Skip to main content

Ghostrunner

Ghostrunner is built for that subset of gamers who enjoy the steepest challenge. The story is solid, the world is beautiful, and the precision insane - but this is a hardcore experience from start to finish
88%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, stability
92% User Score Based on 16,379 reviews
Critic Score 82%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SEpic GamesPCPlaystation 5CloudPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindowsPlayStation

About

Ghostrunner is a first-person cyberpunk slasher focused on fluid movement and precise combat. Players ascend a megastructure as an elite warrior, slicing through enemies with a monomolecular katana and dashing through the air with the help of advanced parkour skills. One-hit kills require keen reflexes and split-second decisions in this fast-paced game, offering a unique and challenging experience.

Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
Ghostrunner screenshot
+11
Skip User Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 16,379 reviews
gameplay1.7k positive mentions
grinding139 negative mentions

  • gameplay
    3,618 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Ghostrunner is widely praised for its fluidity, fast-paced action, and engaging mechanics, combining elements of parkour and one-hit kill combat reminiscent of titles like Hotline Miami and Titanfall. Players appreciate the challenge presented by the one-hit death mechanic, which adds intensity and encourages mastery of the game's mechanics, although some find certain mechanics inconsistent and frustrating at times. Overall, the game is celebrated for its satisfying gameplay loop, stunning visuals, and a killer soundtrack, making it a must-play for fans of action and platforming genres.

    • “The mechanics are interesting and fun to figure out, and I really enjoy analyzing the levels to figure out how to beat them as fast as I can!”
    • “Super smooth, addictive gameplay! The gameplay is fast-paced and intense, requiring quick reflexes and strategy to navigate through the levels.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly satisfying to watch, seeing people with practice cut through the world like butter genuinely fires me up to improve, to become one such player.”
    • “Boring game with a terrible story and repetitive gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is frustrating, the story isn't that good, (it might be better if you collected all the secret voice tapes but the basic stuff is not that good) its quite short, and the ending in my opinion was anticlimactic.”
    • “The mechanics are simple yet don't fit well with the environment, which isn't built for the mechanics.”
  • story
    3,136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Ghostrunner is generally described as engaging yet predictable, often following familiar cyberpunk tropes. While it serves as a backdrop to the fast-paced gameplay, many players found it lacking depth and originality, with some noting that it feels more like a vehicle for action rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the game is praised for its mechanics and visuals, but the story is often considered secondary, making it less of a draw for those seeking a rich narrative experience.

    • “The game's story is engaging, with a well thought out world and characters that keep you invested in the game.”
    • “The story is interesting, it basically is like, 'female bad, kill female, oh wait nevermind.'”
    • “The story is simple but quite gripping as we move on from each level.”
    • “The story is predictable and kind of cliche.”
    • “The story is very basic, but the gameplay is very satisfying and rarely repetitive.”
    • “The story is lackluster, but you can literally just mute it if you want to; everything else is amazing.”
  • music
    1,726 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Ghostrunner" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its energetic synthwave soundtrack composed by Daniel Deluxe. The soundtrack is described as perfectly complementing the game's fast-paced, one-hit-kill gameplay, enhancing the overall immersive experience and keeping players engaged during intense action sequences. While some noted that the music can become repetitive over extended play sessions, the majority agree that it significantly elevates the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “The whole game felt cathartic: how it places you in the shoes of a cyborg ninja, while gliding through a dystopian cityscape to the rhythm of one hell of a soundtrack, it's like an insanely cool dream throughout.”
    • “The soundtrack is a masterpiece.”
    • “The music just keeps your blood pumping; the visuals absolutely nasty, nailing that dreamy cyberpunk aesthetics; and the story... it gets you genuinely caring about its development.”
    • “The soundtrack is a fairly generic synthwave/retrowave soundtrack.”
    • “The music is forgettable.”
    • “The soundtrack was made by daniel deluxe.”
  • graphics
    1,695 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Ghostrunner have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visual fidelity and immersive cyberpunk aesthetic. Players appreciate the game's vibrant environments, smooth animations, and detailed character models, often highlighting the impressive performance even on lower-end systems. The combination of beautiful graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and engaging gameplay creates a captivating experience that resonates well with fans of the genre.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with a futuristic and dystopian world that's both beautiful and terrifying.”
    • “The visuals are stunning and the fighting is fast and satisfying.”
    • “Ghostrunner is a polished game with a great soundtrack and aesthetic, lots of replayability.”
    • “The graphics engine induces motion sickness more so than other first-person games, so this game would definitely benefit from being played in small doses.”
    • “The graphics, even on the lowest setting, are amazing.”
    • “The graphics and gameplay mechanics feel like they belong on a mobile device rather than a console or PC.”
  • replayability
    407 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a mix of replayability options, primarily through speedrunning, collectibles, and a new game+ mode, which encourages players to improve their times and minimize deaths. While the campaign is relatively short, lasting around 5-10 hours, many players find the gameplay mechanics and level design engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs. However, some reviewers note that the lack of additional content or modes may limit replayability for those not interested in speedrunning or achievement hunting.

