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GhostWire: Tokyo

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Release Date: March 25, 2022

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'Ghostwire: Tokyo' Gets Dated, Shows Off Gameplay And Behind The Scenes Footage, Pre-Order Gets you Early Access - Screens & Trailer

by Rainier on Feb. 3, 2022 @ 2:21 p.m. PST

GhostWire: Tokyo is an action-adventure where you face off against dangerous spirits and fight to purge Tokyo of evil as you unravel the mystery behind a mass disappearance.

Experience Tango Gameworks’s unique vision of Tokyo – a stunning metropolis rich in tradition and history – as players face off against a supernatural threat. A massive paranormal event causes the sudden disappearance of 99% of the population while spirits from Japanese folklore storm Tokyo, it’s up to you to uncover the source and purge the city of a strange, new evil.

A mysterious fog descends upon Tokyo, causing nearly all the city’s population to vanish. As an enigmatic masked group takes responsibility, you’re left with nothing but questions and waves of supernatural Visitors to contend with. Explore the haunted city and hone your own ethereal abilities as you face the unknown and uncover the truth in Ghostwire: Tokyo. 

Ghostwire: Tokyo is an action-adventure game that challenges players to master the mystical arts of Ethereal Weaving while working to defeat the menacing Hannya and his followers, the Visitors, who have invaded Tokyo. These supernatural entities roam the stunning world of Ghostwire, creating a scintillating atmosphere that is a love letter to Tokyo, its curiosities, and secrets.

Ghostwire: Tokyo will transport players to an intriguing world filled with characters from Japanese legends, folklore, and tales. These stories have inspired many of the unusual creatures you will encounter, giving Ghostwire a true-to-Tokyo flavor. Crafted by the inventive minds at Tango Gameworks, players will traverse Tokyo’s ultra-modern cityscape, discover iconic landmarks, and uncover secrets hidden throughout it.

Players who venture off the beaten path will also find charming characters in need of assistance, countless spirits in need of rescuing, and unexpected purry friends who can exchange rare finds for generous rewards. Optional stories in Ghostwire are not the usual side content fare, but rather lovable tales that further flesh out the game’s world and vision.

Armed with an arsenal of powerful tech and elemental abilities, you will face down the occult, unravel conspiracy theories and experience urban legends like never before.

Don’t fear the unknown. Attack it.


Ghostwire: Tokyo is set in modern-day Tokyo after a mass disappearance of its citizens. The story begins at Shibuya’s famous Scramble Crossing, renowned as one of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersections. In an instant, everyone vanishes — except for our protagonist Akito, who suddenly finds himself caught up in events beyond imagination.

A dangerous fog sets in and blurs the line between the normal and the paranormal, sealing Shibuya off from the rest of the world. As Akito, you’ll explore this transformed place and uncover pieces of the mystery of the mass disappearance, your lost family and Hannya, the masked man behind it all.

One story, two heroes

As you delve deeper into the game, you’ll discover why Akito survived the disappearance and how he gained the power to fight back against the otherworldly horrors that have descended upon the city. Joining you on that journey is a tough-talking detective called KK. At the outset of the game, Akito is caught up in a fatal crash but his life is saved when KK’s spirit merges with his body to pursue his own ends -as a veteran ghost hunter with a difficult past, he has a history with Hannya and an agenda of his own.

After merging with Akito, the two slowly come to understand each other better as they work to achieve their respective goals, though not without the occasional argument along the way. They’re not what you might call fast friends, but we think players will enjoy their colorful back-and-forth as they traverse the transformed Shibuya.

Fighting the Visitors

As you make your way through Tokyo, you’ll inevitably run into supernatural beings called Visitors, malevolent foes that stand in Akito and KK’s way. Ordinary attacks from weapons like guns and swords are of no use against these otherworldly threats.

You’ll primarily rely on Ethereal Weaving, hand gestures that allow you to manipulate ether, to combat foes. By weaving this supernatural energy, you can give it form and release it to damage your foes. There are three elements available to weave and each is best suited for different enemies and ranges. Making strategic use of them will be key to getting the upper hand in battle.

The first of the three elements is wind. Wind weaving allows you to rapidly shoot bursts of ether at your foes like a handgun. Next, there’s water weaving. This functions more like a shotgun, allowing you to deal bursts of heavy damage at short range and knock your targets back. These strikes have a wide area of effect, making them extremely useful when you’ve got lots of enemies bearing down on you. The final elemental attack is fire weaving. Think of this one like a rocket launcher. It inflicts massive explosive damage on anything unlucky enough to get caught in the blast. Fire weaving is best-suited for when your enemies are clustered together.

Regular and charged attacks allow you to expose the cores of your enemies, which can be ripped away to deal huge damage. In addition, thanks to the advanced haptics of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller, you’ll feel like you’re right in the action as you unleash Ethereal Weaving and tear out the cores of your enemies.

In addition to the three attacking elements, you can also wield earth ether to block enemy strikes. You’ll also get to wield other tools like a bow and special talismans which facilitate a stealthy approach. No matter how you prefer to fight, Ghostwire: Tokyo gives you the tools to confront the opposition in any way you choose in its dynamic and exciting combat.

