Ghost in the Machine

About

Ghost in the Machine is a single player action game. It was developed by Michael J. Moffitt and was released on April 22, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Ghost in the Machine is about the player's escape from a run-down factory following a large explosion. In the dark factory there are many dangerous machines that must be minded in order to not be crushed or mechanically separated. Inspired by 1980s platformer-genre games, Ghost in the Machine features true low-res graphics and an original chiptune soundtrack. It is also difficult, yet rewarding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews

music16 positive mentions

graphics8 negative mentions

The game features a great soundtrack that many players find enjoyable and nostalgic.
Controls are generally tight and responsive, providing a satisfying platforming experience.
The minimalist aesthetic and unique level design offer a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience.

The monochromatic visuals can make it difficult to distinguish between foreground and background, leading to frustrating gameplay.
Hitboxes are inconsistent, often resulting in unfair deaths and making precision platforming challenging.
Quality-of-life issues, such as the lack of a restart button and sluggish jump mechanics, detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, variety, and nostalgic appeal, reminiscent of classic 8-bit titles from the NES and SNES eras. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, some note that repetitive tracks can become annoying over time. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gaming experience, contributing to the game's positive reception.
- “The music is bona-fide incredible and I genuinely considered giving it a 'yes' based on that alone.”
- “Still, the soundtrack is incredible.”
- “The music also brings a lot of nostalgic feels from the times of the NES, SNES, and Mega Drive era of games.”
- “Music is blaring and obnoxious, the worst kind of 'retro'.”
- “Same song plays in the background, which gets annoying fast.”
- “The music lacks variety and quickly becomes repetitive.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
46%
36%
The game's graphics are a polarizing aspect, with many players praising the stylish monochromatic visuals while simultaneously criticizing their chaotic nature, which often obscures gameplay elements and makes it difficult to discern the hitbox from the character sprite. Some reviewers describe the aesthetic as low-effort and poorly suited for gameplay, leading to frustration, while others appreciate the challenge it presents. Overall, the graphics evoke strong reactions, with opinions divided on whether they enhance or detract from the gaming experience.
- “The graphics and sound serve to create an experience that make it my favorite game.”
- “The art style works well with the game's setting, which is an abandoned factory that blew up.”
- “This game is immensely challenging throughout, the music is great, and the graphic style is pretty cool.”
- “The graphics are really bad and low effort, as the screenshots show.”
- “It's extremely difficult to tell the foreground from the background, so the primary challenge of the game is fighting against the horrible visuals as they attempt to mislead you and give you a seizure.”
- “This game's only real selling point, its aesthetic, actually works against it quite a bit.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
67%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by its minimalist design and challenging mechanics typical of old-school platformers, which may appeal to some players while frustrating others. The limited field of vision and zoomed-in camera can add artificial difficulty, but overcoming these challenges can provide a rewarding experience. Overall, enjoyment hinges on one's appreciation for its unique quirks and retro style.
- “The controls and mechanics are unforgiving, but as you overcome them, you feel like you can defeat anything.”
- “The camera is already pretty zoomed in on the protagonist, and on top of that the game uses a limited field of vision mechanic which makes the game even more frustrating to navigate, adds artificial difficulty and really adds nothing else.”
- “Your enjoyment of it will entirely depend on how interested you are in its 'quirks'—almost all the negative reviews seem to blast it for things that very well could be selling points (minimalist gameplay, minimalist presentation, hyperactive chiptunes).”
- “The gameplay works as you would expect from an old school platformer and there isn't really anything else to say about that.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's narrative centers around the theme of "unforeseen consequences," reflecting its origins as a contest entry. However, many users feel that the story lacks depth and coherence, leading to a perception of minimal storytelling.
- “The game was originally made for a contest in which the theme was 'unforeseen consequences,' hence the recurring theme in the story and the tunnel vision.”
- “No story.”