chips won’t always be easy, but the skills can give an advantage to good players, making G2 surprisingly easier, even though it already offers a lot of checkpoints. For this reason, it doesn’t make much sense to do everything as fast as possible at the beginning, because without that you can get from start to finish in about 7 hours, and from the second playthrough on you can go crazy with the tricks, even using the cosmetic items you’ve acquired (they have no effect on the gameplay, of course, and you can get them scattered around the maps or in the shop).

As for combat, the focus is on defense, dodging attacks, and melee combat, and you’ll be able to use good old-fashioned muscle memory, as the skills have been placed on the D-pad by the developers, so you’ll know which button to press to throw a shuriken, for example, to stun your opponent, whom you can grab and place on your shoulders (which usually kills them). G2 gives the player something of a playground so they don’t feel abandoned. This is good. Some of the enemies look a little lousy. This is not good. The frame rate is a little shaky in places. That’s not good either. But let’s not forget that this game, and the genre in general, is not for everyone: the impatient will quickly leave One More Level’s product behind.

Finish

The first game got a nine out of ten. So did this one. Ghostrunner 2 is better than the first part, but not enough to get a nine – 9.5 or 10 should really be reserved for revolutionary, memorable, often-played titles. And it isn’t, but it’s only a hair’s breadth away. The soundtrack is good, too, and it’s clear that while it’s open to casual players, it can also provide a worthy challenge for speedrunners. Bye for two days, then there will surely be another bunch of characters to do…

-V-

Publisher: 505 Games

Developer: One More Level

Style: action-platformer

Release: October 26, 2023.