GHOST TRICK: Phantom Detective

This is so well done that it gets in the way of itself. I would give it 5 stars but I feel like there is so much to the story and less play time for me. All I want to do is the tricks but there is constant reading and more reading and even more reading. I’m constantly tapping the screen to read more. Get the idea? The dialog is quite good and I realize that they have to show you what to do and the game is quite genius but I need a game I can just play. I want to eliminate the story and just do the puzzles. I want to discover and uncover the story as I go and let it unfold naturally. I feel like I’m reading a well written novel instead of actually doing anything. I don’t like timed games either. It deserves 5 stars just for the complexity and depth and the programming involved. For me though, I’m going to put it on the back burner as I was getting frustrated waiting for my turn to “roll the dice.” I do like the game but after 45 minutes, the actual play time was 5 minutes each scene and I manipulated two scenes. It needs to move along.

I’d never felt urgency, empathy, and actual investment because of an Iphone game before this one. The characters are greatly well-written and he mystery actually surprises you in ways you didn’t expect. The touch controls are intuitive and ultimately makes the game a great one. Perhaps the best moment in the game is one where you’re rushing to complete the puzzle or to move your character faster. The reason you rush is because you know a character you like is going to die or fall into a trap or something of the sort. I’ve never felt that way about characters in an Iphone game before. But of course this was originally released on DS.

I played through the entirety of Ghost Trick a few years ago, and I must say it’s a wonderful game; unfortunately there is no sequel to continue the series, which is disappointing. After having an urge to Re-play the game, I downloaded it again only to find that the chapters I had bought were not available. In essence, if I want to replay the game again, I will have to re-purchase the episodes. Even so, the game is wonderful enough that I can easily justify a second purchase of the game. However, I hope that the bug is fixed for those who are in the same situation as me, but cannot afford a second purchase.

TotalBiscuit kept recommending it on the Co-optional Podcast so I gave in and bought the game. This game is spectacular, it has a vivid and tragic story and its game mechanics are rather unique. All characters have their own distinct personalities and it is easy to tell them apart. The story broke my heart and I highly recommend this game. If you want to try it out, first 2 chapters are free. If you like those, you most likely will like the rest of the game. Also for those complaining it costs money, the DS game is around $25-$30. The iOS costs $10 to get all the chapters in one go. You are saving money so hush. It is worth far more than those numbers.

Game flow, sound/music, & dialogue has a Super Nintendo game vibe—almost RPG in nature in how you can examine lots of objects & talk to lots of characters—-a game style I really enjoy. If you don’t like lots of plot, character development & detail, then you will not like this game. The puzzles are delightful, wether easy or hard, they are pretty intuitive if you’re right brained & creatively minded. I had no real major difficulty with any; it was just hard enough to be fun. Very clever game structure, plot, unique non-cookie cutter characters—good enough to be made into a comic or cute show. They just don’t make unique games like this like they used to—really worth every penny. Hope they make more!