After year-long console exclusivity on PlayStation 5, Bethesda’s Ghostwire: Tokyo is coming to Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass on April 12th. Developed by Tango Gameworks of Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within fame, this is part horror, part action-adventure as players battle spirits in the titular Tokyo.
What can new players expect? What Xbox-specific features can they look forward to? A new content update is available on the same day for all platforms, but what does that offer? Let’s look at 13 things you should know before playing Ghostwire: Tokyo on Xbox Series X/S.
Story and Setting
Set in Tokyo during a perpetual downpour, the story sees Akito possessed by a mysterious spirit named KK after a traffic accident. Soon after, an overwhelming fog encompasses the city, turning most of the population into spirits. Akito retains his human form, but there are also horrifying spirits called Visitors to deal with. While wanting to ensure his sister’s safety, Akito must also hunt down the enigmatic Hannya, who seems responsible for the catastrophe that’s befallen Tokyo.
Combat
Combat is in first-person, with Akito able to attack with melee techniques and a bow with arrows. However, much of his damage will come from Ethereal Weaving, which consists of Wind, Fire and Water. You’ll gain different “ammo” called Ether for each, and they all have upgrades. Wind fires small bursts of air at enemies, serving as a good long-range attack, while Water employs blades which can deal significant damage up close.
Fire uses long-range projectiles, but they deal massive amounts of damage. You can charge each elemental attack for more damage, and enemies can also be executed to destroy their cores.
Visitors
Inspired by Japanese urban legends, the Visitors are hostile spirits that oppose Akito and KK throughout the game. There are several types like the Rainwalkers, your average grunts wielding umbrellas; the Students, who are more acrobatic and throw school stationery; the Forlorns, raincoat-wearing kids who summon other Visitors when alerted; and Kuchisake, based on Kuchisake-onna, who attacks with a large pair of scissors.
Many Visitors have different subtypes, like the Forsaken, who summon mini-bosses instead of normal Visitors or Students of Pain, who have more health and charge at players instead of kicking.
Activities
Though it’s an action-adventure title, Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a significant amount of open-world style activities. You can locate and collect human spirits, earning experience points and currency; Containment Cubes, where you must dispose of Visitors to access the spirits inside; Torii Gates, structures that must be cleansed to clear up surrounding fog and access other areas. There are also various side missions with their own unique stories.
Playtime
If you’re only in it for the story, then it can take roughly 11 hours to complete on average, according to HowLongToBeat.com. Those looking to do everything, or close to it, can expect about 38 hours of gameplay on average. However, that can go up to 55 hours if you take your time. It’s a pretty big game if you can get into it, though there are varying opinions on the quality of the side content.
The Spider’s Thread
On the same day it launches for Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass, Ghostwire: Tokyo will receive a massive free update called Spider’s Thread. It adds several new features, but perhaps the most noteworthy is the mode, The Spider’s Thread. This is an endurance run mode of 30 stages randomly selected from over 130 handcrafted levels. You must reach the end without dying, which may be impossible at first. Make enough progress and complete challenges to unlock long-term upgrades, and you’ll ultimately win.
New Locations and Story Scenes
Of course, new content is also being added to the base game, including the new Middle School area, which should hopefully provide new side quests and activities. A haunting presence has taken over the school, and it’s up to you to investigate and ideally deal with it. New story scenes are also coming, providing more insight into the overall plot and characters.
New Skills and Talismans
While Akito has a fair number of skills in the base game, regular melee attacks felt underwhelming, and some defensive options would have been nice. The update adds three new skills – Counter-Attack to follow a block with an immediate attack, Dodging to evade attacks and Charge Rush, which allows for weaving elemental damage into a melee attack. There are also two new Talismans – Tengu Wind, which creates a whirlwind for levitating and Spiritual Fountain, which replenishes the Ether need for Ethereal Weaving.
New Enemies
Of course, there are new enemies to overcome with new Visitors arriving in Tokyo. Retribution is touted as quickly moving, while the Silent Gaze is invisible and could strike when you least expect it. Sanguine Dancer can fly, though how it fights remains to be seen. There’s also a massive spider teased, likely the boss in the Spider’s Thread mode, so there’s also that to look forward to.
Photo Mode
Like many titles, Ghostwire: Tokyo received a Photo Mode post-launch, which allows for taking images in-game. You can take them from the first-person perspective, go third-person and have different emotes for Akito, use filters and more for some sleek pictures. The update expands on this further, with the option to add stamps to images. You can even add other game models to your images, but these must first be unlocked from capsule machines in exchange for Meika.
Reduced Horror Effects
If the game intrigues you, but you’re not a fan of the horror, there will be a new option, “Reduced Horror Effects.” It replaces certain psychic effects with stickers of SHIIBUYA HACHI, presumably based on the famous Hachiko. The feature still lacks details, so it’s a good idea to test it first or learn more before jumping in.
4K Ultra HD, 60 FPS+ and Variable Refresh Rate
There are two primary graphics modes – Quality and Performance, the former with 30 FPS and ray tracing while the latter focuses on 60 FPS. However, there are also High Framerate and Vsync options. So you could have High Framerate Quality Mode with an uncapped frame rate or High Framerate Performance (Vsync), a 60 FPS mode with Vsync enabled.
At the very least, Xbox players can be assured of 4K Ultra HD and +60 FPS, since High Framerate supports 120 Hz displays. There’s also the benefit of Variable Refresh Rate, as per the Xbox Store listing, ensuring a smoother experience (for those with compatible displays, of course).
Xbox Play Anywhere
Releasing on the same day as Game Pass is already pretty great, but Ghostwire: Tokyo will also support Xbox Play Anywhere. This means purchasing the game on Xbox or PC (via the Microsoft Store) nets a free digital copy of the game on the other platform. Your progress carries over between both platforms, letting you switch back and forth per your preference.
Ghostwire: Tokyo On Xbox Series X/S – 13 Details You Need To Know
Source: News Beginning
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