I live, I die, I live again.
Not because the two feel similar, mind.
13 years haven’t dulled this classic.
Though it’s better suited for touchscreens, Capcom sets a high standard for future remasters.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective review
Playing as Sissel, Ghost Trick begins with your abrupt death.
What follows throughout the evening is a brilliant mystery intertwined with inventive gameplay.
Objects can’t be manipulated when time’s frozen, forcing your return to the living world.
Ghost Trick creatively uses this manipulation system through objects you wouldn’t normally expect.
Sissel isn’t the key in to start messing with your fridge or throwing furniture like some aggrieved poltergeist.
That’s the level of silliness we’re dealing with.
Sissel’s powers are kept in check through some considerable restraints.
Phone lines lets him move to new locations if they are powered on or someone’s previously called.
If you’re in the past, only phones in active use will allow this.
Heavy objects are naturally harder to move and manipulating living people also isn’t possible.
Even now, I remain impressed at how Ghost Trick weaves its plot and gameplay together.
Lynne remains an inspiringly determined detective that never loses hope despite the seemingly impossible circumstances before her.
Every scene packs considerable character From the main players to even minor NPCs.
For anyone who played the original release, there aren’t any significant changes beyond some usability features.
The optimised UI usually works well with a standard controller.
Unfortunately, there are odd moments where it’s evident Ghost Trick wasn’t designed for this format.
Playing on Steam Deck and Switch is preferable as both provide full touchscreen support.
Moving from point A to B by moving your finger across the screen immediately feels more intuitive.
On PC, clicking and dragging across spheres with a mouse also substitutes this nicely.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective accessibility options
Unread text can be automatically fast-forwarded.
Brightness options are available.
No voice acting, so subtitles are mandatory.
Player-selected backgrounds around the 4:3 screen border are available.
Independent sliders for music and sound effects are included.
Control scheme screen is readily available from the parameters menu.
Current objectives are presented through regular prompts.
Nine different language options are available.
Touch screen interface supported.
Several extras like the new illustrations gallery make this package feel complete.
Finally, several new ‘Ghost Puzzles’ are available, turning scenes into sliding puzzles.
It’s a nice idea, just not a particularly interesting one.
Ghost Trick remains the delight it always was a decade later.
Even on a second playthrough, this unique mystery firmly held your interest until the very end.
Second chances don’t come around often, so I hope it finds that wider audience this time.
This remaster is easily the definitive way to play.
