While holding your ground with a saber is very much a necessity, there’s a fair bit of traversal in Valor Mortis. Much like Ghostrunner, you’ll swing from poles, use a grappling hook to access high ground and even slow down time for precise shots. It’s pretty much a necessity, given some of the bosses roaming about. One such threat possesses a massive chest cavity that fires a stream of acidic sludge. So maybe avoid that whenever possible.

Valor Mortis launches on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC this Fall. As William, who finds himself revived in this nightmarish version of the continent, the monsters highlighted in the trailer are only tease of the true horrors.

You’ll have numerous weapons and spells at your disposal, but don’t let the dashing or first-person perspective fool you. It’s still a Souls-like game where stamina management, parrying, and much more will ensure your survival. Stay tuned for more details, especially a more concrete release date in the coming months.

With plague spreading through the land and monstrosities like Napoleon’s Eternal Guard in their path, players must utilize different weapons and abilities (including fire spells) to survive. Dashes, parries, and other mechanics should look familiar to Ghostrunner fans, though you can also look forward to “Metroidvania-inspired” levels laden with secrets.

As for why it’s creating a new IP, studio CEO Szymon Bryla said in a press release, “With Valor Mortis, we wanted to try something new and original – a darker experience, while still offering players a true challenge. After Ghostrunner, we knew we had the foundation to create an FPP title, but this time in a Soulslike genre.

“At the same time, we wanted to stay true to what we do best – making demanding games for hardcore players, set in an engaging, expansive world, while showing that the studio has grown since our previous projects. Valor Mortis is a fresh, new and original take on the Soulslike genre that we can’t wait for players to get their hands on.”

A pre-alpha playtest is also coming soon that players can register for through here. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay for Valor Mortis in the coming months.

For starters, there’s Destiny 2: Lightfall, the looter shooter’s seventh major expansion, which launched in February last year. With the next expansion, The Final Shape, coming in June, this gives players the perfect opportunity to jump in and catch up. You will, of course, require the base game to be able to play the expansion.

Joining the service on the same day are EA Sports FC 24, One More Level and 505 Games’ acclaimed cyberpunk action game Ghostrunner 2, and Zelda-inspired action-adventure indie hit Tunic.

With all four titles becoming available on May 7, subscribers will have until May 6 to claim April’s offerings, which were Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer.

New gameplay content in the roguelike mode for Ghostrunner 2 includes new levels that make more use of the wingsuit, as well as more vicious enemy encounters and parkour segments that will require players to get better at the game before taking on the new challenges.

Coinciding with the update is the release of the latest set of cosmetics for Ghostrunner 2 with the new Dragon Pack. The new DLC features three new sword skins, three hand skins, and a brand-new motorcycle skin. The Dragon Pack is priced at £3.99 individually, and is a part of the Season Pass or Ghostrunner 2‘s Brutal Edition.

Ghostrunner 2 was released in October, and has since been quite successful for the studio as well as publisher 505 Games. The game had crossed $6 million in revenue back in November, having recouped its production budget. It is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review for more details.

Whether that accounts for marketing and advertising is unknown. Neither the developer nor publisher 505 Games have revealed sales for the sequel. By comparison, the first game sold over 2.5 million copies in September, having launching in October 2020.

Ghostrunner 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here for more details or the accolades trailer for other critics’ thoughts. Post-launch content is coming courtesy of the $19.99 Season Pass, with the Ice Pack going live on December 7th. It adds new Sword Skins, Hand Skins and a motorcycle skin.

The Dragon Pack arrives in February 2024, followed by the Heat Pack in July and Endless Moto Mode in September. There will also be an Anniversary Pack in October 2024. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Alongside the Accolades Trailer, One More Level has also been in the process of releasing a series of developer diaries for Ghostrunner 2. Dubbed The Download, two parts of the developer diaries are available right now, featuring the studio walking players through the process of making the game.

Ghostrunner 2 offers a major expansion over the key aspects and ideas behind the original Ghostrunner, offering more gameplay options, as well as a greater variety in gameplay, and the ability to commandeer and use vehicles for added mayhem.

