Capcom graces us all by brushing off one of its beloved IPs for a new generation. From the creator of the Ace Attorney series, Shu Takumi, comes a funky light-hearted puzzler about death and fate. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective arrived on the scene for Nintendo DS back in 2010. With the well-deserved popularity of the Ace Attorney Trilogy making its appearance on current generation consoles, it’s a real treat to see another hit title come back to life. Ghost Trick is a charming and memorable title that offers some legitimate head-scratching puzzles. While the title seems to bring much of the same gameplay to current gen, we also see some new additions with a full 1:1 remaster of the original soundtrack, as well as other aesthetic additions. Fans both old and new can experience a solid title in new format.
Players take on the role of recently-deceased protagonist, Sissel, and help him uncover his lost memories surrounding his death. While Sissel has unfortunately died, he learns that his newfound ghost powers can allow him to manipulate time and move through objects. Through the use of “Ghost Tricks,” players will solve puzzles and navigate the land of the living in spectral fashion. Jumping from one object to another and interacting with it will yield paths forward as players puzzle their way through levels. The Phantom Detective may be dead, but he’s got a plan that will lead players through a charming story. For players that didn’t get around to the title originally, this new remaster provides a great opportunity to jump into it.
Poor Sissel. One minute he’s alive, but the next minute he’s dead and doesn’t know a thing about it. Ghost Trick provides an intriguing story from the get-go as we must learn alongside Sissel just how useful our supernatural powers can be. Through the tutelage of another ghost, we learn that Sissel is able to enter the spiritual realm to manipulate objects. Unable to freely move around, you must possess one object after another in a supernatural game of hopscotch. Some objects you can manipulate by doing a “Ghost Trick” that may allow for you to move further along in the world. An umbrella can pop open when possessed, a bicycle pedals along after being dislodged and you can even drop giant demolition balls on unsuspecting enemies. However you maneuver through the world, it ends up being a puzzle to solve. You may need to go back to a previous object we possessed earlier because your current possessed object now created a way forward. The varied puzzles within each level can be dynamic, especially when you often have to adhere to a time limit. Sissel also has the ability to travel back in time to four minutes before a person’s death. Through this time manipulation, you can change fates and avert disasters. This also means you only have four minutes to complete the level, though. While there’s nothing that’s significantly perplexing, added constraints create pressure that can feel exhilarating.
While story and gameplay haven’t seemed to change from what you can see in the demo, this refresh provides ample opportunity for an upgrade in graphical quality as well as other aesthetics. One of the title’s most notable changes so far is the completely remastered soundtrack for the entire game – that’s a huge deal, actually. Not only is the original soundtrack still available, but an entirely new one will be featured. Players can even switch back and forth between the original and remastered soundtracks whenever they’d like. This version of Ghost Trick also plans for additional galleries that will include illustrations, and a music player to listen to tracks by their story chapters. For fans of the title’s aesthetics, this remaster plans to be a treasure trove of goods.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is getting the resurrection it deserves so far. While the title doesn’t release until June 30, it’s worth keeping in mind for the chance to revisit a great experience. If players enjoyed the humorous puzzling themes of Phoenix Wright, they’ll most likely enjoy the wacky, ghostly shenanigans in Ghost Trick. While it hasn’t made major changes to gameplay and story, it’s still a labor of aesthetic love as the remaster brings the title to current generation consoles. For fans that have played Ghost Trick before, a brand new sound and look await them. For those interested for the first time, the title makes its way to more consoles for more accessible play than ever before in high definition. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective releases for PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch later this month.
