GhostWire: Tokyo – Story, Spirits and 3D Sound Detailed

Tango Gameworks’ GhostWire: Tokyo is back in the spotlight thanks to being announced as a console launch exclusive for the PS5 (it’s also coming to PC though so don’t worry). In the same PlayStation Blog article, more details about the story and the various threats that players will face have been revealed. The main threat is The Visitors, strange evil spirits that invade Tokyo after 99 percent of the population has vanished.

These spirits include Amewarashi, a child wearing a yellow raincoat that is beset by sadness after being separated from its parents. It summons a Visitor to help if it feels threatened. There’s also Shiromoku, a bridge wearing a wedding kimono that possesses strong emotions of regret. Kuchisake is inspired by the infamous Kuchisake-onna or “slit-mouthed woman” who utilizes large scissors to carve up the player’s face.

A mysterious group wearing Hannya masks ties into the whole story and it’s up to the player to determine how.  The protagonist will have their own powers and abilities to utilize, and must figure out the best ways to use them against each Visitor. These abilities can be upgraded as the game progresses.

Game director Kenji Kimura also provided some details on how the team is utilizing the PS5’s 3D audio. “We’re particularly excited by the possibility of players experiencing our modern, yet Visitor-filled city with 3D sound. This version of Tokyo is not a version you’ve ever seen or heard before. In Ghostwire: Tokyo, you’ll hear and encounter sounds that you normally would not hear in the city in real life. Our hope is that with the 3D sound, you will feel compelled to seek out and identify what is causing those sounds you hear.”

Haptic feedback also plays a key part in abilities.As Kimura notes, “The player character’s special abilities have a deep relation to these hand gestures. Which are perfect for the controller haptics and adaptive triggers – one of the PS5’s new features that we’re taking advantage of. We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the new controllers and play in this thrilling, unpredictable Tokyo where you’ll never know what’s going to happen next.”

GhostWire: Tokyo will release in 2021 for the PS5. Stay tuned for more details as they release.