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Ghost on the Shore

85%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
optimization, grinding
85% User Score Based on 262 reviews

Platforms

Mac OSMac OSPCPCSteam DeckSteam DeckWindowsWindows

About

In "Ghost on the Shore," you play as a ghostly figure named Charlie, who has the power to possess and control other characters. The game is a narrative-driven, supernatural adventure that explores themes of memory, identity, and loss. With a unique blend of puzzle-solving and exploration, players will uncover the mysteries of a remote fishing town while navigating Charlie's own complex past.

Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
Ghost on the Shore screenshot
+7

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 262 reviews
story114 positive mentions
optimization4 negative mentions

  • The game features breathtaking visuals and a beautifully crafted world that immerses players in its haunting atmosphere.
  • The storytelling is rich and emotional, with well-developed characters and poignant dialogue that resonates long after playing.
  • The voice acting and soundtrack enhance the overall experience, making it a captivating journey worth exploring.
  • The main character's tone is inconsistent, making it difficult for players to connect with her or understand her motivations.
  • The game is criticized for being too linear and short, with some players feeling that the story lacks depth and engagement.
  • Technical issues, such as crashes and poor performance, detract from the overall experience, leading some to question the game's value at full price.
  • story
    356 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a polarizing aspect, with some players praising its emotional depth, well-developed characters, and immersive narrative that explores themes of loss and connection, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack. However, others criticize it for being predictable, disjointed, and lacking engagement, describing it as a linear experience that may not leave a lasting impression. Overall, while the storytelling has its strengths, opinions vary widely on its execution and impact.

    • “The game’s storytelling is its crown jewel, immersing players in a rich and emotional tale that unfolds through well-developed characters and poignant dialogue.”
    • “The story invites you to explore themes of loss and connection, creating a compelling atmosphere that resonates long after you've put the game down.”
    • “The story is beautifully written.”
    • “The story is not engaging at all.”
    • “Ghost on the shore presents a story but that's really it - just the bare minimum for the genre.”
    • “It's 100 minutes of this languid, dull storytelling that feels like a lifetime.”
  • graphics
    102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their breathtaking beauty and meticulous attention to detail, often described as a unique, painterly style that enhances the immersive experience. However, some players noted optimization issues that led to lag and crashes, despite having capable hardware, and a few found the visuals to be somewhat generic or "muddy." Overall, the game's art style and vibrant environments contribute significantly to its captivating atmosphere, making it a visual highlight in the walking simulator genre.

    • “The visuals are nothing short of breathtaking, with meticulously crafted environments that draw you into the hauntingly beautiful world.”
    • “The graphics and the attention to detail is just gorgeous.”
    • “Absolutely a treasure of a game, amazing story, beautiful graphics, and a journey I'll never forget.”
    • “The visuals are bland and the conversations themselves seemed irrational and unnatural half of the time.”
    • “Bizarrely, changing the graphical settings such as going from high to low quality and reducing resolution down from 1440p to 1080p didn't seem to make a difference.”
    • “The graphics take a lot of getting used to; I would even say that I found them very 'muddy'.”
  • music
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the narrative experience, with standout tracks that complement the visuals and voice acting. Many players found the soundtrack to be both beautiful and atmospheric, creating an immersive environment that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game. While some tracks are more memorable than others, the overall quality of the music is considered top-notch, making it a significant aspect of the gameplay experience.

    • “To complement this incredible narrative and visual experience, the soundtrack is a heartfelt collection of melodies that enhance the emotional weight of the story, perfectly setting the tone for each moment.”
    • “An intriguing story with beautiful visuals and a haunting soundtrack, 5 ghosts out of 5.”
    • “The audio track is extremely well done with quality voice-overs and some pleasant original songs which add to the mood of the game.”
    • “I did buy the soundtrack, but there's only a few songs I may listen to on a semi-regular basis; the rest is atmospheric and maybe something to put on while I read or do chores.”
    • “Can't say enough about the audio because normally the first thing I change in any game is to turn off the music.”
    • “The music isn't constant and fits very well along with the professional voice acting.”
  • emotional
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Ghost on the Shore" is widely praised, with players highlighting its rich storytelling, well-developed characters, and poignant dialogue that create a deeply immersive experience. The heartfelt soundtrack further enhances the emotional weight of the narrative, leading to moments of intense emotional investment, with many players expressing that they were moved to tears. While some found the emotional impact subjective, the overall consensus is that the game offers a touching and memorable journey that resonates long after completion.

    • “The game’s storytelling is its crown jewel, immersing players in a rich and emotional tale that unfolds through well-developed characters and poignant dialogue.”
    • “What begins as a walking simulator where you explore the ruins of a small island community develops into a genuinely emotional journey as you uncover the island's dark secrets.”
    • “Overall, Ghost on the Shore is a masterpiece that will linger in your thoughts, offering a unique and touching journey that every player should experience.”
  • gameplay
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with minimal mechanics, leading to a slow-paced experience that some players found tedious. While the story is engaging and the aesthetic is beautiful, the lack of substantial gameplay elements and a short playtime (around 2-3 hours) left many feeling it wasn't worth the price. Overall, it offers a captivating narrative but may not satisfy those seeking more interactive gameplay.

