Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4
Genre: Adventure game where you play a ghost

If you have never heard of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, it is a game that was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan way back in 2010. Yes, you heard right, Nintendo DS. Capcom has recently released a remastered version of it on modern platforms. The script was written by Shu Takumi, best known as the creator of the Ace Attorney series.

The series is a mystery adventure visual novel game. I’ve personally never played any of them, and I had never even heard of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective before being given the game to review. so I went into this knowing nothing except that people who have played it say that it’s amazing.

And it is. Even in 2023, there isn’t quite a tale or adventure like this Capcom gem that deserves a remastered re-release.

Scare Tactics

You start off confused not knowing what is happening. No, really. Not just you, but the character you play as well. A good looking blonde man named Sissel. Oh, and you’re dead. A red haired woman is held at gunpoint by a mysterious man and you’re forced to watch as she dies. How tragic honestly. But hey, you’re a ghost with tricks up your sleeves and you can apparently manipulate objects in the ghost world. You eventually learn that you can even turn back time to also change the fate of people caught in this weird mystery web. The downside? You only last until the next sunrise to solve your own murder, figure out what exactly is happening and along the way try to stop others from following his tragic fate.

What really struck me as interesting about the game is that although it revolves around ‘death’, the world is portrayed in such a colourful way. The art style is absolutely stunning. It has a lovable cast of characters with a great sense of humour that will make you laugh out loud. The narrative of the game is definitely where the game truly shines. I’ve never been a fan of visual novels or point-and-click games, but I actually sat through and played Ghost Trick rather addictively. The entire game is weird and silly and I love that.

The game revolves around Sissel being able to possess objects with ‘special cores’. So he can’t actually fly around like other ghosts. His movement is also limited and he can only possess certain objects within a few feet away. To go from one location to another, you’ll need to think smart and learn different travel paths to get around to your objective. You are then able to manipulate some of these objects that you’ve possessed, but it’s only limited to one action. For example, you could possess a folded umbrella to extend, and by doing so, it could open up new pathways for you to travel through. The puzzles never get too hard, but they do keep you on your toes.

You use these ghost tricks to try and prevent certain deaths while trying to figure out what the heck is happening. Sissel can go back 4 minutes in time when a character has died, and try to prevent their deaths by creating distractions or full-on getting rid of pesky bad gunmen. Having the time limit makes the game more engaging and exciting as you learn new things and new pathways as you go through a puzzle. Some of them even require you to restart and do them multiple times. But that’s why I like it so much: it’s forgiving.

Spooktacular

All in all, it’s been over a decade since the original was released and here’s my two cents. I’ve never played the original although I did look up gameplay on it, and the HD graphics definitely add more flair to the game. I personally feel that the remastered version gives the characters a whole lot more personality, which makes you adore them even more. Plus you’ve got Missile, the goodest boy on the planet.

The game doesn’t have too much to offer other than that when compared to its original. The remastered version offers some new rearranged music and retained some of the old ones and it is catchy. Otherwise, it’s the same game you loved years back.

Ghost Trick: Detective Phantom is one of those rare gems that shows you standalone games can exist, and you don’t need follow-ups. It’s rewarding. It’s fun. And they’ve got a cute darn pomeranian trying to protect its owner with its life. What’s not to like about it?

Final Score: 80/100