In recent years, few new IPs have left a mark on me quite like Ghostrunner. An award-winning cyberpunk-fuelled hardcore FPS and brutal assault on your senses which was shoved through your face by One More Level. So, when I heard Ghostrunner 2 was on the way, I couldn’t wait.

Ghostrunner was a game where you dashed, jumped, wall-ran, grappled, and slid around arenas while slicing or dicing enemies and trying to dodge their attacks. If you get hit once, its game over. And this level of risk/reward combined with a hypnotic sense of speed was intoxicating and addictive to many, including myself.

And the sequel has upped its game on all fronts, adding not only new challenges but also new features that spice things up even more.

Terra Tale

Ghostrunner 2 takes place a year after the events of the first game. Things pick up with Dharma Tower in a right mess. Jack now seeks to rebuild Dharma Tower – the last known bastion of humankind. However, soon enough, a new force and threat emerges, and it’s up to you to defeat an army of cybernetically enhanced foes.

Ghostrunner 2 is a well-told tale, solidly written, and with a few new dialog choices thrown in the mix. Though beware if you’re a newcomer. The game doesn’t really cater in-game for those unversed in Ghostrunner lore.

The sequel mostly takes for granted that you are up to speed with the lore and events of the world.

Though, to its credit, in the options there is a handy ‘what happened in Ghostrunner re-cap’ to help you get you up to speed. This recap gives you a reasonable overview of things and, sort of, grounds you in the new tale.

Date with Dynamism

But, truthfully, Ghostrunner is all about one thing and one thing alone – gameplay. And this sequel has simply smashed it out the park.

Ghostrunner 2 builds on the tight controls of the first game. Dashing, jumping, wall-running, grappling, sliding and slowing down time are all the order of the game. It’s mostly smooth and mostly intuitive and with a little time to settle in, you’ll overcome evermore challenging environmental-based puzzle-laden playgrounds.

Speed is the key to surviving because if you stand still, you are dead. Your momentum will drive you through most enemy encounters. A rhythmic approach will see you slice them down in one hit.

Release and Reload

It’s worth noting at this point that Jack does have a few toys to play with. For example, Shuriken which can buy you a few extra seconds to land a killing blow or draw an enemy’s attention long enough to let you get up close and personal.

There are also powers like Shadow which clones you to make a decoy, so you can stealth your way around groups of enemies dispatching them unseen. This can also be used to buy you some time to assess the challenge you face.

Again, you can upgrade your tools and powers, but the system has been tweaked to be more streamlined. Ghostrunner 2 now has you focusing more on how you want to build Jack. Which might be a bit confusing to start with, as you plug shards into your motherboard while avoiding clashing skills all while contending with the install cost for each.

Bike Control

By far the newest addition to the game is your bike, which adds a whole new style of gameplay to things. It adds in some huge levels, mixing fast paced ‘racing’ and combat.

The roaming pace added by the bike is only really slowed down while in the wasteland when you have to jump on and off to open gates. Overall though, the bike adds a fresh take on gameplay.

That said, beyond its use as stylish transport, the motorcycle gameplay elements do take a bit of getting used to.

There’s some luck and finesse required to time jumps on two wheels. And a slight delay to slaying in the saddle makes mounted combat feel sticky.

Dark Swords

Ghostrunner 2 is, again, brutally difficult, and death is a matter of when, and not if. However, this is balanced by quick respawns with checkpoints that are mostly fair, especially while in the game’s boss fights. Maybe a little less fair while clearing out a room of cyber thugs, it must be said. But for the most part, you’re never out of the action for too long.

Visually, Ghostrunner 2 is grim, dark and dystopian. The urban areas are all accented in neon which contrast nicely with the barren and bleak vibes of the wasteland. Sound is solid, with a fitting soundtrack of synthwave tones and surprisingly competent voice acting.

Game of the Year Award Contender

Ghostrunner 2 is a challenging title that fans will have a blast with. The game seems to have upgraded everything that made the first game special. Be it the outstanding level design or the tight, dynamic and flowing combat.

Newcomers may feel left at a standing start due to a lack of lore hand holding. They’ll also have to get used to constant respawning while they learn the ropes. Stick with it, neophyte, and there is a hypnotic, kinetic and moreish title to be discovered.