Ghostwire: Tokyo Review (Xbox Series X)

Ghostwire: Tokyo It was a game released last year, initially, as a one-year temporary exclusive for PlayStation 5. A curious case, since at the time of purchase of Bethesda by Microsoft, The exclusive agreement had already been signed. Now, a year and a month after the launch on PS5, it arrives on Xbox Series X and is immediately added to Game Pass, as well as bringing a new update that adds a new game mode among other things.

At the time I thought it was a good game from Tango Gameworks, both for its setting in modern-day Tokyo and for some aspects of its gameplay, including mechanics adapted to DualSense. However, it seems that the game lost some attributes other than playable, graphics. For a more detailed analysis you can read our PS5 review at this link. In this review I will focus on the graphical aspects and new content.

A ghostly Shibuya

In summary, the story tells us about the adventures of Akito, a young man who after a traffic accident is possessed by a spirit called KK and when he wakes up he realizes that a series of ghosts and spirits (Yokai) roam the city of Tokyo. characteristic of Japanese folklore. Also, a strange fog surrounds the city and anyone who touches it ends up disappearing and becoming a ghost.

The entire situation surrounding the Shibuya District is the responsibility of a mysterious masked man known as Hannya, who, in addition to plunging the city into chaos, has kidnapped Akito’s sister for having some strange connection to the spiritual world. The plot is built based on the relationship between Akito and KK, in addition to the hundreds of documents that we found scattered throughout the city. We will meet some secondary characters that complement the story.

Do ghosts scare you?

At the gameplay level, the game is a mix between FPS, open world and something from Assassin’s Creed. Akito has supernatural powers based on the elements of wind, fire, water, etc. with which he must defeat the enemies of the game. These enemies are taken directly from Japanese culture as Hyakki Yagyō or Parade of the Hundred Demons. Stealth can be used to advance, although we can move on to direct action.

The city of Shibuya is very well recreated and in every corner we will find secrets and many references to Japanese culture, where the game’s forte is. To make our way through the fog we must purify the gates called Torii, and this will open up new possibilities in the form of side missions. Regarding combat, we can make use of our spectral powers but taking into account that each enemy reacts differently to each element. The game takes RPG elements like leveling up and skill tree

The Spider’s Thread

The game comes with the update called the The Spider’s Thread in the form of more content like a new game mode. This DLC adds a new game mode and additional elements to the story. Among the new content we have new areas, new enemies and some extended scenes that further develop the plot. The new game mode is a roguelike dungeon in which we must fight through increasingly difficult stages to reach the end.

Don’t be scared, it looks good

Ghostwire: Tokyo, It again offers six graphic modes, three main ones and the other combinations of these. Quality mode: Whose rendering prioritizes Ray Tracing with a limit of 30fps. Performance mode: in which the frames per second are prioritized at a limit of 60fps. HFR Quality/ Performance Mode: which can be Ray Traced with unlimited frame rate. Some of these modes run if our televisions or monitors allow it.

At the performance level, Xbox Series X moves the game very well. I found no slowdowns or late texture loading, except for some sections where the character would stop as if there was an invisible obstacle. As for loading times, it takes a few seconds longer than the PS5 version but nothing that reaches 10 seconds.

Verdict

Certainly, Ghostwire: Tokyo is a good game depending on the type of player we are. It is a good opportunity for Xbox fans, and much more that it is in Game Pass. It is a game with an interesting story whose setting fans of Japanese culture will love. At the gameplay level it is entertaining, although with certain nuances but that will keep us busy in its representation of a desolate Tokyo. Graphically, it is not an evolution of the PS5 version but it can be seen.