Ghostrunner 2 is out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review. And in case you’re curious, here are 15 differences between Ghostrunner 2 and its predecessor. There’s also a roadmap showing off all of the post-launch support planned for Ghostrunner 2.

Set a year after the events of the original Ghostrunner, Ghostrunner 2 puts players in the shoes of cyber ninja Jack. Like in the first game, players will be able to make use of a katana as they slice and parkour their way through hordes of cultists.

In a major change from its predecessor, Ghostrunner 2 will also involve the player taking part in missions outside of Dharma Tower, where they will be able to take part in vehicular combat. The game also features new abilities, as well as a revamped progression system.

The studio had previously announced plans for post-launch content for Ghostrunner 2, with the game’s first DLC slated for release on December 7. Dubbed the Ice Pack, the DLC will feature three Sword Skins, three Hand Skins, and an icey skin for the motorcycle.

For more details on Ghostrunner 2, check out our review.

For its scale, the level of fidelity was incredible to behold. After the IP was sold to 505 Games, developer One More Level took over and handled subsequent content updates for the first game. The sequel was also announced, and it’s finally upon us. It offers a larger scale and brand new mechanics, new enemies, and an expansion to the overall lore while tweaking and expanding the base gameplay. While it may be viewed as straying away from several things that made the original unique, Ghostrunner 2 is a compelling experience despite its frustrations.

"While the designs for each character range from acceptable to pretty good, the facial animations for the humans could use some more polish."

One year after the first game’s events, Dharma Tower is in near-constant upheaval as rival gangs and factions attempt to one-up each other. The Climbers and protagonist, Jack, do their best to maintain order, but a new threat, the Asura, emerges. After resurrecting the mysterious Mitra, they embark on a plan that could have dire consequences for the Tower. Of course, Jack steps up to stop them, but things aren’t as cut and dry as they may seem.

From a story standpoint, Ghostrunner 2 puts in a decent effort. The characters, from enthusiastic scientist Kira to steadfast Bokunin, are solid, even if not everyone is fleshed out well when it’s all said and done. The Asura are perhaps the most intriguing characters, whether it’s Rahu’s standoffish nature or Madhu’s megalomaniacal streak, and even Mitra’s backstory is interesting. Overall, I enjoyed the expansion of the lore, and though the dialogue options are inconsequential, they offer insight into the world and each character’s place in it.

While the designs for each character range from acceptable to pretty good, the facial animations for the humans could use some more polish. They’re too wooden to convey the emotion inherent in the characters’ voices and feel more awkward between pauses when waiting for the dialogue menu to pop up. You don’t have to interact with anyone at the new home base and can skip through any pleasantries as needed, but it still sticks out.

"As a Ghostrunner, Jack can wall-run, grapple, slide, dash and activate Sensory Boost to slow down time and dodge projectiles in mid-air."

The same rings true of the dialogue. While a chunk is in keeping with the overall atmosphere and tone of the story, there are a good number of annoying quips and banter. Jack displays a range of responses, whether it’s exasperation or remarking about sitting quietly as his idea of fun.

They’re decent and get the job done, but the plot shines when interacting with the antagonists or delving into the Architect’s past. Still, cheesy as it sounds, whoever included the line, “Ghostrunners only die when they’re killed”, give yourself some Quartz and good luck on the 50/50.

This is superfluous for those who played the first game because the gameplay is the main appeal. As a Ghostrunner, Jack can wall-run, grapple, slide, dash and activate Sensory Boost to slow down time and dodge projectiles in mid-air. He can also slice enemies, slaying them in a single blow, with the tradeoff being that he also dies in one hit. Since many of your enemies are keen on bringing guns, your best means of survival is to keep moving.

However, Ghostrunner 2 demands a bit more. Several sections feature extensive platforming sequences, where one wrong jump can result in falling to your death. Throw in some enemies, whether it’s rapid-fire assault rifles, lasers or energy waves that can cross-map you, and situations become very dicey.

