If you’ve played Ghost Trick before, there’s nothing more I can say besides go out and buy this. However, if you’re intrigued by the premise, allow me to welcome you into the quirky, wacky, and wild world that is laid out before you in this truly one-of-a-kind adventure. While I owned a Nintendo DS at the time of release, I was unaware that Ghost Trick even existed but was turned onto it by a friend of mine (thank you, Rhonan). So, while I may not be an OG Trickster, I’ve hunkered down and played the original, then again on my iPad Air 2, and was excited to revisit this world again after over a decade in the shadows. But does it hold up as well as it did in 2010, or is this just a one-trick pony?
What Even Is A Ghost Trick?
Ghost Trick was brought to life by the mastermind behind the Ace Attorney franchise, Shu Takumi. It’s easy to draw parallels to one another once you put this bit together and explain why both of the series that he’s worked on have some of the most unique character designs, absolute banger soundtracks, and an emphasis on plot twists and trickery.
In the world of Ghost Trick, you’re placed into the spirit of Sissle. I say it this way because it’s legitimately what you play as. You never once control Sissle himself, but rather, his spiritual being. You see… you’re dead. No hook, line, or sinker here, you’ve been murdered and it’s up to you to help Sissel find out whodunit.
The mystery that unfolds before you is one of the most exciting that I’ve encountered and something that I, personally, still love seeing happen. It’s been well over a decade since my last run-through of Ghost Trick, so parts of this story still felt like an overall mystery to me, even if I already knew the complete outcome. Muscle memory helped push me through these expansive stages, and I slowly started remembering why I loved this game so much, and still do to this day.
Its story is something that could only be told in the medium of video games, as a film would botch the landing before it even got to the end. It’s something you need to play through and experience over the 10-12 hour story, but it may take longer once you finally recover from having your mind blown by revelations that have happened during the main events.
An Equal 60/40 Gameplay Experience
Ghost Trick is a relic of its own time, something that played extraordinarily well on the Nintendo DS, thanks to its Dual Screen design. Using your stylus, you were able to drag Sissle’s soul between different parts of the environment and perform Tricks, which would cause an object to move, expand, or take on a variety of different actions. While the action has translated fairly well to the control sticks and directional pads of modern hardware, I wish that it took more advantage of the hardware it was on.
“In my eyes, the definitive way to play would have to be on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, or on PC.”
In my eyes, the definitive way to play would have to be on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, or on PC. While I reviewed this on the PlayStation 5, I downloaded the demo on my Switch to see if it took advantage of the touchscreen design of the hardware, and to my delight, it did. I had hoped that the trackpad on the Dualsense controller I was using would work as a faux touchscreen in and upon itself, but I was only left disappointed. At least the general controls work great, but it feels like an oversight not to include touchpad usage on the PlayStation family of consoles.
This portion of the gameplay takes up about 40% of your time, while the other 60% is spent watching cutscenes and seeing how the story will unfold. It feels like the perfect mixture, as the gameplay segments can be extremely challenging, due to the sometimes convoluted ways that you need to solve a puzzle, but could this really be considered a puzzle game if it wasn’t this way?
The dialogue and characters are all too perfect not to get their moment in the sun, and the cutscenes they’re in convey their unique personality, traits, and actions with finesse and style. You’ve got Inspector Cabanela, who will dance up steps and always introduces himself with a few Michael Jackson-esque dance moves, or Missle, the small Pomeranian who would give up his own life to protect his master. Every character overflows with charm, and are easily some of the best parts of the game.
That Soundtrack, Though.
If you’ve ever gotten within a slight radius of a Ghost Trick or Ace Attorney fan, you already know that one of the highlights of each franchise are their soundtracks. Ghost Trick, in particular, has some of the best tracks available in modern, retro, or future gaming, and you’ll catch yourself taking a few moments to just relax and listen to the tunes around you before proceeding deeper into the story.
Sure, they’re not fully orchestrated, nor do they get you ready for the ultimate battle to seal your fate, but you can’t deny that they’re infectious. There is something about each area, their specific songs, and how they weave into the overall narrative that sells just how good the soundtrack is. You can feel the personality of each character oozing from these songs, and you’ll almost instantly be able to recognize who they belong to.
Somber lows and electric highs pepper this soundtrack with even more personality than it could handle, and thanks to the tracks finally freed from their compressed DS days, they sound better than ever imagined. If you have a surround sound system, you’ll be in for a treat, but it sounds great coming out of your standard speakers, as well.
A Visual Reawakening & Little Nagging Issues
Would you believe me if I told you that Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective runs on the RE Engine? While not the most important piece of knowledge, it shows that the team was willing to put in the extra work to make these characters pop to life on your television screen. All of the models have been redone, environments have been tidied up, and the game looks better than ever before. But why in the world isn’t it in widescreen?
One of the very few gripes I have with this overall package is the lack of widescreen support. I’ll admit, it still looks fantastic on the screen of your choosing, but it would have felt great to see them utilize the full screen, rather than throwing up a static border around the edges. When you enter a menu, it quickly swaps to widescreen, so why couldn’t the game itself take advantage of the new hardware in such a way? It feels like a very unfortunate oversight that not everybody will care about, but I find it to feel cheap.
The only other thing I can really express disappointment about is the lack of a Physical Copy in the United States. Fans in Japan will have access to not only a physical copy on the Nintendo and PlayStation family of consoles but also a Collectors Edition for those that love everything about Ghost Trick. In an increasingly digital future, it would be great to get my hands on a copy of this, especially since the physical DS cartridge is blowing up in price as of late. While this doesn’t affect my overall score, it’s a shame for those that want to show their love to Sissle and the gang.
Beyond that, the Ghost Trick that I’ve grown to know and love over the years is still here, just in a higher-resolution package. Characters are beyond expressive, and the art style lends itself to the big screen in a great way. Sure, some of the animations may look a little choppy by today’s standards, but it’s part of the charm that carries forth into a new generation of gamers.
Verdict
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an essential play for anyone that loves the idea of a good murder-mystery game. The story that unfolds is unlike anything else in the medium, and damn near everything about it is perfect. While it’s a shame that this remaster doesn’t take full advantage of the consoles it’s on, with the addition of wide-screen gameplay being the major fault for me, it makes the jump to touchless devices with style and grace. No matter if you’ve played through Ghost Trick before or have never even heard of it before today, be sure to pick up this remaster. You may find one of your new favorite games of all time.
GHOST TRICK: PHANTOM DETECTIVE
PROS:
● Still one of the best stories in gaming
● Creative and crafty puzzles
● Plot twists for days
CONS:
● No Widescreen Support
● No Touchpad Support on PS4/5
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5.
