Tango Gameworks’ latest game is proper weird, and a must if you’ve ever wanted a buddy cop thriller with talking animals. Yes, really.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is weird. Tango Gamesworks ’ latest has you racing all over Shibuya, battling demonic Yokai by sending energy flying out of your hands, worming your way through possessed houses, interacting with dogs and cats by reading their thoughts, and going on a hunt for a tanuki’s mates who came to Tokyo to see the sights for the day. Yeah, it’s really weird. Ghostwire: Tokyo’s opening hours put you in the shoes of Akito, a Tokyo-ite who was dead, but has now risen from the grave thanks to being partially possessed by a vengeful spirit called K.K. Co-inhabiting a body, the two set off around Shibuya to uncover why everyone has suddenly disappeared, leaving only their clothes behind, and why a guy in a Hannya mask is pursuing Akito’s sister. Akito’s got control over his body, save his right arm, which K.K. commandeers to blast spiritual energy at demons around Shibuya. An odd buddy cop dynamic blossoms between the duo in a matter of hours, as K.K. constantly talks smack to Akito, and the latter gives as good as he gets, berating K.K. for his dirty apartment and other strange habits. Akito takes the whole “everyone vanishing off the face of the earth” thing remarkably well, and Ghostwire hits the ground running with its overarching narrative of saving the city. The actual act of saving said city usually involves dispelling demons with Jujutsu magic. Akito sends fireballs, water wheels, and gusts of air careening towards Yokai with K.K.’s arm, even employing a sharpshooting bow that can take out enemies from stealth. There are plenty of tools to mess with in Ghostwire – and that’s before the blocking system comes into play. You can dispel rapid enemy attacks by timing your block just perfectly, making for a nice flow in the action if you get your rhythm right.
