26.9 hours played
Written 19 days ago
Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 93:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10)
[i] Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden [/i] is a game filled with emotional resonance, moral weight, and strong worldbuilding, but it’s also one that’s constantly tripping over its own feet, thanks to sluggish traversal, repetitive design, and frustrating performance issues.
[i] Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden [/i] is a slow burn, and when it hits, it really hits. Its central narrative is gut-wrenching, with mature writing and believable emotional beats. But its moment-to-moment gameplay can be outright frustrating. The tedious traversal, underwhelming combat, and underutilized RPG systems can make you feel like you’re slogging through mud just to reach the good parts.
If you love DONT NOD’s style of interactive storytelling and have the patience for its clunky mechanics, there’s a brilliant ghost story waiting here. But if you’re expecting smooth gameplay to match the narrative quality, prepare for disappointment.
❤️[b] Pros: [/b]
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[*] Emotional storytelling and relationship at the core. The bond between Red and Antea is beautifully written and performed. Their dynamic feels lived-in, full of grief, tenderness, and conflict. This isn’t just a tragic love story; it’s a story about what you do with that love after loss. The central question—do you banish, ascend, or sacrifice?—hangs over every interaction, making even minor hauntings feel thematically rich.
[*] Thoughtful, well-written side quests. The haunting cases scattered throughout New Eden aren’t just filler—they're mini-ethics dramas. Each haunting comes with a moral conundrum, and the choices are rarely black and white. Do you trust the grieving widow? Is the vengeful ghost justified? These stories stick with you and speak to *DONT NOD’s* narrative strength.
[*] Consequential choices that actually matter. Your decisions throughout the game shape the ending, character fates, and how Red and Antea relate to each other. It’s not just cosmetic—your guilt, doubts, and resolve are all tested. The game rewards introspection and careful thought over pure pragmatism.
[*] Excellent voice acting. Red and Antea are brilliantly cast, and the emotional scenes hit because of the nuanced performances. Supporting characters also do a solid job, giving even small haunting quests a real sense of gravitas.
[*] Unique mechanic: switching between the living and the dead. You alternate between Red (the living banisher) and Antea (his ghost companion). Each has unique traversal and combat abilities. While the mechanic could’ve gone further, it adds a layer of strategy and character flavor that stands out from other RPGs.
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🥾[b] Cons: [/b]
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[*] Traversal is miserable. This is the game’s biggest flaw by far. Backtracking is constant, and the world is filled with shallow obstacles designed only to slow you down—logs you have to hop over, ledges to climb, narrow cracks to shimmy through. There’s no mount, sprint is limited, and fast travel is rare and restrictive. By mid-game, returning to an old location for a side quest becomes an exhausting chore. I just ... don't see the point of having a linear world with such constant backtracking.
[*] Large world design with nothing to say. The map is big but not dense. Exploration often feels like padding, with areas that exist solely to hold collectibles, crafting items, or minor upgrade shrines. There’s a mismatch between the rich narrative and the shallow environmental storytelling. Unlike something like [i] The Witcher 3 [/i] or [i] Prey, [/i] exploring doesn’t feel rewarding, just time-consuming.
[*] Performance issues, especially on Steam Deck. It struggles to hit a consistent framerate even on lower settings, especially during busy scenes or rain effects. Texture pop-in and occasional stutters are common. It’s playable, but never truly smooth, and the long load times compound the traversal frustration.
[*] Combat is fine—but unremarkable. The system of swapping between Red’s melee/guns and Antea’s spectral powers adds variety, but the enemy types and animations wear thin quickly. There’s very little challenge, and boss fights are mostly HP sponges with AoE attacks. Combat isn’t broken, but it feels like something that has to be done to get back to the story—not something you’ll look forward to. Enemies also respawn, making the backtracking worse.
[*] Crusading for collectibles and upgrades isn't worth it. You’ll find shrines, lore notes, and materials scattered around the world, but there’s very little incentive to go out of your way. The gear system is shallow, crafting upgrades feel minor, and most collectibles don’t meaningfully enrich the experience.
[*] RPG systems feel undercooked. Dialogue options exist, but they rarely affect interactions. Builds and gear progression are extremely limited. While the game markets itself as an action-RPG, most of its systems are either barebones or shallowly implemented. You’re here for the story, not the mechanics—and it shows.
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