Info about Ghostrunner 2:

Official game description:
EDITIONS COMPARED
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GHOSTRUNNER 2 BRUTAL EDITION
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**Ghostrunner 2 Brutal Edition Includes:**  
*   Ghostrunner 2 Game  
*   Ahriman's Katana Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Modern Energy Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Molten Blade Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Gothic Blue Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Hand Hologram with Username  
*   Aqua Animated Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Design 24A Motorcycle Skin  
*   Ghostrunner 2 Season Pass ($19.99 Value)
GHOSTRUNNER 2 DELUXE EDITION
============================
**Ghostrunner 2 Deluxe Edition Includes:**  
*   Ghostrunner 2 Game  
*   Ahriman's Katana Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Modern Energy Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Molten Blade Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Gothic Blue Sword and Hand Skin  
*   Hand Hologram with Username
About the Game
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Blood will run in the highly anticipated hardcore FPP slasher set one year after the events of Ghostrunner. Adventure through a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk future that takes place after the fall of the Keymaster, a tyrant who ruled over Dharma Tower, the last refuge of mankind. Jack is back to take on the violent AI cult that has assembled outside Dharma Tower and shape the future of humanity.  
Featuring incredible katana combat mechanics, a deeper exploration of the world beyond Dharma Tower, nonlinear levels with complex motorbike sections, exciting new modes, and all the action you loved about Ghostrunner. Plus, boss fights are more interactive, giving players freedom to choose how to survive battles against the toughest opponents.  
**Become The Ultimate Cyber Ninja**  
Ghostrunner 2 introduces new skills, allowing players to be more creative and take on even the most demanding encounters with greater accessibility. However, enemies in Ghostrunner 2 behave uniquely dependent on the skills used against them, providing a fresh challenge with each encounter. The player progression system has been completely redone, providing opportunities to experiment and customize gameplay.  
**Immersive, Mind-Bending Features**  
Master the Cybervoid if you hope to survive. Take on challenging, new enemies as you traverse interactive environments including exploding barrels, destructible walls, helpful neutral entities, and countless improvements that keep combat exciting and fresh. Can’t get enough? Dive even deeper into the lore and plot with the new dialogue system.  
**Sounds of the Cybervoid**  
Save humanity in style as you decimate your opponents while listening to the captivating synthwave soundtrack featuring new music from Daniel Deluxe, We Are Magonia, Gost, Dan Terminus, and Arek Reikowski.

Release date: 26 Oct, 2023

Categories: First-Person Melee Combat, Platformer, One-Hit Kill Combat, Character Progression, Character Customization, Driving Simulation, Roguelike, Exploration


