Ghost Song

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 598 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
Ghost Song Game Cover
Ghost Song is a fantastic game that blends Metroid and Dark Souls to create an experience that’s tense, touching and tough to put down.
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"Ghost Song" is a metroidvania-style game set in a moody, atmospheric sci-fi world. As the stranger, a mysterious pilot with a forgotten past, players explore an abandoned space station and battle against alien creatures. The game features various abilities and upgrades to discover, non-linear exploration, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 598 reviews
music142 positive mentions
grinding35 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art style and atmosphere that immerses players in a haunting world.
  • Engaging combat mechanics that encourage a mix of ranged and melee attacks.
  • Intriguing story and character interactions that add depth to the gameplay experience.
  • Limited fast travel options and excessive backtracking can make progression tedious.
  • Some bosses feel like bullet sponges, leading to frustrating encounters.
  • The story can feel vague and unsatisfying, with unresolved plot points and character arcs.
  • music311 mentions

    The music in "Ghost Song" has been widely praised for its hauntingly beautiful and melancholic atmosphere, effectively enhancing the game's exploration and emotional depth. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack features a mix of ambient, chill, and indie rock vibes, creating a captivating backdrop that complements the visuals and storytelling. While some players found the music to be a standout element, others felt it could be subdued or repetitive at times, yet overall, it significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece featuring moody synth that gives it a floaty feel, spacey distorted guitar strokes found in indie rock, and some chilling piano to add some emotion to it.”
    • “The music is melancholic, the voice acting is great, the art style is one of a kind, and the immersion is like a drug hit straight to the veins.”
    • “Everything from the eerie atmosphere, the wonderful hand-drawn environments, the music and voice work, the weapon exchange, and the glorious upgrading system... it was an exciting experience for me from beginning to end.”
    • “The music is either absent (leaving only discordant festering bug noises to hear as you traverse screens) or somber acoustic guitar (kinda boring).”
    • “It doesn’t help that the music for the most part is flat or just ambient.”
    • “The only thing a bit lacking is the music.”
  • story304 mentions

    The story of "Ghost Song" is a blend of philosophical and spiritual themes, set in a dark, atmospheric world where players uncover their character's past through exploration and interactions with NPCs. While some players appreciate the depth and environmental storytelling, others find the narrative vague and the main quest—a series of fetch tasks—lacks engagement and resolution. Overall, the game offers a compelling yet uneven narrative experience, with many loose threads that require thorough exploration to fully appreciate.

    • “The atmosphere, story, characters, and music are glorious.”
    • “The story is about the deadsuit (player character) you awaken on a strange hostile world with no memory of who, or what you are.”
    • “The story and characters are really compelling, and there's something really special here that is worth your time if the themes resonate with you.”
    • “The story is very uneventful and except for a few interesting encounters, nothing interesting is really happening.”
    • “The story is mediocre and the most interesting parts of it are just background lore details that never get explored, and the most interesting encounters are just discarded with no follow-up development.”
    • “The game teases you with the plot for two hours or so before dumping it all on you at the end; the climax suddenly looms near and what's left of the story scrounges itself together in a bid to - and it's over, where the grand finale never comes.”
  • gameplay224 mentions

    The gameplay of "Ghost Song" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its atmospheric design and unique mechanics, such as the heat-based combat system, while others criticize its clunky movement, tedious fetch quests, and punishing death mechanics reminiscent of soulslike games. Many reviews highlight the game's potential and engaging exploration, but also note that it suffers from a lack of polish and originality compared to other titles in the metroidvania genre. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments, it often feels hindered by frustrating gameplay choices and design flaws.

    • “Best implementation of mechanics in the genre.”
    • “The gameplay is challenging without being frustrating and can be made more difficult if you're up for the challenge.”
    • “The gameplay feels really good, attacks feel impactful and movement feels deliberate but not clunky.”
    • “Boy oh boy, the poor platformer design combined with the clunky movements leads to the biggest wombo combo of annoying gameplay.”
    • “This tedium is further accentuated by the conscious decision to block fast traveling when delivering the fetch quest items, serving no gameplay purpose outside of padding your playtime.”
    • “The gameplay is the most frustrating thing I've experienced in gaming in recent memory, and yes, I play Modern Warfare 2 (2022).”
  • atmosphere175 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Ghost Song" is widely praised for its haunting, melancholic quality, enhanced by stunning visuals, an evocative soundtrack, and immersive sound design. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a sense of isolation and mystery, drawing them into its beautifully crafted world. However, some critiques note that while the atmosphere is exceptional, it can be undermined by gameplay mechanics that feel lacking or repetitive.

