Ghostrunner is made by one of the most intriguing matchups of action developers around - a three-way cooperation between 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks (Kingpin, Rise of the Triad), and One More Level (God’s Trigger). Together, these industry veterans and indie upstarts have made an all-slicing, all-sliding sprint through a cyberpunk tower-city, which you must ascend using a trusty array of cyberninja weaponry and incredible wallrunning agility.
You don’t need to spend long watching the footage in this video to get an idea of how fun Ghostrunner is to play (momentum-heavy greats like Hotline Miami, Katana Zero and DOOM spring to mind). But its story remains a mystery - who is the Architect? Why is its spectacular setting, Dharma Tower, overrun by thugs? And what is your role as a Ghostrunner in all this mess?
This guide is here to answer all those questions.
Dharma Tower was humanity’s ultimate refuge - a vertiginous stronghold where millions of people sheltered through a cataclysm known as The Burst, which turned the Earth’s atmosphere into a toxic wasteland. Against the odds, humanity not only survived but thrived in Dharma Tower - a self-contained society with hierarchies and inequalities, but also stability under the guidance of an ingenious AI known as The Architect.
The Tower is sustained and interconnected by a complex technology known as the Cybervoid - a virtual dimension that could only be accessed by The Architect, and his elite force of guardians known as Ghostrunners.
That’s where you come in. You’re one of these Ghostrunners, awakening amidst the rust and steaming pipes of Dharma Tower with the city in ruins and no recollection of what happened. There’s a man up ahead, who starts shooting the second he sees you. You evade his lethargic laser shots and effortlessly cut him in half like Fruit Ninja does an apple.
You’re alive, and the grim reality of what went down at Dharma Tower starts unveiling itself via two voices who’ll join you on your journey.
The first is that of The Architect - the cold, clever AI who wishes to see the existing order of Dharma Tower restored and is relying on your mind-blowing skills to do it. The Architect was killed during a coup by an authoritarian rebel leader known as ‘The Keymaster’ (don’t worry, it’s not just a reimagining of The Matrix Reloaded), but continues to exist virtually in the Cybervoid. During the coup, in your duty as a Ghostrunner you nearly died trying to protect The Architect.
Which brings us to the second voice guiding you through Dharma Tower - that of Zoe Avila, leader of the Climbers, a rebel faction that’s risen up to bring down the Keymaster. The Climbers found you at death’s door following the Architect’s assassination and brought you back online, albeit without your memory or many of your powers.
Guided by these two voices, you work your way up the tower, picking up incredible abilities like ‘Blink’ teleportation, time manipulation and the ‘Tempest’ ability (think a cybernetic version of Skyrim’s Dragon Shout). But while both of your guides believe in saving Dharma Tower, it becomes clear that their means and goals are very different. Do you believe in the Architect’s calculated utilitarian vision, or the ragtag but decidedly more human convictions of The Climbers?
And what of the Keymaster, the industrious despot who’s currently running The Tower with an iron fist?
You’ve got a lot on your plate to deal with, Ghostrunner, so it’s a good thing you have that sharp blade to chop it all up. Help steer the fate of Dharma Tower when Ghostrunner launches on Steam 27 October.