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Significant Sequel Improvement (weight 0.72): Reviewers consistently praise the game as a superior sequel, improving upon its predecessor in various aspects such as gameplay fluidity, boss battles, character development, and overall scope. Many found it to be a more enjoyable and refined experience than the first installment.
- Expanded Gameplay & New Mechanics (weight 0.6): The game introduces a wealth of new features, abilities, and gameplay options, significantly expanding on the original's formula. New mechanics like parrying, blocking, wingsuit, and varied enemy types add depth and replayability, making combat and traversal more diverse and engaging.
- Stunning Visuals & Cyberpunk Aesthetic (weight 0.44): Reviewers consistently praise the game's impressive graphics, vibrant art style, and strong cyberpunk atmosphere. The detailed environments, neon-lit cityscapes, and overall visual presentation contribute significantly to an immersive and aesthetically pleasing experience.
- Excellent Level Design (weight 0.36): The game features cleverly designed levels that offer a good balance of action and puzzles, encouraging exploration and creative traversal. Reviewers highlight the varied environments, strategic enemy encounters, and memorable moments, contributing to a dynamic and engaging experience.
- Fluid & Satisfying Combat (weight 0.32): The core combat experience, combining fast-paced swordplay with parkour, is highly praised for its fluidity, responsiveness, and satisfying feel. Reviewers enjoy the sense of accomplishment from defeating enemies with precise movements and brutal efficiency, embodying the cyber-ninja fantasy.
- Engaging Story & Lore (weight 0.3): The narrative is significantly improved and expanded upon, offering a more coherent and deeper understanding of the world and characters. Reviewers found the plot captivating, with well-developed lore, interesting dialogues, and memorable missions that enhance immersion.
- Fluid Parkour & High Speed (weight 0.28): The game's parkour mechanics are highly praised for their fluidity, responsiveness, and sense of speed, allowing players to effortlessly dash, wall-run, and zip through levels. This core movement system, combined with new traversal elements, creates an adrenaline-pumping and satisfying experience.
- Enjoyable Motorcycle Gameplay (weight 0.27): The newly introduced motorcycle sections are widely praised as a fun and exciting addition, providing a refreshing change of pace and expanding the game's scope. Reviewers enjoyed the handling, speed, and unique level designs associated with these segments.
- Improved Boss Fights (weight 0.24): Boss battles are a major highlight, significantly improved from the first game, offering dynamic, multi-stage encounters that feel like actual fights rather than puzzles. Reviewers praise their unique designs, varied mechanics, and the satisfying challenge they provide.
- Challenging Yet Fair Difficulty (weight 0.23): The game maintains a high skill ceiling and offers a challenging experience that is consistently rewarding rather than frustrating. Reviewers appreciate the balanced difficulty curve, responsive controls, and generous checkpoints that encourage mastery without feeling unfair.
- Outstanding Soundtrack (weight 0.1): The game's electronic and synthwave soundtrack is highly praised for its quality, dynamism, and ability to perfectly complement the high-energy gameplay. Reviewers found it immersive, memorable, and a significant contributor to the overall adrenaline-fueled experience.
- High-Quality Voice Acting (weight 0.09): Reviewers commend the game's voice acting, particularly highlighting the quality and localization of the Chinese dubbing. The strong performances and engaging dialogues contribute to character portrayal and overall immersion.

Common complaints:
- Inferior to Predecessor (weight 0.64): The game is widely considered a significant downgrade from the first Ghostrunner in terms of gameplay flow, combat feel, level design, movement fluidity, and overall polish, often feeling like it misunderstood the original's strengths and introduced unnecessary changes.
- Clunky Motorcycle Controls (weight 0.46): The motorcycle sections are heavily criticized for terrible, unresponsive controls, awkward camera angles, frequent instances of getting stuck in geometry, and overall clunky handling, making these segments frustrating and unenjoyable.
- Weak Story & Characters (weight 0.43): The narrative is often described as boring, forgettable, illogical, and poorly written, with bland or annoying characters and unengaging dialogue. The soundtrack is also noted as dull and unmemorable.
- Poor Open World & Hub (weight 0.39): The introduction of semi-open world levels, motorcycle sections, and a central hub area is widely criticized for disrupting the game's fast-paced flow, being empty, tedious, and poorly designed, often feeling like unnecessary filler.
- Technical Issues & Bugs (weight 0.38): The game suffers from severe optimization problems, frequent frame drops, stutters, and numerous critical bugs, including crashes, progress loss, and environmental glitches, significantly hindering the gameplay experience.
- Inconsistent Parkour & Movement (weight 0.24): The game's core parkour and movement mechanics are often described as inconsistent, clunky, less fluid, and frustrating, with issues like failing to grab ledges or walls, leading to unexpected deaths and a diminished sense of control.
- Unsatisfying Boss Fights (weight 0.1): Boss battles are frequently described as uninteresting, repetitive, or frustrating due to poor design, inconsistent difficulty, and sometimes buggy behavior, lacking the impact or challenge of the predecessor.
- Restrictive Stamina Bar (weight 0.09): The introduction of a stamina bar for movement actions like dashing and blocking is widely criticized for limiting player mobility, disrupting the fast-paced flow, and reducing the overall fluidity and enjoyment of combat and traversal.