    • “As far as the gameplay itself, it is a bit slow-paced, but that is offset by the engaging story and ability to fast walk during non-story sequences.”
    • “Gameplay is as you would expect from a game like this with a very beautiful setting to lose a bunch of time exploring.”
    • “It offers captivating, intertwining stories, a mesmerizing aesthetic and satisfying exploratory gameplay as well as replayability.”
    • “There is almost no gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is just a walking simulator and the story was over before it got mildly interesting.”
    • “In another mood, I might have gotten more mileage out of the story, but it would not change the fact that this is a 2-hour (at most 3 hours if you really read everything) -- which means that even at a 50% discount this is a massive overpay (considering the '1 € == at least 1 h of gameplay' ratio I try to achieve with games).”
  • atmosphere
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its ability to evoke themes of loss and connection, creating a captivating and immersive experience that lingers after gameplay. Players appreciate the beautiful scenery, vibrant graphics, and effective voice acting, which together enhance the overall ambiance. While some find the atmosphere relaxing and engaging, others feel it may not resonate with them, highlighting a mix of opinions on its impact.

    • “The story invites you to explore themes of loss and connection, creating a compelling atmosphere that resonates long after you've put the game down.”
    • “I love myself a good mystery and this game definitely provided that in a beautifully atmospheric setting.”
    • “The sounds, the setting, the beautiful scenery... all together create a compelling atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere did not resonate with me at all.”
    • “Ghost on the shore took a little while to suck me in - I'm not a big 'walking sim' fan but the atmosphere and characters kept me engaged initially and I found the island's history interesting.”
    • “The very first items you find on the island gently introduce mysterious aspects of the island and its former inhabitants - some can be very easy to miss if you don't take the time to stop and look around your environment (which I'd encourage you to do anyway based on the atmosphere alone) but in this way you get out of the story's progression what you put in.”
  • optimization
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players experiencing significant lag, stuttering, and frame drops even on capable hardware like the GeForce 1050 Ti. Despite attempts to lower graphic settings, performance issues persisted, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, gameplay mechanics such as invisible walls and cursor visibility during conversations further contributed to frustrations with optimization.

    • “Also, no performance issues, even running it on Linux via Proton.”
    • “The voice acting is superb, with every character giving an excellent performance, from the main characters to peripheral ones.”
    • “Other problems: you can't run when the spirit speaks to you, and the cursor also vanishes, so you can't know if there's something interactive around until the conversation ends; the invisible walls have a 'slow you down' mechanic where you progressively get slower until you can't go any further in that direction, which may sound like a good idea, but it can actually become quite annoying, and also breaks your running; there are optimization issues. Normally, my GeForce 1050 Ti should be more than enough to play a game like this one, but here, even when lowering the graphic settings, it still lagged and dragged quite often.”
    • “- Secondly, the performance for me was very poor at times; lots of stuttering and frame drops, and even when Steam was telling me I had anywhere between 90-120 fps, it just didn't feel like it.”
    • “Not only did it not fix the performance issues, it didn't even seem to alter the look of the game all that much.”
  • replayability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts significant replayability due to its multiple endings and the impact of player choices on the narrative. While many players appreciate the opportunity to uncover different outcomes and achievements, some feel that the mystery's resolution may limit immediate replay until the story fades from memory. Overall, the combination of engaging storytelling and exploration enhances its replay value.

    • “There's also great replay value once you've finished, as certain clues hit differently when you know all the twists, and it is nice that it does feel like your choices throughout the game have an impact on the final result.”
    • “It offers captivating, intertwining stories, a mesmerizing aesthetic, and satisfying exploratory gameplay as well as replayability.”
    • “Replayability: there are several different endings, but because of the mystery that gets solved the first time around, I probably wouldn't replay it until my memory of the story fades a little.”
    • “In my opinion, the game is absolutely a fair price for the amount of content and replayability it offers.”
    • “It offers captivating, intertwining stories, a mesmerizing aesthetic, and satisfying exploratory gameplay, but the replayability is limited.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when it comes to achieving 100% completion, as it often involves repetitive tasks and self-discovery. While the initial experience can be enjoyable, the process becomes monotonous and frustrating during subsequent attempts.

    • “Doing it again just becomes tedious walking and clicking on things, trying to make sure you do what you need to not miss something.”
    • “It was quite tedious getting all achievements as I needed to figure out a couple of things myself, but up until the last bit, it was still good.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is perceived as somewhat lacking in organic progression, though many players find it acceptable and forgivable overall.

    • “The character development didn’t quite feel organic to me, but it was fine and forgivable overall.”

Buy Ghost on the Shore

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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