Ghostwire: Tokyo Is A Victim Of Its Own Open World Cliches

thegamer.com:

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a great game, but one that falls victim to the open world template it is so eager to inhabit. Exploring Tokyo as an ethereal weaving badass, dispatching ghosts and saving spirits feels incredible, but outside of the main campaign you’re performing the same activities whether you’re right at the start of the game or nearing the end.

As a result, diminishing returns inevitably set in. Soaking up wayward ghosts and uncovering collectibles always feels rewarding, but the act of finding them begins to resemble the busywork of so many of the worst open world games out there. Side missions where you uncover bespoke discoveries are great, but the context of these stories isn’t enough to lift up the generic enemy encounters you’ll be trudging through time and time again. It’s a bummer, making me feel that a more linear experience would have been better.

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The Evil Within 2 suffered from a similar fate. While the first game was a linear survival horror in the same vein as Resident Evil 4, its sequel took place in a relatively open setting that you could explore to meet supporting characters and take on side quests. It was a great game, partially because it had a far more interesting story than Ghostwire: Tokyo, but its side content never felt essential. Sure, you were upgrading weapons and abilities, but doing so only made these encounters easier instead of more interesting. It didn’t feel worth it.

Walking through Tokyo’s streets in the early hours is so engrossing, with the perpetual rainfall allowing a flurry of neon lights to reflect off every conceivable surface. The night itself isn’t eternal, but you can easily lose hours peeking into