Gameplay feedback:
- Evolution from Ghostrunner 1 (weight 0.3): The game builds upon the core gameplay of Ghostrunner 1, introducing numerous new mechanics, abilities, and content, leading to a more diverse experience. While many aspects like parkour and one-hit-kill combat remain, opinions on overall difficulty are mixed, with some finding it easier and others harder than the original.
- Core Parkour & Platforming (weight 0.24): The game's core gameplay revolves around fast-paced first-person parkour and platforming, featuring mechanics like wall running, grappling, and new additions such as the wingsuit and motorcycle. These elements are central to traversal, combat, and environmental puzzles, offering a fluid and often challenging experience.
- Motorcycle Gameplay Sections (weight 0.15): The game introduces motorcycle segments for traversal in semi-open world areas and dedicated racing levels. These sections are described as fast-paced and dynamic, though some players found them less engaging or occasionally buggy.
- High Difficulty, Frequent Deaths (weight 0.13): The game is characterized by its high difficulty and one-hit-kill mechanics for both the player and enemies, leading to frequent deaths. However, quick respawns and checkpoints mitigate frustration, encouraging trial-and-error learning.
- Roguelike Mode & Progression (weight 0.1): The game introduces a "Roguerunner" mode, a roguelike minigame offering challenges and upgrades. It also features a progression system with collectibles and a skill tree, alongside semi-open world hub-like levels.
- Varied & Enhanced Bosses (weight 0.09): Boss battles are more numerous and significantly enhanced, featuring diverse attack patterns and requiring adaptive strategies. They are full-fledged opponents that test player awareness and skill.
- Average Story, Moderate Length (weight 0.09): The game features a more prominent but generally average or forgettable story, serving primarily as narrative filler. The main campaign is relatively short, typically taking 8-10 hours to complete.
- Hub World & NPC Interaction (weight 0.07): The game introduces a hub world or base where players return between missions to interact with NPCs and engage in dialogues. This adds a social and narrative layer not as prominent in the first game.
- Core One-Hit-Kill Combat (weight 0.07): The game retains its signature one-hit-kill mechanic for both the player and most enemies, emphasizing precision and quick reflexes. A parry/deflect system is also a core part of the combat.
- Forgiving Checkpoints & Respawns (weight 0.07): The game features a generous checkpoint system and instant respawns with no loading screens, allowing players to quickly re-attempt challenging sections. This design choice effectively mitigates frustration from frequent deaths.
- Fluid & Elaborate Combat (weight 0.06): Combat is described as fluid and more elaborate, requiring precise action, adaptation, and a balance of attacking, dodging, blocking, and special abilities. Enemies are varied, and the system feels polished.
- Varied Level Design (weight 0.05): Levels are described as varied and often non-linear, offering different challenges and encouraging exploration. New mechanics, enemy types, and environmental hazards are introduced throughout the stages.

Performance notes:
- Frequent Performance Issues & Crashes (weight 0.28): Many players report significant FPS drops, stuttering, and frequent game crashes across various hardware configurations, including high-end systems. Optimization is often described as poor, especially in open-world sections and specific levels, with issues like low GPU usage and problems with both DX11 and DX12.
- Numerous Gameplay Glitches (weight 0.07): Players encountered a variety of non-performance related bugs, including boss fight glitches (teleporting, getting stuck), falling through the map, audio issues, motorcycle soft-locks and clipping, incorrect checkpoints, and achievements not registering. Some issues involve late loading of assets or enemies.
- Demanding System Requirements (weight 0.06): The game is perceived to have higher system requirements compared to its predecessor, Ghostrunner 1, despite similar graphics quality. Players note that a decent to high-end PC is needed for optimal performance.
- Mouse Input Settings Issues (weight 0.02): The game has default mouse smoothing/acceleration that cannot be changed via in-game UI, requiring manual configuration file editing. Some players also reported general latency issues, which could be related to input responsiveness.

Recommendations:
- Recommended on sale (weight 0.5): A significant number of reviewers recommend purchasing the game only when it's heavily discounted, often advising against buying it at full price.
- Sequel quality debated (weight 0.42): While some find it a worthy or even superior sequel, many reviewers prefer the original Ghostrunner, citing its fluid movement, linear design, and overall feel as better.
- Play GR1 first (weight 0.38): Many reviewers strongly advise new players to experience the first Ghostrunner game before playing the sequel, often for story context or to understand core mechanics.
- Divided GR3 expectations (weight 0.34): Reviewers have mixed feelings about a potential Ghostrunner 3, with some hoping for it to fix issues and return to the original formula, while others express disinterest or hope for no further sequels.
- Progression-blocking bugs (weight 0.08): Several reviewers report progression-blocking and other malicious bugs, leading to strong non-recommendations.
- Appeals to action fans (weight 0.07): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy fast-paced, challenging action, cyberpunk aesthetics, precise movement, and instant-kill combat.
- High difficulty, low patience (weight 0.05): The game is noted for its high difficulty, requiring patience and quick reflexes, making it less suitable for beginners or casual players. Some hope for accessibility options like an assist mode.

