Review

Ghostwire: Tokyo Spider’s Thread

Ghostwire is finally available on Xbox with a major update that fixes issues, adds features, and improves combat. Let’s see if it’s worth playing, especially now that it’s on Gamepass.

Story

The story is set in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Akito, the main character, is heading to visit his sister in the hospital when he gets into an accident and dies. Fortunately, a spirit named KK merges with Akito, whose soul is still intact. Meanwhile, a strange fog spreads across Shibuya, killing anyone in its path. Thanks to his unique condition, Akito survives and begins a journey to stop the crazed man responsible for the fog, save his sister, and uncover the mystery of the collected souls.

Gameplay

The game delivers a unique experience, blending Japanese folklore and mythological elements. You’ll encounter diverse enemy designs inspired by Japanese spirits, similar to urban legends in other cultures.

Akito, thanks to his fusion with KK, gains magical powers allowing him to attack with fire, wind, and water. These powers can be upgraded as the game progresses, making the combat engaging and fresh.

While exploring Shibuya, you’ll find lost spirits to collect and transfer into paper dolls. These spirits help level up and unlock new abilities. To clear the fog in new areas, you must unlock Tori Gates, similar to Ubisoft’s tower mechanics.

Although the game is open-world, the story is relatively short, and it can be completed in about two days.

Graphics & Performance

The graphics are impressive, especially with Shibuya’s neon signs and reflective puddles. Enabling ray tracing enhances the visual experience.

Enemy designs are well-crafted and diverse, although technical performance on Xbox Series X is lacking. The game struggles to maintain 30 FPS in quality mode (1800p with ray tracing). Performance mode at 1440p also fluctuates between 30-60 FPS, which is disappointing for a first-person game.

There are additional modes, including unlocked frame rates and lower resolution options (around 1080p), but these feel underwhelming for a current-gen console.

Summary

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a fun and unique game that’s worth playing, especially since it’s available on Gamepass. Its short story and technical issues are forgivable given its intriguing concept.

Final Rating

8/10