It almost felt like this was never going to happen. "Ghostwire: Tokyo" had its initial announcement at E3 2019, as a project at Shinji Mikami's Tango Gameworks studio with Ikumi Nakamura as the creative director. Even with the announcement being a simple CGI trailer, there was reason to be interested: Shinji Mikami's work on games like "Dino Crisis," "Resident Evil," and "Resident Evil 4" makes him the kind of creator that commands respect, and Ikumi Nakamura's introduction at E3 2019 won the hearts of gamers for its adorableness. Plus, Tango Gameworks saw big success with "The Evil Within" games, so this seemed like something to look forward to. Sadly, we'd be stuck looking forward to it for a while: Nakamura left Tango Gameworks not long after E3, and the game saw a multitude of delays over the years. Even so, it was still a game I was looking forward to; while I wasn't that interested in "The Evil Within," this seemed like a pretty cool take on the first-person open-world action/RPG style and one I wanted to play. It also occupies an interesting space for Bethesda; as a result of the Microsoft acquisition, it's the last game published by the company that's tied to PlayStation exclusivity. While it may not be a full swansong for Bethesda games on PlayStation, it could be the last time we see a Bethesda game hyped as a PlayStation title for a while. To that effect, I can only say that while the game was cool, I do think it probably could've been cooler.
"Ghostwire: Tokyo" has some nice things going for it: the combat is fast-paced and decently gripping, with a somewhat unique angle in how it focuses more on magic and spell-based combat as opposed to weaponry. This is also elevated by the enemy design, which feels pretty varied and also nicely challenging even on the lower difficulties. The boss fights are especially gripping, and while the game isn't extremely scary, the bosses do have their fair share of creeps here and there. The exciting gameplay is also made better by the strong use of the DualSense controller on PlayStation 5, which helps inject some extra life into the game. The story is not the most stunning thing ever, but it's fine for what it is; there are cool supernatural elements to it, and I think the relationship between Akito and KK is enjoyable enough. Graphically, the game looks great, and I think the Japan setting has an almost quiet serenity to it, which does a nice job of adding to the atmosphere.
Sadly, while these are good things, I did find some issues with the game. The biggest problem I have, unfortunately, is that the game doesn't do enough with its unique concepts to save itself from those moments of feeling like "just another first-person open-world game." While the magic-based gameplay is a unique style, and the combat has its moments of being gripping, there are just as many moments where it can feel a bit average, not taking its ideas as far as I hoped. And while Japan's quiet, haunting nature can be beautiful to observe, I didn't find it to be the most interesting open world to explore. Other than the fun of picking up Katashiro, not many of the other open-world activities really grabbed me. I was also disappointed by the game's performance; I played on a PlayStation 5 in Performance mode, and I found the frame rate to be occasionally inconsistent, with some noticeable drops here and there. I'm sure it's gonna get patched (maybe it already has), but it felt strange for a game that's been hyped as a next-gen exclusive to perform like this.
Overall, "Ghostwire: Tokyo" is definitely a solid game, but it's one I feel like I was hoping for more out of. It ticks the boxes that a lot of first-person open-world games ticks, and as a result, it's fun to play. I can't say while playing that I wasn't enjoying myself with it, because I was. I just think it didn't take its concepts as far as I was hoping it would, and that left me the tiniest bit disappointed. I do think it's worth trying out, but if you've been on the fence, I wouldn't blame you for waiting for a sale. Hell, if you're THAT skeptical and are willing to be patient, I say wait until it hits Xbox when the exclusivity deal is up and it inevitably comes to Xbox Game Pass. No matter when you grab it, you'll probably have a decent time with it, but don't be surprised if it doesn't become your new favorite game.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"