GHOST TRICK: PHANTOM DETECTIVE (2010)

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i'm still not over my copy of ghost trick being stolen by my ex. you seen how much these bad boys go for now on ebay? i bet she didn't even play it.

... anyway, ghost trick is one of those games that can best be described as "near perfect", or even outright "perfect" if you're a backloggd mutual of mine, apparently. and the game makes a solid argument for both: crisp animations, sharp art style, charming portraits, catchy bgm, captivating story, and a simple to understand gameplay system all combine to form one good ass goddamn video game. but there are little issues.

the prison segment trips up a lot of players. and, fair, it can be a leap to just assume you can do a certain maneuver (though a character beforehand lampshades the mechanic--sorry, i'm trying to tiptoe as carefully as i can to avoid spoiling). the fault in this part is a time wasting punishment for "losing", and that gets old. there's also a bit of the game where you obtain additional "powers" to use, but... they kind of freak me out, mentally. like, i'm barely holding myself together here working with the physics and know-how of just sissel himself, now i have to--oh man.

the story is just sublime, and character interactions are chock-full of soul and humor in just about every segment--except the main antagonist. he's so cartoonishly over-the-top, it's honestly grating given how interesting everyone is around him. there are better ways to establish an evil presence than maniacal saturday morning villainy. also, there are a few minor story beats that happen throughout that are.... very convenient, or sometimes completely unexplained (seriously, what is up with being called out? what was going on there? again, spoilers...)

but this isn't a 2 star review. it's 4.5, and that's because the complaints i've offered are minor. ghost trick grabs hold of you from the start with its intoxicating atmosphere and unique gameplay loop, and it just won't let go--not until you've discovered the phantom truth. of the detective. of the phantom detective. using ghost tricks. on the DS. unless you're my ex.