GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead is a first-person RPG, by developer Daev Team and publisher Hyperstrange, that takes place in meta narrative about first-person shooters. When I first saw the trailer and the screenshots, I immediately thought this title looked like a callback to games from my early childhood, like Unreal Tournament. On the contrary, it has a very linear story mode that I would associate with some JRPGs. You play levels by entering portals inside of a lobby and progress through this nightmarish world.
The story is straight-forward. You died in the real world but were summoned to a video game arena through techno-necromancy. You encounter a cast of distinct personalities, who also died and were summoned to this entertainment forum to unceremoniously die over and over again for the Wizard’s entertainment. The Wizard is the grand architect for this world and even leaves levels incomplete. These arenas were created to pay tribute to first-person shooter arenas in the early days of gaming. The story is as much a commentary on nostalgic gamers, objectification of characters, and a lamentation of what once was Gaming in the early 2000s.
There are some classic game modes from the story-mode, also made accessible via the arcade mode, such as: arena mode, domination, and capture the flag. This ranges from your classic free-for-all, in which the first player to 10 kills wins, to capturing territory with teammates and holding them for points. There are some other moments in the game that are more exploratory and include platforming and navigating levels to their completion. Sometimes you need to find objects to move forward.
The gameplay and the story are mostly intertwined. There are unexpected boss battles, like when you first encounter the Hacker. Boss battles, no matter how overwhelming or underwhelming, keep the experience fresh. That development choice really helps break up the game, rather than forcing you to play a variety of arena matches.
The good old spawn kill is alive and well, but when you do get some hardware, it can feel like a hit-or-miss. I personally enjoyed the bubble gun and hated the shotgun. There is a grenade launcher, a ricochet machine gun, and a laser gun as well. All of them have an alternate fire mode with the right click. Your character also has a special ability, like throw-sand, which debilitates anyone in range for a second or two. If you use the weapons with the parkour and you may have a winning hand. Or a hot mess.
I like the lobby design as well as the level designs. They are all bite-sized stages and offer some exploration, when you are talking with your new friends or shooting them. The lobby feels peaceful and almost makes me feel like we are in a totally different game. You could make the same comment about the main menu, as though this was a really older game than it really is … or is even based off. The arenas are more metallic and Alien-like with the corridors and the green colors. The platforming parts make me think of a darker Portal and the floor is lava. These are not elements that I thought I would see tied together, but it works really nicely in this title.
I think GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead is limited in its replayability in its current state on Early Access, but it is a good game and a good commentary with some quick humor. The gameplay is good but can also be frustrating in those fourth wall moments when you start platforming through the backend. I really like that it is more than just an arena shooter and it gives me warm nostalgia feelings. If you enjoy having dry eyes because you can’t look away from the screen, this title is an attention grabber for sure.
GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead is available for $14.99 for PC via Steam Early Access.
Related: Reviews by John Pruitt
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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