Other player notes:
- Sequel Evolution & Changes (weight 0.14): The game is frequently compared to its predecessor, with many noting it as a "bigger, faster, more complex" evolution featuring improved graphics and wider environments. However, some aspects like humor, puzzle complexity, and collectibles are perceived differently or less favorably than in the first game.
- Mixed Story & Narrative Quality (weight 0.13): The story is generally considered secondary to action, often described as simple, functional, or "okay," but sometimes criticized for being disjointed, overloaded with lore, or having unmemorable characters and cringe humor. Hub dialogues are also a point of contention.
- Strong Cyberpunk Aesthetic & Audio (weight 0.11): The game is highly praised for its stunning cyberpunk visuals, neon lights, futuristic atmosphere, and excellent synth-techno soundtrack, creating an immersive and cinematic experience. Some minor dissent regarding brown/gray wasteland sections exists.
- Game Length & Replayability (weight 0.11): The main storyline typically takes 7-12 hours to complete, with full achievement completion extending playtime to 15-31 hours. This indicates a moderate game length with significant replayability for completionists.
- Varied Level Design Quality (weight 0.04): Level design receives mixed feedback, with some levels being criticized for being too large, exhausting to traverse, or lacking continuity. The in-between level hub-world is also seen as uninteresting.
- Future Game Hopes (weight 0.03): Players express interest in a potential third installment, hoping for features like an open world and co-op, indicating a desire for continued expansion of the game's universe.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.27): Players express satisfaction primarily due to the game's refined core gameplay, including fluid parkour, engaging combat, and well-designed boss fights. The game's improvements over its predecessor, new mechanics like the motorcycle sections (when well-implemented), and expanded story and world-building also contribute significantly to overall enjoyment. Positive feedback frequently highlights the game's visuals, soundtrack, and the rewarding feeling of mastering its challenging mechanics.
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Frustration primarily stems from pervasive technical issues such as stuttering, FPS drops, crashes, and poor optimization, which severely disrupt gameplay. A major source of annoyance is the poorly implemented motorcycle sections, characterized by clunky controls, getting stuck, and forced, unengaging open-world segments. Additionally, players are frustrated by high and often unfair difficulty spikes, inconsistent mechanics, game-breaking bugs, and design choices like tedious hub areas or repetitive trial-and-error gameplay.
- Disappointment (weight 0.22): Disappointment largely stems from the game failing to meet expectations set by its predecessor, often due to perceived downgrades in core gameplay fluidity, story quality, and overall polish. Players frequently cite poorly implemented new features like the open-world sections, clunky motorcycle mechanics, and tedious hub areas as major detriments that disrupt the game's pacing and core identity. Technical issues, including optimization problems and bugs, further contribute to the negative experience, making the game feel less refined and enjoyable than anticipated.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players feel excitement from the game's fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping action, fluid combat, and dynamic parkour. The introduction of new mechanics, particularly the motorcycle sections (when well-received), and challenging yet rewarding boss fights contribute to a thrilling experience. The game's overall quality, stunning visuals, and energetic soundtrack further enhance the sense of excitement and anticipation for future content.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy in the game is primarily derived from its overall fun and engaging gameplay experience, characterized by fluid combat, satisfying parkour, and well-integrated new mechanics. Players also find joy in the game's vibrant atmosphere, captivating soundtrack, and expanded story and character development. The sense of accomplishment from mastering challenging mechanics and the high replayability further contribute to a positive and enjoyable experience.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Anger is predominantly caused by the game's significant technical flaws, including persistent bugs, crashes, and poor optimization, which severely hinder playability. A major source of frustration and anger is the widely disliked motorcycle sections, criticized for their clunky controls, poor design, and forced inclusion. Additionally, players express anger over perceived poor design choices by developers, such as unfair difficulty spikes, unengaging story elements, and a general feeling that the game is a downgrade from its predecessor.