Sunday was a huge day for video game reveals. Microsoft showed off 60 new games and Bethesda announced some new IP. One of which, GhostWire: Tokyo, has me drooling in front of my computer dissecting this trailer and trying to find anything I could’ve missed.
GhostWire is a new game being developed by Tango Gameworks, the studio known for The Evil Within series. Shinji Mikami introduced us to his disciple for the game, Ikumi Nakamura. She was an artist on Bayonetta and The Evil Within, and she is now directing GhostWire. Her presentation was truly authentic. She’s someone who clearly is proud of what she’s done and it shines through her presence on stage. If you haven’t watched this reveal yet, please do so, trust me it adds context. The game was described by Nakamura, “People are vanishing in Tokyo. You must find out why. You will encounter conspiracies and the occult. You have to explore the world, face challenges”. This sounds incredibly fun but the tone and overall feel of the game is what has truly connected me to GhostWire.
The trailer opens with an over head view of the streets of Tokyo. People walking and just living their lives, waiting on trains, eating you know typical big city stuff. Then all of a sudden the music begins to grow in intensity and you see people literally vanishing out of thin air. Clothes left behind where they disappear. The trailer continues with various city-wide shots of clothes that were previously worn being left behind. Then the supernatural aspects start showing themselves and oh man, this had me intrigued. The reveal of what looks to be the individual behind all of this was truly unsettling. There were bodies floating in the air behind it, and I think we can take away that these are likely meant to be the bodies of those that are disappearing.
The more I watch the trailer the more I feel like there is going to be some mystery solving. Figuring out what’s behind all of this and getting to the bottom of it can add some unique puzzle solving aspects to what they are describing as an action-adventure game. I love Tokyo so this setting is a big plus for me personally. Something should be said about the way the trailer was put together as well. This is one of the best cinematic trailers I have ever seen. The transitions were top notch. For example the transition from the scary mask to a bowl of Ramen, or a flower to what looked like ghosts clothes, I was taken away by the artistic direction this game took.
The Evil Within is known for its gut wrenching scenes, and its blood and violence. Its scares are based more on shock and awe. This seems to be more of a mind bender for me and that’s the type of horror that I typically prefer. Many people were hoping for an Evil Within 3 announcement but I’m personally all about this alternative, it looks spectacular. GhostWire’s graphics are also jaw dropping. From the lighting to the textures and the overall realism, I have to believe this is likely very far off and could very well be a next-gen title. No release window, or gameplay was provided but this was all I needed to be super excited for this one.
