This DS game comes back from the dead, but should it have stayed that way?
Ghost Trick is a story of mystery and intrigue that blends fun logic puzzles with the world of the supernatural, making for an entirely new and unique experience in the handheld gaming space. Part adventure game, part puzzle game, Ghost Trick’s gameplay will challenge player’s brains while its distinct art elements and character designs will deliver the fun.
I can’t claim to have played the original Ghost Trick, but I’m a big Phoenix Wright fan so when I heard about another series from its creator, I had to finally see what all the fuss is about in this remaster of the Nintendo DS title. What I instantly recognise is the trademark writing and humour from the Ace Attorney series, but this is a very different game in it’s premise. Instead of the usual routine, Ghost Trick pits you as an actual ghost who can possess items and even travel back in time 4 minutes after a victim has died so you can end up saving them from their killer.
Your character begins being shown murdered and you have no memory of how it happened or who the killer is or why they wanted you dead, worse yet you can’t even remember who you are. The clues to this unravel as you try and save someone who is also being targeted by the assassin. You eventually learn new tricks like being able to teleport yourself down phone lines to get into people’s houses and begin to put the pieces together.
Essentially, it’s a mixture of a narrative game and a puzzle game as you try and work out the best way to save lives by manipulating objects to either knock a weapon out of the killer’s hand or a noise to distract them as the victim tries to make a run for a safer location. The solution isn’t always simple and you have to move from object to object to get yourself across the area. It sounds bizarre and it is, but it works and works well.
With other Capcom classics like Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice getting the remaster treatment, it’s good to see Ghost Trick get the same respect. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was seriously impressed throughout and I really hope that we get a sequel of sorts down the line. You won’t get much replay value once you’ve finished, but that is just the nature of narrative games like these, so just sit back and enjoy it.
The Verdict
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a superb remaster of a 12-year-old DS game. It has the same humour as the Ace Attorney series with an added twist that works well from start to finish. There’s even a free demo if you are on the fence, which you won’t be for long after you finish it.