"You also have Ultimates, from a laser that can tear through scores of enemies to Overlord, which can puppeteer a few against each other and Blink for quickly teleporting to and decimating foes."

Each level is designed with different approaches in mind, and Jack has several tools available to slay his targets. You could throw Shurikens to kill enemies at range, and even if they sidestep, that offers more time to close the distance. Some are also stunned by your Shurikens, allowing you to grapple close for the insta-kill.

There are also abilities like Shadow, which creates a copy of Jack while he goes into stealth mode and slices unaware enemies. It’s a good tool for reducing aggro and providing several more seconds of survival while you assess the situation. Tempest also returns from the original, and it’s as you would expect – a force push that can either topple enemies and work well on groups or send threats into the abyss.

Throw in some upgrades, and you could use a Shuriken to stun a larger enemy and Blink to them for the insta-kill, activate Shadow to retreat, potentially causing the clone to electrocute nearby threats and maybe Tempest an explosive barrel into some unsuspecting enemies.

There are breakable walls and alternate routes that provide solid flanking opportunities in certain sections if the forward approach proves too dangerous. You also have Ultimates, from a laser that can tear through scores of enemies to Overlord, which can puppeteer a few against each other and Blink for quickly teleporting to and decimating foes.

"To the credit of developer One More Level, each chapter utilizes your base movement skills in familiar and uniquely interesting ways."

Progression is handled differently, though. Instead of Tetris-like shapes to puzzle out, you now have a Motherboard with branches. Each branch has several slots – as you gather shards to increase its level, more branches become available. Upon unlocking a skill, you can slot it into an empty slot. The catch is that skills of different categories can’t be slotted into the same branch. Initially, this means arranging the necessary skills in different branches to avoid clashes, but you can eventually unlock an upgrade that lets you slot any skill anywhere.

However, you also need to consider the Install Cost of each skill since there’s a limited amount. While it’s not nearly as fancy as the original progression system, the Motherboard is straightforward enough, offering freedom of choice while forcing you to make some hard choices.

If that weren’t enough, certain skills have tradeoffs, like being able to launch three Shurikens instead of one at a time, but the energy cost is 30 percent higher, or dashing making you invulnerable to projectiles and melee attacks but costing 10 percent more stamina.

To the credit of developer One More Level, each chapter utilizes your base movement skills in familiar and uniquely interesting ways. One moment, you could be traversing the Cybervoid and “hacking” into it to activate walls to run on and platforms to dash. The next could involve pushing cranes around to create points to grapple across.

"While I like the enemies and how they’re designed, with obvious tells but decent adjustments to their tactics, their placements in certain sections created some frustration."

There’s a healthy amount of variety, and most of it feels in keeping with the traversal and combat. The new blocking mechanic is also well implemented, providing some additional survivability, but best used with your movement. Standing still is a death sentence, especially since your stamina can run out quickly.

You will die eventually, but that’s okay since you return the action quickly. The smooth controls also help since it’s easy to string together wall runs, dashes, and grapples while chopping up enemies. Your mileage may vary at the checkpoints. They feel appropriate in some boss encounters, ensuring you don’t have to keep repeating entire sections because you made one mistake. However, you feel the burn when attempting to clear a room with several enemies. Die once, even if it’s to the last foe, and you must do it all over again.

While I like the enemies and how they’re designed, with obvious tells but decent adjustments to their tactics, their placements in certain sections created some frustration. I can deal with facing multiple threats, but getting killed from across the map by an energy wave or laser just feels lame. They’re not overly difficult to deal with and pose a decent challenge with a balanced number of enemies.

It’s only when the game throws multiple types of enemies with long-range capabilities that they feel unfair. On the bright side, some new enemy types, like the Synths encountered in the wasteland, are fun to fight against, even if their gun-toting fodder is recycled from the Tower. I won’t go into much detail about the bosses, but there are some fantastic encounters.

"In terms of presentation, Ghostrunner 2 looks great. The neon lights and dark alleys of the Tower feel as lively as ever, reinforcing the dark future of humanity while still feeling sleek."