Missions and progression informed by myth and legend

Shibuya has been cut off from the rest of the world by a mysterious fog spewing out of a number of corrupted torii gates throughout the city connected to the underworld. Akito has the power to cleanse this corruption, lifting the fog blanketing the area around them and expanding the area of the city open for exploration. Torii gates can be found throughout Shibuya, not just at the entrances to Shinto shrines where they’re traditionally found but also down dark alleyways and up on the rooftops.

As you make your way down the alleys and plumb the underground depths of Shibuya, you’ll witness all manner of supernatural happenings inspired by Japan’s colorful folklore. For example, one urban legend involves a mystery train that shows up in stations and can’t be found on any schedule. Those who board alone are whisked away to another realm and stranded forever. Is there any way to escape? Ghostwire: Tokyo invites you to take the journey and find out for yourself—should you have the courage to do so!

Use spirits and yokai to power up

With Shibuya linked to the underworld, things that were once hidden have now begun to appear out in the open. Though the city has become far more dangerous, not not every newcomer poses a threat to Akito and KK. Some of these beings can help him grow his supernatural powers. For example, take the spirits that can be found drifting through the streets. These lost souls are some of the roughly 200,000 people who vanished at the beginning of the game. Using special phone booths put together by a member of KK’s team, Akito can send these souls back to the safety of the outside world, which lets him level up and unlock new Spirit Skills.

You’ll also be able to discover personifications of different natural phenomena roaming the streets. These mythological beings are called yokai, and you’ll be able to run into varieties of them such as kappa, ittan-momen, rokurokubi and many more. Finding them is only the first step, though. Each requires a different and unique method to capture them and harness their power. Kappa, for example, love to eat cucumbers so bringing a few along will help you lure them out into the open. The ittan-momen’s cloth-like bodies can fly and must be chased through the air, whereas the sneaky, long-necked rokurokubi have to be stalked through labyrinthine back streets.

With no humans left, the convenience stores and stalls of the city are now being run by cute cat yokai called nekomata. These enterprising felines sell all sorts of goods including food, talismans, arrows and more. Just make sure you bring plenty of meika, the supernatural currency of choice post-vanishing.

The local creatures like the nekomata and fuzzy tanuki also have plenty of work that needs doing. Help them out and you can obtain protective charms and other items sure to come in handy in your exploration. Of course, no material reward could ever match the satisfaction of helping a cute little friend out.

As Akito’s power grows, he’ll be able to strengthen his Ethereal Weaving attacks, better sense supernatural elements in his surroundings, glide through the air for longer and longer, and even hitch a ride with winged tengu by grappling onto them.

Tokyo: where tradition and modernity collide

Around the world, Tokyo is known for its towering skyscrapers and glimmering neon lights. However, a quick detour from the beaten path will reveal old houses, ancient temples, shrines and plenty of history spreading across the city. Despite being a modern city filled with all sorts of cutting-edge technology, Tokyo is also a place where you’ll find the many aspects of nature reimagined in the form of colorful yokai creatures.

The city has more than its share of urban legends and tall tales delving into humanity’s curiosity (and at times, fear of the unknown.) In many ways, Tokyo embodies the balance between modernity and nature that makes the culture of Japan so appealing to people from within and without. It is this appeal that the Ghostwire: Tokyo team works so hard to capture in our depiction of this city that tens of millions call home. With the PlayStation 5’s unique 3D spatial audio capabilities and ray-tracing technology, you’ll be able to experience the charms of the city brought to life like never before.

Players who digitally pre-order the Deluxe Edition of Ghostwire: Tokyo from the PlayStation Store will gain early access to the game on March 22, 2022. They will also receive access to the Streetwear Outfit Pack, Shinobi Outfit, and Kunai Weapon.

Key Features:

  • Explore a Broken, Beautiful Tokyo: Ghostwire: Tokyo harnesses the power of the PlayStation 5 to re-create Tokyo’s timeless beauty—an unmatched mix of ultra-modern cityscapes, deep dark alleyways, and beautiful ancient temples—but with a supernatural twist that will be a surprise even to those who are familiar with the city. While barren and ominous, the metropolis’ splendor is on full display with iconic landmarks including Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, and more.
  • Next-Gen Fidelity on PS5: Tango Gameworks is using the power and speed of PlayStation 5 to forge a beautiful, supernatural version of Tokyo like never before with haptic feedback for every ability and character action with the DUALSENSE Wireless Controller and advanced 3D spatial audio that immerses the player in an ominous city with dangers to uncover around every corner.
  • Wield Paranormal Abilities: Ghostwire: Tokyo features a robust combat system that allows players to employ supernatural powers to unleash devastating, otherworldly attacks and interact with the paranormal in a variety of ways – cleanse, banish, and destroy. Throughout their journey players will grow their newfound powers to suit their playstyle and take the fight to the supernatural.
  • Face the Unknown: Tango is known for their creepy monsters and Japan’s culture—stories of yōkai (supernatural beings from Japanese folklore), ghost stories, and urban legends—provides plenty of inspiration. In the studio’s version of Tokyo, evil spirits are wandering the city in search of victims. Players will encounter supernatural entities such as Shiromoku, a spirit of a young bride in a traditional white kimono who was unable to wed her lover and has endless regret, and Amewarashi, a paranormal entity in the form of a child wearing a raincoat that manifests due to its great sadness from being separated from his parents and his mischievous spirit.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is coming exclusively to PS5 and PC on March 25, 2022.


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