Ghostrunner II Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is Ghostrunner II?

Ghostrunner II is a first-person action-platformer developed by Polish studio One More Level and published by 505 Games. It is a direct sequel to the 2020 title Ghostrunner, continuing the story of Jack, the cyber-ninja protagonist, in the dystopian tower of Dharma City.

The premise picks up after the events of the first game, with Jack now working alongside the Interface Council to establish a new order. However, a violent cult known as the Asura emerges, threatening the fragile peace and forcing Jack back into his high-velocity, blade-first mode of conflict resolution.

The game retains its core identity as a brutally fast-paced experience where a single hit means death. It demands precision, quick reflexes, and memorisation of enemy patterns and level layouts.

Gameplay

In our view, the gameplay of Ghostrunner II is an exercise in demanding, kinetic mastery. The core loop remains: dash, slide, wall-run, and use a variety of special abilities to navigate hostile environments while slicing every enemy in your path with a single, satisfying strike.

You, however, are equally fragile. This one-hit-kill rule for both Jack and his foes creates a tense, trial-and-error rhythm that will be immediately familiar to veterans of the original. The feel of movement is largely excellent; chaining together dashes, jumps, and grapples across neon-drenched cyberpunk vistas delivers a consistent rush of momentum when executed cleanly.

New Abilities and the Motorcycle

The game expands Jack's toolkit considerably. New abilities, like the returning but now upgradeable 'Sensory Boost' (a slow-motion dodge) and the addition of a blocking/parry mechanic for certain attacks, add welcome layers of strategy to combat.

The most significant new feature is a motorcycle, featured in several dedicated levels. These sections break up the on-foot action with high-speed chases and combat, though in our experience their handling can feel somewhat loose and they occasionally disrupt the finely-tuned flow of the core gameplay.

Difficulty and Depth

The learning curve is steep, arguably steeper than the first game due to increased enemy variety and more complex attack patterns. New enemy types, such as foes with shields that must be parried or attacks that must be dodged in specific ways, force you to engage more thoughtfully than simply reacting with raw speed.

The depth comes from mastering the integration of all your tools - shuriken, blast wave, shadow clone - to create your own fluid solutions to each combat arena. It is less of a pure reaction test and more of a violent puzzle box that you solve with movement. Progression is tied to a skill tree and collectible upgrades, allowing for some customisation of your playstyle.

Who is Ghostrunner II for?

This is unequivocally a game for players who relish a severe challenge and the satisfaction that comes from overcoming it through repetition and skill refinement. It is a hardcore, single-player experience.

The casual player, or one with little patience for dying dozens of times to master a single sequence, will likely find it exasperating.

Its closest relatives are the original Ghostrunner, the Mirror's Edge series for its parkour ethos, and character-action games like Devil May Cry in their emphasis on style and combo potential, albeit viewed through a first-person lens and with far higher stakes for mistakes. It also shares DNA with 'boomer shooter' titles in its fast pace and demand for arena navigation.

If you enjoyed dissecting the first game's levels until you could complete them in a flawless, cinematic sprint, this sequel is built for you.

Graphics and performance

Ghostrunner II employs a striking cyberpunk visual style, trading some of the first game's more oppressive, monolithic architecture for greater environmental variety. You'll traverse stormy exterior platforms, lush organic biomes, and grimy industrial complexes, all rendered with a pleasing blend of gritty detail and vibrant neon highlights.

The art direction is strong, selling the scale and atmosphere of Dharma City effectively.

Technical Issues on PC

On PC, performance has been a notable point of discussion. At launch, the game was plagued by technical issues including stuttering, inconsistent frame rates, and various bugs that significantly impacted the experience. These problems are reflected in its mixed user review score on platforms like Steam.

While patches have addressed some concerns, performance can still be variable depending on your hardware. It is a demanding title that benefits greatly from powerful components.

On consoles, the experience is generally more stable, targeting 60 frames per second with some visual compromises. In our view, when it runs smoothly, it is a visually impressive game that serves its gameplay perfectly, but technical hiccups can be particularly damaging in an experience demanding such precision.

Value for money

The main campaign of Ghostrunner II will take most players between 10 to 15 hours to complete, depending on their skill level and willingness to engage with optional challenges and collectibles. This represents a noticeable expansion over the original's runtime.

Beyond the story, there is a wave-based mode that tests combat prowess and a roguelike mode, adding some replayability for those seeking to hone their skills further.

Whether the asking price is justified depends entirely on your appetite for its specific brand of action. For the dedicated fan who will replay levels to shave seconds off their time and master every mechanic, the content and depth are likely sufficient.

For a player who will only complete the campaign once, possibly with some frustration, the value proposition may feel less compelling, especially considering the technical issues that have been present. It is not a brief experience, but its longevity is intrinsically tied to the player's desire to engage deeply with its systems.

Verdict

Ghostrunner II is a confident and expanded sequel that sharpens the original's formula, offering a bigger, tougher, and more varied cyber-ninja spectacle for those with the reflexes and patience to see it through.

Ghostrunner II is a confident and expanded sequel that successfully builds upon the intense foundation of the original. Its core movement and combat are exhilarating, and the added abilities provide more tactical options for tackling its demanding encounters.

The motorcycle sections and increased scale are ambitious, if not always seamlessly executed.

We would recommend this game primarily to players who adored the first Ghostrunner and are seeking a more substantial and complex challenge. It is also a strong candidate for action-game enthusiasts who value high-skill ceilings and kinetic gameplay above all else.

However, we would advise caution for those with lower frustration thresholds or for PC players concerned about technical performance. The steep difficulty and the potential for performance-related disruptions are significant barriers.

In our view, Ghostrunner II does not revolutionise the formula, but it diligently sharpens it. It offers a bigger, tougher, and more varied cyber-ninja spectacle for those with the reflexes and patience to see it through.