    • “The atmosphere, story, characters, and music are glorious.”
    • “Ghost song just oozes with melancholic atmosphere and a sense of exploration.”
    • “The atmosphere is gorgeous, the music is beautiful, the combat is satisfying... and the voice acting is fantastic!”
    • “The individual areas in the game, however, lack much in the way of striking atmosphere or identity.”
    • “The isolating and foreign atmosphere is quickly hindered by frequent NPCs and dialog.”
    • “While combat and movement feel just a little loose, and many of the arenas are just flat hallways, this game oozes atmosphere and character.”
  • graphics124 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning art style, atmospheric visuals, and cohesive design that enhances the overall experience. Many players appreciate the detailed environments and character designs, which contribute to a captivating and immersive world. However, some critiques mention a lack of variety in visual elements and occasional technical issues, such as crashes and limited graphics options.

    • “The visuals in this game are gorgeous - it feels like playing through a concept art book.”
    • “The graphics and environments are really nice.”
    • “The game's visuals and sound are phenomenal, the environment is rich with animations and movement which makes it feel alive.”
    • “Cheap artwork and no meaningful dialogue.”
    • “The murky, gnarled art style and zero premises turned me down, let alone the rather weak state of our protagonist.”
    • “No qualms with the graphical style, but the main issue is that there isn't a lot of variety visually - the same colors, familiar aesthetics everywhere.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to slow movement, long backtracking, and inflated experience requirements. While some appreciate the developers' efforts to alleviate the monotony with interesting encounters, many still feel that the repetitive gameplay and excessive grinding detract from overall enjoyment. The need for currency to upgrade and the cumbersome inventory management further contribute to the frustration surrounding grinding in the game.

    • “The game does a pretty good job of telegraphing when they move (if not necessarily where), so it's not too tedious if you want to go out of your way to complete their stories.”
    • “The combat is so tedious and not fun; it just kills all enjoyment I could get from the game.”
    • “Grinding quickly becomes an absurd prospect with experience requirements inflating rapidly, and stations for leveling up being spread out too far.”
    • “It's tedious having to travel long distances after you die to a boss.”
  • emotional16 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Ghost Song" is highlighted by its well-written, melancholic dialogues and heartfelt storytelling, which resonate deeply with players, often evoking strong feelings such as sadness and nostalgia. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to create a touching atmosphere through its characters and narrative, despite some gameplay flaws. Overall, the game successfully blends emotional depth with its metroidvania elements, leaving a lasting impact on players.

    • “It's so incredibly well written and heartfelt.”
    • “Ghost Song hits on that melancholic - bittersweet tone that Hollow Knight often had with its atmosphere, only here the feeling stems from the loneliness and emotional baggage of the few you meet along your journey.”
    • “In the end, Ghost Song made me feel something, which is more than I can say for most games that I play nowadays.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some players find the game lacks significant replay value, others appreciate the option to create different characters or experience new elements in a New Game Plus mode. A few reviews highlight moderate to high replay value, suggesting that the game can be enjoyable upon revisiting, though improvements in gameplay mechanics could enhance the experience further.

    • “This game is somewhat short but has moderate replay value.”
    • “I would however definitely recommend and it is replayable.”
    • “High replay value.”
    • “For me, the game had no replayability; it just wasn't that good.”
    • “Not much replayability, although you can try creating a character with different stats.”
    • “I wish it would offer some more replayability, like some changes in New Game Plus.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised on platforms like the Steam Deck, where players report smooth performance and no bugs. However, there are notable issues on the Nintendo Switch, including inconsistent frame rates and long loading times that disrupt gameplay. Additionally, while the mechanics are well-designed, some players feel that the emphasis on restrictive mechanics detracts from the overall enjoyment of optimization.

    • “Shooting is punchy and killing enemies is satisfying, the game looks and feels great, and my entire playthrough was on my deck with 0 drops or hiccups in performance.”
    • “Lastly, performance was great and I did not encounter any bugs, so it's safe to say that this is a well-made and finished product, which isn't a given these days.”
    • “However, I would say that altogether, the mechanics are beautifully implemented for the platforming and map design in place, and have a decent ceiling for optimization that keeps even simple traversal engaging.”
    • “Personally, there is a little too much emphasis in the design on restrictive mechanics (e.g. stamina management while sprinting) over refining mechanics (e.g. movement techniques and animation cancelling) for me to want to play and replay this game for the joy of the optimization.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game suffers from significant performance problems on Switch, from an inconsistent frame rate to extensive loading times that destroy any flow the game has.”
    • “[Difficulty on normal mode is very punishing, can feel a bit derivative, performance problems on Switch]”
  • character development8 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character development in the game is significantly enhanced by its exceptional art direction and character design, which create an engaging atmosphere. While some players initially overlook the depth of character development, they ultimately find it to be a rewarding aspect that complements the overall narrative and artistic representation.

    • “The overall art direction is great as well, and I really liked all of the different character designs.”
    • “Games with strong artistic representation and intriguing character development, at times, are much more satisfying for me than any gameplay could offer.”
    • “An amazing atmosphere, great character design, as well as a great story.”
    • “It also occurred to me way too late in the game that character development might even be a subject of relevance at all, and that every time you return a ship part you pass a threshold for completing missable content.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The game features witty and intelligent dialogues with NPCs, contributing to its overall humorous tone.

    • “It also offers some very humorous and intelligent dialogues with NPCs.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

10hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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