Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

It tried to do something different, and it did it in a distinctly Don’t Nod way, and the end result was a beautiful story about characters I will remember for a long time to come. Red and Antea’s tale is one of love and loss, and it finds the beauty in both.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a compelling tale of love and loss brought to life by phenomenal writing and performances with solid combat to boot, and it serves as a reminder that good storytelling remains a crucial element of video games.

The latest release from DON’T NOD epitomizes their finest qualities: an engaging narrative seamlessly intertwined with the gameplay mechanics. Indeed, it marks a new stride for the studio in crafting action combat that is not only entertaining but also exceptionally responsive.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden excels thanks to the memorable narrative and complex moral decisions. Alongside a brilliant world and some of the best voice acting around, it's easy to forgive the few shortcomings.

Ultimately, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is configured as a solid action RPG, whose merit, however, is limited by a general lack of refinement in the fundamental mechanics. The real highlight of the production, as often happens with Don't Nod's works, is certainly to be found in the writing, full of brilliant ideas and generally very inspired. If you are looking for a title that knows how to correctly combine a dark atmosphere setting with a passionate (and at times heartbreaking) love story, you are in the right place. The horrors of New Eden await you.

Banishers is not quite the unqualified win I wanted it to be, but it’s easy to appreciate on its merits. While the combat overstays its welcome and the exploration leaves a lot to be desired, there’s enough here to like for those who like strong narratives with great characters. For all its faults, the game is entirely confident in what it’s attempting to do. What’s more, with the foundation laid there’s plenty of potential for its faults to be addressed in future works. And it will be interesting to see what this team does next.

There’s not a single choice that you make here that feels difficult. If there are consequences, the laughable ease of combat makes them feel equivalent to a peashooter revenging itself upon a tank.

In today’s gaming landscape so many games are trying to be too much. They try to bring in so many popular mechanics from the many genres, I understand the driving force behind this and I’ll leave it there. This game has such an amazing balance.

Banishers is a game that started off well but later turned into a chore. The map is large and there seem to be many missions and hidden places, but most of them are repetitive. After a while, I just felt like continuing and finishing the main tasks. Despite this, it is a successful game that needs to be experienced.

A good game with nice graphics, an interesting theme and a story worth experiencing, but held back by mediocre combat and repetitive gameplay. The game suffers from facing the same enemies throughout, gear and leveling feel unrewarding, and the skill system is pretty basic. It doesn't evolve much as you progress, which makes the combat loop feel stale over time. The ghost cases are a highlight — solving each one keeps things engaging and gives the world real personality. The main quest has a genuinely nice plot that makes you want to see it through. Visually well-made with a strong sense of the era. The art direction shows a clear understanding of the setting and it shows in every environment. Best Part Antea's lines. The female protagonist's dialogue is the best writing in the game — sharp, emotional, and memorable. Worst Part Fast travel is camp-to-camp only, which is genuinely frustrating in a game packed with backtracking and fetch quests. It makes an already repetitive experience feel even more tedious. “Life to the living, death to the dead.”— The Banishers’ oath

Mostly tedious. Ok story - but couldn't give a rat's anus about the so-called romance. Not worth enduring the spongy, wafty combat, busy-work puzzles, and laborious level design. Feels a lot like new God of War but without the good bits.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]