This article is written by #StarCom#Summer
Ghost hunting simulator
Presumably, most people have seen the classic horror film of "Lin Zhengying" teacher. In the movie, the seals, drawing symbols, and exorcisms are directly addicted to us, and the image of Uncle Ying's style and sassy has simply become the patron saint of childhood. When I was a child, I would even imitate Uncle Ying's movements and draw symbols on paper, but because I was afraid of pain, I bit my finger and gave up.
A recently released game that allows us to experience the life of ghost hunting is Ghost Line: Tokyo.
Ghost Line: Tokyo can feel the general atmosphere of the game from the name alone, which is an action game led by Shinji Mikami and produced by Tango Gameworks. This game does not follow the horror game can only escape routine, but give the protagonist a variety of super powers, in the streets full of Japanese elements to fight to drive away ghosts, the theme can be said to be very novel. However, the game itself still has the disadvantage of single content, and we will expand it one by one.
Extremely authentic Japanese streets
As the decisive factor of love at first sight, "Ghost Line" relies on this to make many players plant grass. Plus if you're a player interested in the style of another country, Ghost Line is the bullseye of yours.
The game is full of Japanese elements: small bunting flags, street signs, shapes, etc., which form a real digital Tokyo, which also makes the game get a nickname for "Tokyo Travel Simulator" after its release.
Because of the supernatural event, the whole city was empty, only the automatic shouting machines of the roadside shops, and the enthusiastic shouting was heard. The roadside stalls are still cooking Oden, as if the female students who have just finished school are huddled around and discussing what to eat today. The lights are still on in the tall office buildings, as if people have not disappeared, but are working helpless overtime. From the clothes scattered everywhere, you can feel that the originally lively city is now lifeless, which sets off the eerie atmosphere of the game.
In order to make the game's city more three-dimensional, players can also use the "Tengu" to fly to the top of the building. There are also individual events and items to collect on the roof. You can stand on a tall building overlooking the city and admire the charm of Tokyo.
But it's a bit of a shame that the scene has almost no interaction at all, and the machines on the side of the road, the signboards, and the stores are mostly simple stickers, and even if you attack, there is no reaction. And a lot of the rooms and buildings can't be explored, it feels like you've poured cold water on you after you've been immersed in it with anticipation.
Juki Noyayuki
When it comes to Japanese ghosts, the first thing that comes to mind is "Hundred Ghosts Nocturnal Walk". Before experiencing the game, I was also very much looking forward to experiencing a wide variety of ghosts, such as the famous snow girl, umbrella girl and other ancient Japanese ghosts, which is really not OK, similar to Sadako, Ga coconut and other modern film and television characters, but also let me directly addicted.
However, after actually experiencing it, I was really disappointed. The monster type is really too single. The most common are probably 4 types: headless JK women, headless school uniform men; suit community animal men; uniform flight attendant women.
Some elite monsters are also repetitive, although there is a famous rift woman, but its attack method is no different from that of ordinary mobs, it can be said that it is featureless. In addition, the monsters do not have unique special effects, and they look unremarkable without the slightest sense of horror.
For example, the headless woman, I imagined a terrifying picture of an uneven jagged incision in the neck, a bright red liquid slowly flowing out of it, covered in a gloomy black gas, seemingly slow to move, but in fact it will suddenly rush to you.
And in the game, JK woman's headless, is simply no modeling, the collar of that piece is empty, Wang Defa?! This production team is also too lazy. JK woman's attack method is to jump and run over to give you a kick. I think she's more of a fool than a ghost. Makes people have no sexual desire, no, interest!
So "Ghost Line" is a travel simulator, not a scary ghost design, and it also accounts for part of the reason. Because when you explore the street, you will not feel nervous and afraid at all, encounter enemies, you will only feel hindered, and there is no difference between action games of other genres, it can be said that it has not made the characteristics it deserves.
The scene atmosphere is created in place
Although the monster design has dragged its feet, the game's scene design can be said to help the game save a little face, and indeed create a weird, terrifying atmosphere.
When you encounter an enemy on the street, the original bright street lights will turn a terrifying red, and the whole street will be shrouded in blood. The design scenarios of some tasks are more exaggerated.
Push open a half-hidden door and enter a seemingly deserted room, and the hanging painting on the wall will suddenly turn into a gloomy eye, staring at you deadly, giving people goosebumps. When you pass through the narrow corridors, the walls and floor suddenly become transparent, as if suspended in the air, high in the night sky of Tokyo. And the room, because of the different energy transformation structure, the wall will quickly displace, upside down, very controlled style.
But this kind of scene design only exists indoors, which still makes me feel a little unfinished, and the gap between indoor and outdoor game experience is a bit large.
Unique shoot boom game
When it comes to the combat core of the game, it is actually a shooting game. Although there are 3 attribute attacks: wind, water, and fire, they do not have an elemental restraint relationship. Wind attack, long distance, single shot, similar to a rifle. Water attack, with a wide range, can attack multiple enemies, but the distance is short, similar to a shotgun. Fire attack, with explosive properties, range damage, similar to a rocket.
However, the game's attack effects are still gratifying. Since the enemy setting is a ghost, with the player's attack, you can shoot a large hole in the enemy, and the enemy will not die, dragging the mutilated body towards you, a bit of a Resident Evil zombie feeling.
Here I would like to highlight the major benefits of PS5 players: PS5 controller adaptation is really too cool! The first is vibration, and the game makes a unique way to vibrate for each action. For example, when you purify the temple, the vibration will change from slow to fast, and it feels like you are turning a huge gear. When you execute an enemy, the vibrations change over time, and you can clearly feel that the soul line is about to be broken.
Even more surprising is the adaptive trigger. After you attack continuously or charge many times, the resistance of the trigger will become larger and larger, perfect for me to feel what is called exhaustion, like chakra exhaustion, a strong sense of substitution. If you have a PS5, the game's combat experience can be added to 2 points (10 point system).
A checklist-style open world worth exploring
When it comes to a list-based open world, you have to think of Ubisoft Big Brother. But compared to the dense exploration map of Ubisoft games, Ghost Line is more euphemistic. If you turn off the legend of the store and the collection, you will find that there are not many branch icons actually given.
The game's side quests are also a variety of small stories, from which we can experience the cold and warm between the "ghosts". For example, you may need to help the gardener's soul to destroy the ghosts that haunt the cherry blossom garden and restore the cherry blossoms to color. There is also the soul of a child, because he teased the kappa, the result is that Jiriziyu is pulled out (Jiriziyu is a organ in the human anus to store human spirits), you need to help him find it back.
Although the main plot of the game is not full, we can collect a lot of supernatural stories through exploration, which adds a lot of explorable content to the game. This reminds me of Control, and we're also going to complete the entire worldview from a variety of scattered SCP files.
In addition to the story content, the game also provides a lot of collection props and worship buddha statues for improving abilities, and when shopping fatigue, discovering a new thing can instantly sweep away the boredom.
The game is decent, but it is easy to aesthetic fatigue
Overall, the scene atmosphere of "Ghost Line" is very good, and the combat action and special effects design are also very distinctive, and it can be said that the player is feasting his eyes from the screen. The game also did some more poking content in my heart, such as you can pick up cats and dogs on the street, listen to their thoughts, and feed them food. Tanuki's language has a strong Sichuan accent.
But the actual content is not enough to fill this piece of cream cake, the single type of enemies, the repetition of the main line of tasks, the mediocrity of the plot, will lead to the tedium of the later stages of the game.
After all, it is a travel simulator, the first experience, or worth visiting.