An Akira bike slide homage is mandatory
Ghostrunner’smix of wall-running and ninja-slashing made enough of a splash to warrant a sequel.Ghostrunner 2was firstteasedtwo years ago, buttonight’s PlayStation Showcasegave us our first proper look at the follow-up. It has all the slicing, dodging, and parkour that you would expect from a sequel about a cyberpunk ninja, but this time some speedy vehicles join the party too.
The first game had our cyber-ninja Jack climbing up the deathtrap of Dharma Tower, all while chopping up enemies on the way. Set one year later, the sequel sees Jack finally leaving the nest to explore the wider cyberpunk world, which consists of both neon-engulfed motorways and very drab urban wastelands. Ghostrunner 2 is also expanding on almost every aspect of the first game with new weapons, abilities, enemies, and traversal options.
Along with the original’s stylish acrobatic action, the sequel’s big new feature is the vehicular combat on one sleek silver motorbike, just in case you wanted a side of extra speed. As a cyberpunk game featuring cool bikes, Ghostrunner 2 is legally obligated to have at least one moment where your bike slides and/or drifts with a side-on camera view in respect to thefamous bit from Akira. But we might need to wait until the full release before we witness that.
Ghostrunner 2 will come out later this year on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, though there’s no concrete release date yet.
Matthew Castle (RPS in peace) wrote that the first game “rarely repeats itself” in hisGhostrunner review. “I’ve heard the designers citeTitanfall 2as an inspiration and this is a similar six or so hours where every level adds a mechanical twist for ten minutes before parkouring to the next.” Hopefully, the sequel can keep up that brisk pace while smoothing out some of the original’s rough edges.
