Ghostrunner 2 preview: Like a bat out of Hell

Jack, a souped-up cyborg boasting wall-running and devastating offensive capabilities, is far more chatty in Ghostrunner 2 than he was in the predecessor. A welcome change. He and Climber Zoe don’t seem to have gotten a happy ending after liberating Dharma Tower from the oppressive Keymaster. She’s left a power vacuum in her wake that’s been filled with all kinds of ne’er-do-wells, and now Jack has to break out into the supposedly poisoned world surrounding the megabuilding. It’s an exciting premise, and the preview mostly delivers.

The original Ghostrunner superbly blended first-person freerunning with puzzle-like combat. Everything dies in one hit, including Jack, so precision and speed are key. Combat is still lightning-fast, pushing my twitch reflexes to their limit. Jack has his trusty dodge that can slow time in mid-air, but that’s not all. He’s no longer just a steaming pile of scrap: He’s the Ghostrunner who freed Dharma, and you start with access to his shuriken and tempest abilities.

Full Story »