Ghostrunner was a bit of a surprise success in 2020, winning people (like Dylan) over with its fast-paced, one-hit-kill, first-person action and gathered interest quickly through word of mouth, leading to 2.5 million units sold to date. After releasing a story expansion in March 2022, developer One More Level have more Cyberpunk ninjas for you to overcome and wall-running to do.
Ghostrunner 2 (or Ghostrunner II) is set one year after the events of the first game, with Jack now having to deal with a violent cyber ninja AI cult seeking to fill the void left in Dharma Tower by the defeated Keymaster. Jack will need to fight through Dharma Tower and beyond to help Interface Council combat this new threat.
The Koalaty Critics are mostly favourable towards this Ghostrunner sequel, with the action being up to the standard of the first game and the sound and visuals being top quality. A few critics found that the game often found ways to slow your momentum, both in gameplay with a parry system that actually stops you and with the story where you must visit the council between missions. The new motorcycle was also divisive among the critics, with some enjoying the fast-paced action sequences it provided while others found it difficult to handle. It is also worth noting that a lot of story elements from the first game are mentioned and referenced to often, so it would be best to get a refresher from a recap video online as the one in the game was not regarded as being up to snuff.
Ghostrunner II is available now on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
KOALATY CRITICS – AUSTRALIAN CRITICS
Here’s what Australian critics are saying about the game.
Checkpoint Gaming – 7.5/10 (Omi Koulas)
“Adversely, allowing a parry encourages you to stop moving and watch enemies closely. Performing one also locks you into an execution animation which puts a hard stop to the signature momentum that defines Ghostrunner’s gameplay. While the satisfaction of blocking and deflecting bullets mid-motion is undeniable, encounters with rival runners who wield dual blades often demand a head-on parry, disrupting the game’s flow.”
Game Crater – 8/10 (Lewis Maisel)
“Perhaps more so than the first game, Ghostrunner II’s overall art direction evokes strong feelings of a bleak yet captivating future, paralleled by the game’s brilliant writing. This is greatly complemented by the phenomenal electric synthwave soundtrack that perfectly heightens the game’s atmosphere and immerses you effortlessly into its cyberpunk hellscape.”
Maxi-Geek – 8.5/10 (Luke Henderson)
“The main reason to play Ghostrunner 2 is for the gameplay and much like the first, the sequel keeps the action running at full pace the entire time. The developers technically classified the game as an FPP, or a first person platformer and while that is accurate to a degree it’s also inaccurate as there is just as much combat as there is running around.”
MiniMap- 4/5 (Kerry Palmer)
“Ghostrunner 2 does one of my favourite things. At the end of each level, you are shown a friends leaderboard that ranks your best times and death count. Now, not only am I incentivised to master my abilities because it’s more fun to play that way, but I also desperately want to occupy that top spot on the leaderboard so that I can brag to my friends that I once again beat their times. It evokes that awesome score-chase that Neon White nailed so perfectly last year.”
MKAU Gaming – 9/10 (Hayden Nelson)
“If you are like me and your mind is constantly racing, Ghostrunner 2 is a perfect title for you. The action is constant and fast-paced, so you don’t have time to stop and think. It will have you leaping from high walls and sliding along the ground as you fight off groups of enemies, but you’ll still need to pay attention because it’s a long drop if you fall.”
Press Start – 6.5/10 (Brodie Gibbons)
“The first game felt so assured and confident in its design principles, it’s almost as if another team entirely were asked to run with the franchise and try to make it work. That’s how unpolished and lacking finesse it can be, especially once it devolves into a game that is profoundly not Ghostrunner.”
WellPlayed – 9/10 (Kieran Stockton)
“Tense boss fights and jaw-dropping set pieces are sheer joy, and the visual design and execution positively oozes style. The variation of the setting and lighting does wonders to make sections feel distinct and gives a great sense of forward momentum through the story, and spaces are intuitively designed and visually signposted to indicate where you have to go next..”
Koalaty Critics
Aggregator Score