The biggest new addition to Ghostrunner 2 is the motorcycle, which Jack uses in fast-paced vehicular sections and to traverse the world outside the Tower. These levels are significantly larger in scale than anything from the previous game. While it feels good enough to control – backing it up is a pain but still realistic – the overall flow of these stages may not gel with everyone. The very first motorcycle section involves pursuing Mitra out of the Tower. It was featured in the demo and is quite spectacular once you get used to controlling the bike.

However, racing through the wasteland and passing nondescript buildings, stopping at intervals to open the way forward? It can get a bit tedious. Another section involves venturing to three different towers and into the Cybervoid, which is a better experience overall.

My only other complaint about the bike is its weapons, which have a slight deployment delay before they can begin firing. When dealing with creeps approaching at high speeds, it’s awkward to fire off at times. There’s another traversal mechanic encountered late into the game, which I won’t spoil. It takes a bit of getting used to, but feels quite good, almost transforming the movement you’ve gotten used to up to that point.

In terms of presentation, Ghostrunner 2 looks great. The neon lights and dark alleys of the Tower feel as lively as ever, reinforcing the dark future of humanity while still feeling sleek. I also appreciated the contrast of the outside – it’s barren and bleak, but the ruins are varied enough to not get boring. While I did run into some performance issues while traversing the larger sections, knocking down a few settings to Medium fixed this immediately.

"While I didn’t face any issues with falling through the level, some problems emerged when using Blink as an Ultimate."

The frame rate and optimization are smooth, even on a GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB). As for the soundtrack, it’s pretty good overall. The synthwave feels on point throughout, whether it’s the steady beats as you casually parkour and murder enemies or the fast-paced tracks that hit during boss fights.

The original Ghostrunner had its fair share of issues with clipping and jank, and while the sequel feels polished enough, some unfortunate jank rears its head on occasion. While I didn’t face any issues with falling through the level, some problems emerged when using Blink as an Ultimate.

Sometimes, I would be stuck in place after executing the Ultimate, taking no damage from enemies until eventually dying. This same issue would emerge at certain points when getting off the motorcycle – it was an option, and I could very much stop, but since it wasn’t “intended,” movement was impossible. Nothing to do but get back on the bike and play the section “normally.”

Some of these issues are more annoying than others, but overall, this is a challenging game. While the gameplay will doubtless appeal to many, having to retry different sections after making one mistake or being even slightly late when parrying attacks, can get annoying.

"If you enjoyed the original or the demo, Ghostrunner 2 is a worthy follow-up. It looks great and controls well while delivering some stellar level design and boss fights."

After completing the game, you can return to previous stages and try to get a better time or scout for collectibles like Sword and Weapon skins, Motherboard Shards, Artifacts and whatnot. The optional challenges at certain points are also cool, providing some interesting twists on existing layouts, and there’s even an optional roguelike mode called Roguerunner.exe with branching paths, upgrades and different areas. It’s little more than four stages to complete throughout a run, but is an interesting side activity – hopefully, it gets expanded upon in future updates.

If you enjoyed the original or the demo, Ghostrunner 2 is a worthy follow-up. It looks great and controls well while delivering some stellar level design and boss fights. Even if some sections can feel overtuned in terms of enemies, the occasional jank emerges, or your human allies stare into your very soul with their near-blank expressions, this is a fast-paced action-adventure that shouldn’t be missed, if you can deal with the constant respawning.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The first cosmetic pack is the Ice Pack, launching on December 7th, which features three Sword Skins, three Hand Skins and a frosted skin for the motorcycle. The Dragon Pack is the second and launches in February 2024, followed by the Heat Pack in June 2024 and the Endless Moto Mode in September 2024. The Anniversary Pack arrives in October 2024.

Details on Endless Moto will be revealed at a later date, but it could offer an endless-style mode for when one is piloting the motorcycle. How that will work remains to be seen, so stay tuned.

Ghostrunner 2 launches on October 26th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out the biggest differences between it and the first game here.

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.