Ghostwire: Tokyo is creepy, thrilling, and a game that respects your time

They don't make many games like Ghostwire: Tokyo anymore. Ghostwire: Tokyo is a big-budget action game with a very specific focus. It is not stretched out with a large open world or online features. It offers a mix of action, adventure, and scares in a tight package that can be wrapped up in less than 20 hours.

In the beginning of the game, almost every person in Tokyo has vanished, leaving the metropolis overrun with folklore creatures, urban legends, and vengeful spirits. Akito, a human who was able to survive the cataclysm by merging with a spirit named KK, has supernatural powers. The newly forged duo have a few goals in front of them, including collecting the spirits of normal Tokyo residents, clearing the city of a poisonous supernatural fog, and stopping an evil mastermind from creating a rift between the lands. A light to-do list.

Ghostwire is a mix of two very different kinds of games. It is an action game that plays out like a first-person shooter, only without guns. You can use a number of different types of magic, all of which have different attributes. You want to use water when enemies are close, because fire is great at long range. There is a balletic feel to the combat, as you are zipping around areas, ducking behind cover, and changing magic types that you blast from your hands. It pays to be aggressive, killing enemies can refill your health and magic, but you need to get up close to soak up the rewards. You can rip out the hearts of enemies for an extra magical bonus. The action has a wonderful sense of touch, as you are using your hands to wield spells and tear out hearts.

The structure of the game is similar to a video game. Figuring out how to navigate Tokyo involves wandering the streets in search of enemies to clear shrines and temples that you can cleanse to open up more of the map. You have to use a paper doll called a katashiro to absorb lost souls and then send them to safety using a phone booth in Tokyo. Don't ask me how phone lines can transport spirits. The more souls you save, the more you can upgrade your abilities. It is a fairly straightforward structure, but that is also what I liked about it. I had enough freedom to explore and not feel lost. There was only one real issue that I had, and that was the annoying sequence where the game temporarily robs you of your powers, forcing you to utilize stealth and an unwieldy bow and arrow to proceed.

Headless schoolgirls who will charge at you with reckless abandon, horrifying humans with hair that grows out like giant spider legs, and a seemingly innocuous woman who wields a devastating pair of scissors are just some of the monsters that Ghostwire has to offer. I really don't like her. The bosses are large and disturbingly altered. Sometimes the world will shift and change in an uncomfortable way, like a house that becomes submerged in a dark liquid, or a road that becomes floating in the breeze. At one point, I thought the rain was coming up.

Ghostwire isn't a survival horror game because it comes from a studio founded by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. I was so powerful in the game that I never had to run for my life or hide like I do in Silent Hill and Resident Evil.

Despite leaving out a lot of detail and rendering most side characters very underdeveloped, the story has a good momentum thanks to the buddy cop-like relationship between Akito and KK. Their constant banter about life, death, and the state of KK's apartment is a lot of fun. The main story is overshadowed by sidequests.

Ghostwire is a first-person exploration game. It reminded me of the movie Everybody Gone to the Rapture. There is still a lot going on in Tokyo, even though it is empty of human life. The stories range from sad to funny and feature my favorite moments from the game. One dark quest has you investigating a building where everyone has died by suicide, and the other is about a person who can't let go of their stuff. It is a collection of short stories about the city's residents and their relationship with death. Think of it like a diner with ghosts.

If I didn't mention the city, it would be a disservice. Tokyo is rendered with an amazing level of love and detail. You will explore familiar places, like the Shibuya crossing and the labyrinth subway stations. Ghostwire also leads you through the back alleys and generic office buildings that are hidden amongst the urban sprawl. It's eerie, but full of signs of life, even if you don't see people.

The convenience stores are now run by talking cats. Animals play a big part in the atmosphere of Ghostwire; you can pet or feed the cats and dogs left in the city and even read their minds for hints. It is easier for the dogs to agree to some scratches than it is for the cats. The petting animations feel designed for maximum virality.

Ghostwire is becoming less and less common as games get bigger and longer, and more bogged down by an increasing need to have all of your attention. The creators of Pok E9;mon and Dark Souls have released amazing new games that demand an incredible amount of your time and energy. Ghostwire has elements of open-world and role-playing games, but they don't overwhelm the core of the experience. It deftly balances all-out action with quiet exploration and wraps it all up in a world full of fascinating, sad, and hilarious stories.

It respects your time and may freak you out.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will be available on the PS5 and PC.