    • “The movement tech is intuitive and fluid, the pacing is sweet, level design and platforming is well built and creative, the progression/difficulty spikes have a nice steady slope, gameplay is a good mix of tactical decision making and mechanical execution, the speedrunning component adds replayability and a competitive hook.”
    • “The game length can feel a bit short but some replayability and the post-campaign arcade stuff put the game at a buy-on-sale recommendation.”
    • “There is so much content and endless replayability; the base campaign has about 10 hours of playtime, but then you have wave mode, kill runs, and hardcore mode.”
    • “The game is a little short, about 8 hours for a full completion, but there is so much replayability.”
    • “The main downside is the story is boring and has no real soul behind it; it wouldn't bother me if the story was mediocre and there was replayability, but the custom modes are meh.”
    • “The game doesn't have much replayability, especially when there's no achievement to beat the game in hard mode.”
  • optimization
    208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed feedback from users. While many praise its solid performance and smooth gameplay on various hardware setups, there are notable issues with ray tracing and DLSS, which can lead to significant frame drops and stuttering. Some players report that the game runs beautifully on lower settings, but others experience crashes and inconsistent performance, particularly in certain levels or when using advanced graphical features.

    • “The gameplay feels smooth, the graphics are great, the performance is very solid, the music is perfect, and the game just oozes style and atmosphere.”
    • “Great optimization also, runs at around 100fps at 1440p on high settings on my 2060 Super.”
    • “Ghostrunner was one of the best optimized games I have played in a while.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized.”
    • “The performance is just terrible.”
    • “The only flaws being bugs in optimization at times (I am running an RTX 2060 with RTX off and DLSS) and I still encounter some issues.”
  • atmosphere
    194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive cyberpunk aesthetic, enhanced by a fitting synthwave soundtrack that complements the fast-paced gameplay. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and level design, which create a captivating environment that draws players into its dystopian world. Overall, the combination of graphics, music, and atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making the game a visually and audibly engaging experience.

    • “Together with the very fitting soundtrack, this game has an amazing atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere, design, and overall graphics are awesome.”
    • “The atmosphere is amazing, the graphics are beautiful, and because the respawn time is so short, the gameplay makes you feel like an unstoppable god.”
    • “The story and the atmosphere are just... empty.”
    • “For starters, Ghostrunner seems to think it has an interesting story to tell; between its collectibles, blabbermouth sidekick and near constant output of boring, generic sci-fi exposition, the game wants to set an atmosphere by explaining it rather than showing it, as the levels struggle to break apart from one another in any meaningful way.”
    • “Each excitement ends badly with doing boring stuff like jumping and training in wow; very shoddy atmosphere and idea design belongs to the 90s.”
  • grinding
    166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly during parkour sections and boss fights. While some appreciate the challenge and the satisfaction of overcoming difficult segments, others feel that the gameplay often devolves into frustrating trial-and-error mechanics, making it feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience. Overall, the game is seen as a blend of engaging mechanics and frustrating grind, with a significant portion of players expressing a desire for a more streamlined experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Upgrades exist but they're not tedious to obtain, and a pretty cool cyberpunk environment.”
    • “The game becomes tedious and began disrespecting my time.”
    • “I can confirm it's the most tedious title I have ever played, and I have played a lot of games. It's not worth the 25 minutes of fun it offers; you will spend hours just to get those 25-30 minutes of perfect runs, the rest will cause you stress and annoyance. Is this what gaming is meant to be like?”
    • “The platforming/wall running parts can be tedious and annoying.”
  • stability
    154 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players noting that while it generally runs well and offers an engaging experience, it is plagued by various bugs and glitches, particularly related to movement mechanics like wall running and jumping. Some players reported game-breaking issues, such as crashes and input failures, which can disrupt gameplay, especially during challenging sections. Overall, while the game is enjoyable and visually appealing, its stability issues can lead to frustration, particularly for those seeking a seamless experience.

