Last week, the release date for Ghostrunner 2 was announced during September's State Of Play, following the release of a playable demo on the PlayStation 5 shortly after. Demos for other platforms followed suit, including the Xbox Series and on PC. Unlike the prequel, this game was developed with current generation consoles in mind, allowing players to potentially push their potential to their limits far beyond what the previous generation could do. After finishing the demo with a spectacular "60 death count," I can safely say that One More Level's Ghostrunner 2 is just as visceral and intense as the first Ghostrunner.
The demo begins with one of the starting levels sans any cutscenes or any story elements. Based on the dialogue in game between Jack and his handler, the story does take place shortly after the first. After Jack successfully defeated the main antagonist from the first game, it seems nothing has changed and the enemies have only gotten more aggressive. One of the things about chopping off the head of a hydra is that it will grow it back. Ghost runner 2's story is shaping up to be about the many rival ghostrunners and thugs vying to fill the gap that was previously left vacant. Once again, it's up to Jack to stop the many threats that he'll engage with.
Gameplay-wise, it's almost exactly the same as the first game but with several quality of life changes. It feels like there's enough time to react to the enemy movements which was sometimes stressful in the first game. While it's not enough to gauge it from one level, the enemy placement seems streamlined as in the player has agency to choose where they wish to begin their carnage.
Like the first game, Jack and the enemies share a single hit point. Just as easily as Jack can slice and dice enemies in one strike, the enemies can also do the same. An inclusion of a minimap on the upper right hand corner makes identifying enemy locations easier to manage this time around. At least if I get shot I'll know where the enemy is coming from so I can at least prepare for the next spawn.
Ghostrunner 2 also included instant respawn points as an option, immediately resetting the player to the last placed checkpoint and skipping the death animation. It will still count as a death, hence the "sixty death total count" at the end of the level. I swear it's not because I suck, like I infamously demonstrated in Berserk Boy.
Another addition I noticed was the emphasis on puzzle elements. In the original game, the puzzles came from platforming elements where players were put to the test with complex sequences. In the demo, players start with a shuriken used to defeat lesser enemies and stun larger ones. Jack also has access to Tempest, a "Force-style" skill that pushes enemies and objects a distance. This is used to push certain objects away from harm's way and is important to bypass lasers that would otherwise melt Jack.
The grand finale is a motorcycle chase that I had mixed feelings about. Specifically because games that force a first person perspective in a vehicle mechanic is always a hit or miss. Fortunately, the controls of the bike are similar to moving on foot. The bike can also boost and jump with as much agility. There were tunnels that required the bike to be driven on walls and ceilings as doors closed while Jack makes his escape out of Dharma City. It is here where the demo ends.
Ghostrunner 2 proves the axiom "if it's not broke, don't fix it, but improve on it." Even if players never played the first game, the demo is enough for newcomers to get a feel for how the first game is like. It improves on almost every aspect and the story is self contained so beginners won't miss out on much. There are lore trinkets that offer players history about the world, but it's not a requirement.
Ghostrunner 2 releases on October 26th, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Players can become the coolest cyborg shinobi that this cyberpunk dystopia has ever seen with demo access among allajlr platforms.