Ghost on the Shore
- February 24, 2022
- like Charlie
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamIn "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.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Ghost on the Shore features a captivating narrative that intertwines themes of loss and connection, keeping players emotionally engaged throughout the experience.
- The game boasts stunning visuals and a beautiful art style, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the storytelling.
- The voice acting and soundtrack are exceptional, adding depth to the characters and emotional weight to the story.
- The pacing can feel slow, leading to moments of boredom as players navigate the linear paths without much gameplay variation.
- Some players found the main character's tone inconsistent, making it difficult to connect with her or understand her motivations.
- The game lacks a manual save option, which can be frustrating for players wanting to explore different endings without replaying the entire game multiple times.
- story178 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
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, linear, and at times dull, with disjointed dialogue and a lack of engaging gameplay elements. Overall, while many appreciate the storytelling experience, opinions vary widely on its execution and lasting 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.”
“The story is shallow and never really gripped me; there is zero surprise to the story, it is as linear as the way you move.”
- graphics51 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their breathtaking beauty and unique, painterly art style, which enhances the immersive experience. While many players appreciate the attention to detail and vibrant environments, some have noted optimization issues and a few bland visuals that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's captivating atmosphere, making it a standout in the 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.”
“The art style has a very carefully designed aesthetic that deliberately shows just enough detail to look wonderful, and by not overloading you visually, it lets your imagination wander.”
“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'.”
- music34 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the narrative experience, with many reviewers highlighting the quality of the soundtrack and its integration with the gameplay. While some tracks are noted as atmospheric and suitable for background listening, standout pieces, particularly the intro and ending songs, have garnered specific acclaim. Overall, the audio design, including voice acting and original compositions, contributes significantly to the game's immersive and captivating atmosphere.
“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 music within the game just added to the beauty and really worked.”
“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.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Ghost on the Shore" is highlighted by its rich storytelling, well-developed characters, and poignant dialogue, which together create an immersive experience that resonates deeply with players. The heartfelt soundtrack further enhances the narrative's emotional weight, leading to moments of intense connection and reflection, with many players reporting strong emotional reactions, including tears. While some found the experience emotionally taxing, others appreciated the game's ability to evoke a range of feelings, making it a memorable journey worth experiencing.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with a slow pace that some players find tedious, lacking in mechanics like jumping and default run speed. While the story is engaging and the visuals are appealing, many reviewers feel the short duration (around 2-3 hours) does not justify the price, leading to mixed feelings about its value. Overall, it offers a captivating narrative experience, but the gameplay mechanics are often seen as minimal and repetitive.
“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.”
“The gameplay is great and the storyline is amazing.”
“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.”
“This is simply a crossing of 'Dear Esther' with 'Everyone is Gone to the Rapture' - the mechanics are identical.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its compelling blend of sound, setting, and narrative, which evokes themes of loss and connection while encouraging exploration. Players appreciate the vibrant graphics and immersive environmental details that enhance the storytelling experience, making it feel both relaxing and engaging. However, some users found the atmosphere less resonant, indicating a varied reception among players.
“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.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with users reporting significant performance issues such as lag, stuttering, and frame drops, even on capable hardware like the GeForce 1050 Ti. Additionally, some gameplay mechanics, like invisible walls and cursor visibility during dialogues, contribute to a frustrating experience. While some players noted no performance issues on Linux via Proton, the overall consensus indicates that optimization needs improvement.
“Also, no performance issues, even running it on Linux via Proton.”
“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.”
“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.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to multiple endings and the impact of player choices on the narrative. While some players may wait until their memory of the story fades before replaying, the intertwining stories and achievements provide a compelling reason to revisit the game. Overall, it is considered a fair value for the content and replay potential it delivers.
“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.”
“- [b]Multiple endings - lots of replayability[/b]”
“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 as well as replayability.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when pursuing achievements, as it often involves repetitive tasks and self-discovery. While the experience remains enjoyable up to a point, it can become monotonous and frustrating during the final stages.
“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.”
“Doing it again just becomes tedious, walking and clicking on things, trying to make sure you do what you need to not miss something.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is perceived as somewhat lacking in organic progression, though it is generally considered acceptable and forgivable by players.
“The character development is incredibly rich and nuanced, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
“The way the game handles character growth is impressive, with meaningful choices that impact their development.”
“The character development didn’t quite feel organic to me, but it was fine and forgivable in the main.”
“The characters lacked depth and their growth felt forced rather than natural.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, making it hard to connect with them.”
