GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead

About

In "Ghostware: Arena of the Dead," play as Molly, a soul trapped in a magical arena shooter with five others. Explore diverse dimensions, from a decaying cyber-afterlife to real-world locales, while uncovering a conspiracy surrounding the arena's creation. Experience a fusion of retro-FPS action and adventure game exploration.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+26

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 272 reviews

story56 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of nostalgia for 90s arena shooters with a fresh narrative twist, making it an interesting experience.
Movement mechanics are well-designed, allowing for fluid gameplay with features like double jumping and wall jumping that enhance exploration.
The aesthetic and soundtrack effectively capture the vibe of classic FPS games, creating an immersive atmosphere that resonates with fans of the genre.

The story can feel disjointed and confusing, with pacing issues and a lack of clarity that detracts from the overall experience.
Enemy AI is inconsistent, often leading to frustrating encounters where they either become too easy to defeat or overly punishing.
The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that it lacks depth and content to justify its price, leaving them wanting more.

story
208 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The story of the game is a complex and often confusing blend of retro FPS elements and meta-narrative, drawing inspiration from various cultural references and themes such as corporate power and nostalgia. While it features intriguing world-building and lore that rewards exploration, many players find the plot to be erratic and poorly paced, leading to a lack of clarity in character motivations and story progression. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag—promising yet flawed—appealing primarily to those who enjoy piecing together lore from scattered snippets rather than a straightforward storyline.
- “While being obviously influenced by the Unreal series in terms of aesthetics, the game is pulling from a lot of influences ranging from 1984, Series 7: The Corrections, and No Players Online as you're immersed in a gripping story about interstellar corporate power, the intentional diminishment of the value of human life, and the evil that nostalgia is capable of.”
- “The game turned out to be surprisingly narrative-driven and luckily the story and worldbuilding are really interesting and definitely seems like the kind of thing that could be explored more in the future.”
- “The story really shines in the message items you discover throughout the game, particularly the forums. It's a really engaging way to explore the story, especially as the story elements serve as a reward for exploration.”
- “The story can be rather opaque and I'm not sure how much I eventually understood.”
- “The story is... all over the place.”
- “In a previous iteration, this game was marketed with 'deep story' but really they meant 'borderline incoherent.'”
gameplay
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The gameplay is a mix of solid mechanics and uneven execution, with standout moments in arena combat that highlight excellent movement and shooting mechanics. However, the transition from arena to more open levels disrupts the flow, and some gameplay elements, like enemy AI and stealth mechanics, feel underutilized. Overall, while the game offers nostalgic FPS vibes and intriguing ideas, it struggles with pacing and narrative interruptions that detract from the overall experience.
- “The combat during the arena sections of the game feels great though; it's easily where the game shines best in terms of gameplay, combined with some excellent movement mechanics to gain a ton of speed and feel cool doing it.”
- “What it does well, however, is gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is really fun, and there are a lot of tiny hints to gems of that era.”
- “Sadly, the arena gameplay is fleeting, but due to the game's themes and narrative, it is also rather fitting that it often gets cut short.”
- “It's definitely one of the most uneven boomer shooters on a gameplay level, but it is also one of the most interesting I've played in a while.”
- “The messiness extends to the gameplay as well.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The music in the game has received high praise for its atmospheric quality and fitting integration with the gameplay, featuring a diverse soundtrack that includes 90s samples and haunting ambient tracks. Composed by Mothership Loudspeakerz, the soundtrack evokes nostalgia for classic titles like Unreal and Deus Ex, enhancing the overall experience with its immersive vibes. While some users noted that the music may not reach the heights of iconic soundtracks from earlier games, it remains a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's unique atmosphere.
- “Especially shoutout for the soundtrack, top notch!”
- “The overall atmosphere created by the visuals, music, and level design is fantastic.”
- “The vibe is immaculate; the look of everything and the music, I just really enjoy being in this world.”
- “The moments when you have to explore a whole, empty map, with a creepy soundtrack is so relatable when you try to play an old game.”
- “Soundtrack made of tracker music with 90s samples ranging from jungle/dnb to haunting ambient, it's all so very fitting to the theme of a resurrected game full of dead people.”
- “There is no music.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
48%
7%
The graphics of Ghostware: Arena of the Dead are praised for their unique blend of retro and modern aesthetics, effectively capturing a nostalgic 90s internet vibe while drawing inspiration from classic arena shooters like Unreal Tournament. Reviewers highlight the game's art style, character design, and atmospheric visuals as standout features, although some suggest that certain levels could benefit from improved visual distinction and more verticality in design. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the immersive storytelling and engaging gameplay experience.
- “The overall atmosphere created by the visuals, music, and level design is fantastic.”
- “They nailed the aesthetic in everything from character and environmental design, down to the UI.”
- “Visually pleasing, successfully mimicking the intended aesthetic for the character models, maps, and weapons, good voice acting, and a really interesting story; I'm eager for the full release.”
- “I do like the visuals, but I think the dev is missing the point with some of the levels. It depends on the location; I think there is a lot of room for improvement. You could even rely more on platforming to create challenges since you can move so much in this game. Don't be afraid to create more verticality for the player to jump around.”
- “One other nitpick I have is relating to a late game spoiler, but personally, I think there should be a drastic change in art style in 03_ctf3 due to that map taking place in the real world.”
- “Sure, I get that the low-fidelity visuals are part of the game-within-a-game setting, though I think there should be a lot more in the way of visual distinction between the game world and touching (in-game) grass.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its fantastic blend of visuals, music, and level design, creating a nostalgic and haunting experience reminiscent of classic shooters. Players appreciate the eerie vibe and iconic soundtrack that enhance the sense of mystery and discovery throughout the gameplay. However, some reviewers note that while the overall atmosphere is strong, the game's storytelling elements could use improvement to match the immersive environment.
- “The overall atmosphere created by the visuals, music, and level design is fantastic.”
- “Just a haunting atmosphere and the fear of the unknown in the virtual void... while you crouch slide, double jump, wall jump, and try the level's limits to find all the secret places.”
- “I absolutely loved the game’s art style, soundtrack, and atmosphere.”
- “After a frantic match of deathmatch, domination or capture the flag you can revisit the levels, but this time the atmosphere is very different.”
- “Just a haunting atmosphere and the fear of the unknown in the virtual void... while you crouch slide, double jump, wall jump and try the level's limits to find all the secret places.”
- “I think the game gets the atmosphere and the gameplay right for the most part, but when you look into the details, like the magic of unreal level design, it needs a lot of work.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its quirky moments and nostalgic references, while others find it shallow and overly cliché. While there are instances of genuine laughter, particularly with character interactions and power-ups, some reviewers feel the humor could benefit from being toned down and more original. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the experience, but its effectiveness varies among players.
- “My playermodel hilariously changed with that of another important character a few times.”
- “Simultaneously funny, nostalgic, and creepy all at the same time.”
- “Love the story and humor.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a sense of nostalgia and introspection, with some feeling a poignant reminder of aging due to the game's low-fidelity visuals. While the aesthetic is intentional, there is a desire for clearer visual differentiation between the game world and the in-game elements to enhance emotional engagement.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users frequently encountering bugs that affect gameplay.
- “Mind you, it can be rather buggy.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily revolving around the challenge of obtaining the final collectibles, but the overall experience is relatively quick.
- “There is a decent amount of replayability, but it's pretty quick and is just about having the right power to get that last collectible.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is generally seen as enjoyable, though some reviewers feel that it lacks the more extravagant designs found in titles like Unreal or Quake 3. Overall, while the character designs may not be as bold, they still contribute positively to the gaming experience.