Right around when another notable cyberpunk game came out in 2020, "Ghostrunner" beat expectations as a very challenging first-person runner with a killer setting. Now, we're back in the thick of things to try to make it through the world without dying.
With over 70 reviews plugged into OpenCritic, "Ghostrunner 2" has a "Strong" average score of 80/100 — more or less the same as the 82/100 the original game earned. But now that it doesn't have to run on last-gen hardware, things are a lot prettier. So let's cut to the chase, and see what critics really think.
First and foremost, it's a looker
"Ghostrunner 2" shines in its graphical presentation. Whether in Dharma's enclosed neon-soaked environments or the dead outside world, it's a visual feast.
"Ghostrunner 2" looks gorgeous, in that cyberpunk-y kind of way — vivid neon lights casting moody reds onto vaguely rundown buildings, it's really stunning. It is a little less so between missions when you're chatting to NPCs, where it's all a bit too well lit and you can see that their faces are a little bit stiff, but it doesn't really matter when you back out in the thick of the action a few moments later.
Going fast feels incredible
Some of the best bits are when you're speeding through a claustrophobic tunnel, quickly shifting to riding on the ceiling to avoid a hazard, or when you leap off your bike, send it careening towards a group of enemies, and then grapple hook right back on it. "Ghostrunner 2" is full of moments like this where I had to take my hands off of the keyboard for a second and just admire how cool a game just made me feel.
As you progress through the level there are rails to grind on that remind me of Rail Canyon in "Sonic Heroes," as well as interactive fans that launch you straight at The Avatar's face. All the while, you still need to remember to hack the surrounding surfaces, meaning you're toggling "E" faster than the speed of light.
Performance is a sore spot
In both performance and fidelity modes, "Ghostrunner 2" suffers from a wide array of frame drops and, more annoyingly, an absurd number of glitches that can easily take away from the fluidity it sets out to achieve with its traversal-focused gameplay sequences.
Funnily enough, I noticed more lag spikes in display modes [favoring] frame rate than in those that [favor] fidelity, with the Cybervoid being a hotbed of jutting frames. With it lacking that little bit of polish around the edges, it's hard not to wonder whether "Ghostrunner [2]" got all of the time it needed.
TL;DR
Fans of the first game or newcomers looking for a challenge should definitely check this out.
One More Level has nailed the important bits in "Ghostrunner 2:" the combat, the movement, the visuals, the soundtrack and the challenge.
"Ghostrunner 2" comes out on October 26 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Need something a little less intense? Give "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" a try.
[Image: GameSpot]