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players experience enjoyment from the game's core fluid gameplay, particularly the satisfying one-hit-kill combat and dynamic parkour. The game's engaging level design, new mechanics (including well-executed motorcycle segments), and challenging yet rewarding difficulty contribute to a fun experience. The captivating art style, immersive world-building, and high-quality soundtrack further enhance overall enjoyment.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance primarily stems from disruptive elements such as excessive and poorly written dialogue, frequent story interruptions, and uninteresting NPC interactions. Players also express annoyance with specific game design choices, including unnecessarily long or frustrating boss fights, tedious puzzle sections, and persistent minor bugs. The clunky motorcycle gameplay and perceived forced playstyles further contribute to this negative sentiment.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): The sense of challenge in the game is directly linked to its high difficulty, characterized by frequent player deaths and the need for repeated attempts to overcome obstacles. Players find the game challenging due to demanding boss fights and the necessity of learning through trial and error, which ultimately leads to a rewarding mastery of mechanics.
- Boredom (weight 0): Boredom arises from repetitive and unengaging level design, particularly in the extended driving sections and open-world environments. Players also find the story uninteresting and the combat repetitive, leading to a lack of motivation. Tedious intermissions and excessive map running further contribute to a monotonous gameplay experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0): Players express appreciation for the game's stunning visuals, distinctive cyberpunk art style, and high-quality soundtrack. The smooth and satisfying core gameplay, including parkour and combat, is highly valued, alongside improvements to systems like the upgrade tree and the inclusion of skippable cutscenes. Additionally, efforts in localization and engaging story elements contribute to a positive overall impression.
- Confusion (weight 0): Confusion primarily stems from technical issues like unexplained crashes and game-breaking bugs, which disrupt the player experience. Players also express confusion regarding the game's design choices, such as unclear open-world navigation, inconsistent pacing, and changes to core mechanics like the stamina meter or difficulty balancing in different modes.
- Relief (weight 0): Relief is felt upon completing the game, especially after overcoming challenging sections or bosses. Players also experience relief when dreaded elements, such as motorcycle sections, turn out to be less problematic than anticipated, or when significant technical issues are resolved. The game's fair difficulty and the return to more linear level designs also contribute to a sense of ease.
- Mild frustration (weight 0): Mild frustration arises from minor technical issues like performance spikes and frame drops, as well as design flaws such as getting lost on maps or the presence of feature bloat. Gameplay changes and buggy secondary traversal modes also contribute to a slightly irritating experience without causing severe anger.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0): Players experience mixed feelings due to the game's significant changes from its predecessor, particularly concerning pacing, new traversal mechanics, and the implementation of open-world and motorcycle sections. These changes lead to a divided opinion on the overall gameplay experience and the game's value, as some aspects are appreciated while others are disliked.
- Surprise (weight 0): Surprise is often positive, stemming from the game exceeding player expectations, particularly with the unexpected enjoyment of new mechanics like the motorcycle sections. Players are also surprised by significant gameplay shifts, clever level design, and the overall high quality of the sequel, especially given its challenging one-hit-kill combat.
- Hope (weight 0): Hope is expressed for the game's future, primarily focusing on the resolution of existing bugs and optimization issues through future updates or patches. Players also convey hope for a potential sequel, anticipating further improvements and a return to the series' peak quality.
- Discomfort (weight 0): Discomfort is reported due to specific ergonomic or sensory issues, such as problematic default keybinds and the dual-wielding mechanic. Visual elements like the motorcycle camera and certain sliding animations can induce nausea, while frame drops during motorcycle segments further contribute to an unpleasant experience.
- Criticism (weight 0): Criticism targets the game's fundamental design choices, including changes to core mechanics and pacing that are perceived to conflict with the series' identity. Players criticize dragged-out gameplay, un-fun enemy designs, and a skill system that feels misguided. Poor optimization, flawed level design, and weak story/character writing are also significant points of contention.
- Amusement (weight 0): Amusement arises from unexpected or quirky elements within the game, such as humorous bugs or specific voice acting. Players also find amusement in the game's block feature or in the humorous exaggeration of their frequent one-hit deaths.}