Review: Ghost Trick

Also known as: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Powered by components of the Ace Attorney series, Ghost Trick is a puzzle game combining logic with an storyline of supernatural type adventures.

Unlockables

Unlock Database

Finish the game once to unlock the complete in-game database, which consists of 33 characters and 14 locations. All characters and locations have time-specific information for them based on progression of the story. This database can be viewed by touching the upper-left hand corner icon (or pressing start) at the title screen after the game is cleared.

Unlockable

Character/Location Database Clear the game once

Ghost trick” Phantom Detective is a puzzle/adventure game solely for the DS. It is not a surprise it won GameSpot “Best Game You’ll Never Play Award”. It is just great. No wonder, when you realize it is from the same guy that made the Phoenix Wright series for Capcom.

The game’s main mechanic is the movement between objects and interacting with them. Most objects have a way to interact with them which may produce a certain result. You have a certain time to complete a puzzle or you’ll fail. At certain queues known to you, the puzzle will change.  The game’s puzzles are the best I’ve seen, better than Postal even in 2D. I enjoyed every part of it even when it was difficult at times, as expected. One of the things I likes is that in 2 occasions I found away to fail very, very funnily.

 

The premise, as explained from the name, is to solve your own murder case, as a ghost, a super-powered ghost. You follow lead by lead solving puzzles to get to the bottom of your death. Everything else I’ll tell will just destroy the great detective story you will play.

 

Its only shortcoming is you requirement to fail a couple of times to understand all the queues and the order of interactions at times. Also, there is a tip in the end if you failed, but mostly it is very shady and unhelpful.

 

The story is interesting, and told like a detective novel considering the plot. It encloses most (emphasize on most) questions you ask during the game. It is unexpected and will keep your face stuck in front of the screen. The characters are varied in personality and while seem disconnected at start, all have major roles as the story progresses, it shows a well-built story.

 

With that said, didn’t feel as emotional or as rewarding I thought it would. You don’t empathize with the main character, and it leaves a taste of missing in the end.

 

For a DS game the movements of the animations are clean and stunning. The sceneries seem real enough. As you are with adrenaline at maximum, everything is clear. The interface is easy to understand. The sound effects and ambient music hit on the spot.

Like many Japanese interactive novels, it has the character in tiny figure while their big portraits appear when they speak. The portraits felt too flashy and not in-sync with the back.

Overall, this is a great game, and I’ll force anyone with a DS to play it. Chapter by chapter, I fought to get to the ending, and it was worth it. I had a great journey with this game, and I’m sure anyone else would have too.