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GHOST IN THE SHELL (PS)
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Publisher: Sony.
Developer: Exact; I.G Production. Released: July 1998 (Europe). Genre: Shoot 'em up. Posted 11th November 2022. By Shane Battams © 2022 |
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Easily one of the greatest anime films ever made, Ghost in the Shell impressed with its stunning animation and thoughtful, complex narrative in 1995. A landmark in animation and storytelling at the time of release, its influence was widespread, having been a recognised inspiration behind The Matrix and influencing the work of James Cameron. Three years later, gamers would finally get to enter the world of the Major courtesy of Exact, who would go on to make Chase the Express after a rebrand as Sugar & Rockets. In parallel with CtE, Ghost in the Shell is an underrated game that benefits from some arcade sentiments as well as impressive production values and smooth action.
Players take the role of an unnamed rookie within Public Security Section 9, the same security team that features the Major, Batou and other characters from the film. After initial training, you’re thrust into a collection of conflicts as you attempt to thwart a series of terrorist attacks. Told mostly through a mixture of briefing scenes and brand-new animation created by the manga author Masamune Shirow, the story lacks the complexity and depth of the movie but, nonetheless, impresses with its stunning animated sequences which, thanks to its use of more advanced techniques than those used by the film, actually look more impressive. It’s simple but keeps the action moving at a fast pace, which should please fans of the movie.
Boss fights are a test of nerve and agility
Taking place through a third-person perspective, shooting works remarkably well for its time. You control a think tank across twelve missions while performing a multitude of objectives. Movement is swift and free, allowing you to skid both left and right to dodge, climb up buildings in open areas and jump. Attacking utilises both a machine gun, guided missiles by holding down the attack button and grenades, which resemble screen-clearing attacks popular in scrolling shoot ‘em ups. Thanks to some generous auto-aim, shooting holds up tremendously with a quick pace, intense action and freedom in movement. There’s a good deal of variety too, including full-on shootouts, defence sequences and target assassination, giving a lot of different play types throughout each mission.
Ghost in the Shell isn’t the longest game out there, nor the most challenging as you can beat the game’s dozen levels within a few hours. But it’s very hard to master, thanks to a scoring system that emulates classic arcade games. You see, all combat actions reward points, and you also earn bonuses for extra time, shield and leftover grenades. Score only transfers between levels if you stay alive which, while doable, becomes harder to maintain as you progress. Little curveballs are thrown into the mission design, such as disarming bombs within a time limit, surviving an ambush while sailing on water and each level concluding with a tough boss, all of whom vary their tactics. You can save between levels and completed missions remain unlocked, but to earn the best score, you need to survive multiple levels at a time, something that is difficult but extremely satisfying, especially as you see your score climb.
Ghost in the Shell isn’t the longest game out there, nor the most challenging as you can beat the game’s dozen levels within a few hours. But it’s very hard to master, thanks to a scoring system that emulates classic arcade games. You see, all combat actions reward points, and you also earn bonuses for extra time, shield and leftover grenades. Score only transfers between levels if you stay alive which, while doable, becomes harder to maintain as you progress. Little curveballs are thrown into the mission design, such as disarming bombs within a time limit, surviving an ambush while sailing on water and each level concluding with a tough boss, all of whom vary their tactics. You can save between levels and completed missions remain unlocked, but to earn the best score, you need to survive multiple levels at a time, something that is difficult but extremely satisfying, especially as you see your score climb.
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It’s also impressive on a presentation front. As mentioned, the animated sequences look excellent and live up to the source material. The gameplay looks impressive too, with spacious, detailed levels that allow the player to climb around the environment. There’s a spread of levels, from darker tunnels that require night vision, to an ocean filled with enemy boats. The bosses, enemies and think tank all feature excellent animation too. The only downer is some potent slowdown in the more demanding sections, but it’s not enough to spoil the action. The sound is also top quality, with a sublime soundtrack that has shades of the film while following its own path, potent gunfire and explosions, and decent voice work both during gameplay and FMVs.
Now admittedly for those looking for a larger spread of content, Ghost in the Shell isn’t the lengthiest. But as well as an incentive to replay for high scores, there’s also a training mode to test and prepare you for the main game. Not only that, but it ranks you upon replays and even rewards special scenes depending on your performance. It’s a small thing, but seeking out the nine extra cinematics does add time to the game.
Now admittedly for those looking for a larger spread of content, Ghost in the Shell isn’t the lengthiest. But as well as an incentive to replay for high scores, there’s also a training mode to test and prepare you for the main game. Not only that, but it ranks you upon replays and even rewards special scenes depending on your performance. It’s a small thing, but seeking out the nine extra cinematics does add time to the game.
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Ghost in the Shell is a strong, worthy tie-in to a legendary property. Despite perhaps lacking the complexity and maturity of the film’s plot, it counteracts this with satisfying action, arcade sensibilities and fast-paced movement that blend to great effect. It holds up remarkably well even two decades after initial release, and while maybe lacking in quantity, unlockables and high-scores give more than enough incentive for repeat plays. It’s like an awesome coin-op: even if you keep dying, you can’t help but come back for more.
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VERDICT
"A worthy tie-in to a legendary property, Ghost in the Shell blends satisfying action, arcade sensibilities and fast-paced movement to great effect." OVERALL: 8/10 |