Paul RobertsJuly 26, 2023Maxi Geek Review, Ghost Trick, Capcom, Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox OneComment

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - Review

Paul RobertsJuly 26, 2023Maxi Geek Review, Ghost Trick, Capcom, Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox OneComment

Ghost Trick never really got it's due over 10 years ago, but no longer! Capcom has been giving their older games some much-needed care and attention. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is finally given another chance to shine, with HD visuals to enhance this unique mystery adventure game.

You play as Sissel - you’re dead, shot by an unknown gunman. Usually this is the end, but Sissel finds himself looking at the dead only to discover he is now a ghost. After help from a friendly spirit, Sissel learns he can travel around through inanimate objects, including phone lines. His new ghostly form also has the strangely useful ability to rewind time for 4 minutes from someone’s death. Not only that, he can also ‘trick’ certain objects into moving, opening or switching on, helping to get around the scene.

While Sissel cannot unwind and undo his own death, as luck has it he can use it to save others and investigate the reason why he was killed in the first place. Throughout the game Sissel interacts with the soul of the person he is attempting to save, regularly taking the form of a cop called Lynne. Lynne just happens to be the one who Sissel was meeting when his murder took place, and it turns out someone wants her dead too. Sissel and Lynne’s paths are intertwined as both have their own mysteries to solve in only a few hours!

The creator of the Ace Attorney series Shu Takumi made another cult classic in Ghost Trick. He has really got the skills to put together an interesting mystery within an adventure game-style presentation. Not only that but with memorable and distinct characters, even after such a long time away from Ghost Trick how could I forget Sissel, Lynne or the most adorable dog Missile. At around 10 hours there are plenty of twists and turns where the story really goes places, it manages to have fun with the characters and concept.

Being an adventure game full of puzzles to solve means even Ghost Trick can fall victim to silly logic puzzles, requiring you to take some wild leaps in thinking to solve. It’s possible to feel a little lost when the game gives you little information to move forward with. Overall these moments can lead to small frustrations, but don’t get in the way of an enjoyable mystery adventure.

On the Switch, you can either control with the button controls or use the touch screen to help guide you from object to object. Both control schemes work perfectly fine and you can use both at any time.

Ghost Trick already had a distinctive visual style way back on the DS, with 3D models turned into 2D sprites. For this remaster it is a considerable upgrade where the game can use HD art without trying to cram it onto a DS. It’s also just nice to be able to play it with a higher resolution - adding the upgraded character 2D portraits and the overall art, this game is looking nice! Also distinctive is Ghost Trick’s animations, they’re so energetic and full of character. There’s quite a range of eccentric characters that feel like they could’ve shown up in an Ace Attorney too.

Ghost Trick has the feel and character of an Ace Attorney game and sounds like one too. This might be due to them sharing the same composer; Masakazu Sugimori. The remaster includes the option to switch between the original music and the new rearranged music. After hearing how good the rearranged versions sound it was hard to go back to the original. Not that the original is bad, but with the lovely visuals it only feels fitting to listen to the music with the extra bit of polish.

Just like some of the other remasters of older games you will have to get used to the game being displayed in more of a 4:3 aspect as opposed to the more common widescreen. The border around the game shows the hourglass as the time is ticking down. I imagine it would’ve required a fair bit of retooling to make a widescreen version work, but the hourglass does serve a purpose too given there is no longer the dual screens of the DS.

On top of the game itself, there are also some extras in the form of a gallery that unlocks more art along the way, all to enjoy in HD. There’s also a music player where you can switch between the original and rearranged at the hit of a button to hear how good both soundtracks are. There are achievements to unlock as you progress, with some also for clearing chapters within certain conditions. They’re a nice challenge to keep in mind even if there’s no real purpose. There are also ‘Ghost Puzzles’ to unlock, sliding puzzles based on scenes in the game. I believe these are from the mobile version, it’s a cool little inclusion if you enjoy sliding puzzles.

It is great to see the return of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and given such a lovely remaster. It looks and sounds great on the Switch and is only fitting that it can be played handheld just like the Nintendo DS. As with plenty of adventure games it can rely on some silly logic at times, but those moments quickly pass. The time is right to get onto this cult classic and long-time fans should be more than happy with this remaster.