While not ranking super high on many players’ lists, especially with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 around the corner, One More Level’s Ghostrunner 2 looks pretty good. Based on the recent demo, it offers some fast-paced action, impressive fidelity and more, but what sets it apart from the original? What new features can players expect, and how does it distinguish itself from the first game? Check out 15 differences between Ghostrunner 1 and 2 here before the sequel’s release on October 26th.
Beyond the Tower
Most of Ghostrunner 1 was in the tower, as Jack ventured to the top to defeat the Keymaster. Other factors were in play, including factions like The Climbers, whom Jack would converse with through Zoe. For the most part, the story takes place in the tower.
The sequel takes place one year later, with the tower in chaos and Jack and Zoe working together to gather clues on someone named Mitra. Based on the recently released opening cutscene, Jack is seemingly not the last Ghostrunner, but the others seem to have a plan that spells bad news for the tower’s residents. How it ties into the AI cult that Jack is hunting as he ventures outside into the wasteland remains to be seen.
New HQ and Dialogue System
One More Level is expanding on the overall lore of the Ghostrunner universe in some new ways with the sequel. While Ghostrunner 1 saw you going from mission to mission, obtaining snippets from the dialogue and audio logs, the sequel features a base of operations to take a break between levels. There are also NPCs to interact with and a dialogue system for delving more into the narrative.
Alternate Routes
One immediate change in Ghostrunner 2 compared to its predecessor is the many approaches for different situations. As seen in the recent demo, you could take one route and fight a group of enemies up close in a blitzkrieg. Stealth-minded players can crawl through the vents and get the drop on them instead, making for a much easier encounter. Of course, you also find collectibles (like the first game), hidden areas, secrets and shortcuts, so it’s worth going off the beaten path.
More Environmental Interactivity
Along with more ways to navigate levels and approach different situations, Ghostrunner 2 also offers more interactivity than its predecessor. Blowing up explosive barrels and bursting through breakable walls is one thing, but you can also pull down walls with your grapple, crushing enemies underneath. Utilizing that interactivity while evading damage is important to survival.
New and Revamped Enemies
Some classic enemies from the first game return in revamped form, with AI seeing improvements to better react to the player’s tactics. Ghostrunner 2 also has several new enemy types, and while details are sparse, we have seen some powerful new bosses and the odd creature here and there. All in all, expect a variety of threats to slice and dice.
Overhauled Progression
The original game had an upgrade system where you would allocate modules within a limited space. It was also a bit like Tetris, which makes more sense when you see it in action, allowing for abilities like an additional charge and reduced cooldown for Dash, easier deflects and greatly increased Focus regeneration.
As for Ghostrunner 2, it’s hard to say because developer One More Level hasn’t said anything. It hypes a “completely redone” progression system, providing opportunities to experiment and customize gameplay.” So we’ll have to wait and see what that means.
New Abilities
Along with Dash, Deflect and Focus (for slowing down time), Jack had four Skills in Ghostrunner 1 – Surge for firing an energy wave at enemies, a close-range force push in Tempest, Blink for dash-striking to enemies and Overlord for taking control of small fry. Each had upgrades to improve their functionality.
Dash and Deflect are still very much here in Ghostrunner 2 (with Jack now capable of dashing twice in the air), but there are also new abilities. Shuriken is a helpful projectile for exploding barrels and assassinating targets at range, though some may deflect it if alerted to your presence. Others include Shadow, which leaves behind a clone to distract enemies, cloaking and new “ultimate” attacks, and these can be mixed and matched as the player desires.
Blocking Attacks
Another new component in Ghostrunner 2 that was lacking in the original is the option to block. If stuck in an unsavory situation, blocking provides another second or two of survival. Since it drains the stamina gauge and only works in one direction, constantly standing still and taking damage while being swarmed from everywhere isn’t possible. Nevertheless, compared to Ghostrunner 1, where you could only dodge or deflect, it’s a welcome new addition.
Perfect-Parry
Unlike the previous game, you can also Perfect-Parry some attacks. If you time the block button just before a melee attack hits, Jack will perform a counter and slay his opponent. The demo saw this used against an enemy who you can still kill by activating Focus and dodging to the side to attack. Perfect-Parry provides a means to save on stamina and Focus for other threats. Of course, the timing on this is pretty tight, so hopefully, there’s a skill which makes things easier.
Bike
One massive new feature in Ghostrunner 2 is the Bike. It has its own set of levels (eventually weapons), with players dodging laser grids, riding on walls and narrowly getting ahead of closing gates. Interestingly, motorbike levels are touted as “far more complex and open world” than the typical levels. Perhaps that applies outside the tower, but we’ll have to wait and see.
More Involved Boss Fights
Remember the T-073-M from Ghostrunner 1? It was the first “boss” fight (quote-unquote), though it was more of a platforming challenge. Given that this meant grappling and ducking through rotating lasers and wall-running while avoiding waves of ascending energy, it’s a tough platforming challenge but not a typical boss fight.
Based on the gameplay showcased thus far, the first boss in Ghostrunner 2, Ahriman, is a different story. Without spoiling too much, there’s a fair bit of hack-and-slash combat, platforming, and even calling in some friendly assistance. Is it less of a difficulty spike than the original? Sure, but it’s also a more combat-oriented encounter. We’ll see if subsequent boss fights can go even higher.
New Modes
Ghostrunner offered the standard Story Mode and later added Wave Mode, with 20 waves of difficult encounters and a rogue-like structure. New modes are coming in Ghostrunner 2, and though there aren’t any additional details yet, you can still compete on the leaderboards. They’re also available for friends on the same platform – a small but welcome change.
New Cybervoid Sections
In Ghostrunner 1, the Cybervoid provided a break from the fast-paced parkour and insta-death action by offering different puzzles. While still the case in the sequel, One More Level promises “more freedom” and “non-limited movement” in the Cybervoid compared to the original. Furthermore, there will be some combat sections to spice things up.
Community Challenges
In addition to leaderboards, Ghostrunner 2 will have community challenges. These will be added periodically, with players earning different rewards for showcasing their skills. Interestingly, said challenges encompass multiple aspects, from speedrunning to creating art. Of course, while all participants will likely receive prizes, the top competitors can claim “exclusive” rewards.
PC Requirements
Ghostrunner 2 is a significant step above the first game with its PC requirements. Even comparing size, the first game only needs 22 GB of space while the second requires 65 GB – almost three times as much (also, only Windows 10 64-bit is allowed). For Ghostrunner 1, an Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD Phenom II X4 965 with 8 GB RAM and a GTX 1050 and Radeon RX 550 were good for 720p/60 FPS on Low settings. The sequel requires an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX-8350 with 8 GB RAM and GTX 960, Radeon RX 480 or Intel Arc A380 for the same.
As for recommended settings, the first game necessitated a Core i7-6700K or Ryzen 5 1500X with 8 GB RAM and a GTX 970 or Radeon RX 5700. This delivered 1080p/60 FPS at High settings. Ghostrunner 2, on the other hand, requires a Core i9-9900k or Ryzen 5 5600X, 16 GB RAM and either an RTX 2070 Super, Radeon RX 6800 XT or Intel Arc A770 with DirectX 12. The given specs are subject to change, and since the sequel is a current-gen console exclusive, expect the requirements for 4K to be even higher.