This was the first game I was able to lay my hands on at this years’ Comic-Con and having heard very little of this DS title I was quickly surprised how good it was. When saw the free demo station I took advantage right away since it was about the only game available without a massive line. The first thing that stood out to me as I popped on the headphones was the sound, the music it was all so playful but with depth. It drew me in.
The game starts out with a girl being threatened by a man with a gun and soon after reveals you, the main character, dead on the ground. It sets a very darker than expected mood, but I found it intriguing and something fresh. A ‘voice’ is all you are aware of and it essentially becomes your tutor, teaching you the ways of the ‘spirit world’ , as I would call it, and explains to you the basics to move the game forward.
Ghost Trick, in its most basic form, is a puzzle game. You move your spirit self from one object to another so you can interact with the living world. In the demo it was to save the girl from being murdered. You maneuver through various objects nearby you such as a guitar, ladder and a wrecking ball, though you have a limited length at which you can move, which is where the real puzzle element comes into play.
Each object has it’s own ‘trick’ which can be activated outside the ghost world, which allows the objects to move or interact thus allowing you to reach further objects to complete your task while enjoying the comedic banter in between. The art style is cartoon-like but unique to the DS.
I actually found the writing for this game to be very solid and enjoyable. I even held back a laugh at a couple points as to not seem silly in front of the surrounding geeks. Combing the easy-to-learn gameplay elements, a solid story and fun writing I would say this is certainly a game to look forward to when it is released this holiday.
As I left the game happy I was also treated to a free book of sorts, which explained more about some of the characters in the game and the background. Check back for a review.