    • “The game runs great, plays great, and looks great.”
    • “Since I've bought it, I've experienced no glitches, FPS has been amazing, and it is very well optimized.”
    • “Looks great, runs great, and plays great.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game combines that with aimbots, lots and lots of platforming where if you miss a single jump or something glitches, you start from the beginning to repeat it all over again.”
    • “The game is a dream for anyone who likes to play fast games, or speedrun games... I'd give it an 8/10 just because I experienced some minor glitches and bad hitboxes and deaths.”
    • “It's an unpolished, buggy nightmare.”
  • humor
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of quirky dialogue, absurd scenarios, and playful character interactions, often eliciting laughter through unexpected moments and witty one-liners. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the gameplay, such as the amusing antics of characters and the humorous consequences of their actions, which enhance the overall experience despite some frustrations. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the intense gameplay, making it both entertaining and engaging.

    • “Insanely fun and terrifying platforming and hilariously demanding combat, but my Hotline Miami fans will know what's up.”
    • “The story is interesting with funny dialogues in almost every level.”
    • “Lovely bits of humor (especially regarding the swords and sword-wielding enemies).”
  • emotional
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings from players, with many expressing a sense of empowerment and satisfaction from gameplay mechanics that make them feel like a "badass" or a "cybernetic ninja." However, the story is often criticized as boring or lacking depth, leading to mixed feelings about emotional engagement with the characters and narrative. While some players found moments that made them cry or feel human again, others felt disconnected due to the game's focus on gameplay over story.

    • “Made me cry, cheer, yell, and laugh a ridiculous amount of times in a short playtime.”
    • “This game made me feel human again.”
    • “This game hurts to play, emotionally and mentally.”
    • “However, the game feels very uninspired with a boring story, boring characters, and very linear level design.”
    • “Would be a 10/10 if they just took out the boring story, the lame puzzles, and the repetitive boss fights.”
    • “Annoying gameplay, boring storyline, and not an interesting setting.”
  • character development
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the overall story and character design, while others criticize the lack of depth and fulfillment in character arcs. Many noted that the main character, Ghostrunner, is the only one with significant development, leaving other characters underexplored and the narrative feeling weak. Overall, while the game's visuals and mechanics are praised, the storytelling and character development are seen as areas needing improvement.

    • “It was a little challenging at parts but was fun overall. The parkour and fights were fun, and my favorite thing about the game is the story and character development throughout the game.”
    • “The story was very easy to tell how it was going to end, but it is still a good story with nice character development.”
    • “You can tell there was potential; there's ample space for character development that isn't just dialogue, a potentially really cool rival dynamic, and more.”
    • “Story is revealed between a few main characters through the voice lines (and recordings found) while you go through the game levels, and for me, they lack the character development, so the story feels unfulfilled and I don't really want to play story mode again.”
    • “The game doesn't offer much in the way of character development for anyone but the Ghostrunner himself, and overall the story is not very interesting.”
    • “Story is kind of weak with zero character development.”
  • monetization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players feeling that the advertising creates unrealistic expectations about gameplay and length. While the game is considered decent for an indie title, the promotional material may mislead players regarding the overall experience, leading to disappointment in combat mechanics and enemy design.

    • “It's not a bad game, I just don't recommend it based on the advertising.”
    • “The advertising for this game makes it feel like it'll be a rush that makes you feel godly, and instead by the end I felt tired and annoyed, unable to even enjoy the combat thanks to some odd decisions for enemy design and how the combat works in this game.”
Skip Critic Reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Ghostrunner

8h Median play time
10h Average play time
7h Main story
13h Completionist
5-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 125 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Ghostrunner

Games Like Ghostrunner

DeadCore Image
Katana Zero Image
This game contains adult content
Blue Fire Image
Cloudbuilt Image