PS1 REVIEWS: Ghost in the Shell

The reduced cost of making games on the PS1 invited a deluge of licensed games for anything from mainstream movies such as Die Hard to niche anime such as Serial Experiment Lain. As such, it is not surprising that one of the hottest anime franchises of the 90s had its own licensed game. What is surprising is that, contrary to our logical expectation, the Ghost in the Shell game was actually good.

Even though it could have satisfied fans purely through the returning cast of voice actors and the high-quality anime cutscenes, the game introduced some innovative gameplay mechanics that were consistently fun. In what is both a big praise of the game and a nod to its biggest flaw, I wished there was more of it at the end.

#A6: Ghost in the Shell:-

Year: 1997.
Genre: Action, 3rd-Person Shooter.
Publisher: Sony, THQ.
Developer: Exact.

"Some group calling itself the Human Liberation Front claims responsibility... This was not an amateur stunt. Their communique was released directly onto an encrypted security net."

 

At its best, the Ghost in the Shell manga and anime adaptations manage to tell exciting, action-packed stories in a futuristic cyberpunk setting with deep philosophical undertones. Yet, this adaptation's plotline is as breezy as its gameplay loop, and it functions more like an entertaining side mission in the universe's canon.

Featuring almost 10 minutes of original animated cutscenes by Production I.G (the creators of the anime show) as well as the original voice actors, this is a treat for fans, even garnering the acceptance of the manga's creator.

Choosing to focus on the cute Fuchikoma tanks was a brilliant decesion

As such, even if the story doesn't reach the expected heights of the franchise, it still manages to be faithful to its style and spirit. In fact, by opting to tell an original story, even if it would be considered partial filler on the show, it avoids the trap of other licensed games in utilizing the pre-knowledge of the players as a crutch.

"All units engage! Rookie, you lead the offense. Togusa, back him up. Okay rookie, we're counting on you."

One brilliant design choice that reverberates through the game is the choice to focus the gameplay entirely on the player character piloting the series' iconic "Fuchikoma" tanks. By focusing solely on rendering these spider tanks, which already have distinct chunky aesthetics, the game avoids the graphical limitations of the era. Better yet, it allows for more innovative gameplay mechanics that are much smoother to operate than the traditional 3rd-person shooters of that time.

You control these spider tanks in a 3D environment, and since your guns have a soft lock-on mechanic to the direction you are facing, the gameplay is almost all about movement, and that's where the game shines. As suggested by the name, your tank has the ability to crawl into walls and even hang upside down from the ceiling, which was frankly some crazy innovation for the time.

The wall climbing means the game is more vertical than your typical 3rd-person shooter

Whether you are hanging upside down or fighting robots on the side of buildings, the movement is smooth and highly responsive, especially when utilizing the uber-useful strafe buttons. In a way, the game feels like a smoother application of similar 3D action games such as Tail Concerto and Mega Man Legends.

All of this smooth action is in the service of a good variety of missions which run the gamut from search-and-destroy to escape on time. These missions always end with exciting boss battles that could theoretically test the limits of your abilities. However, except with one boss in which I was hanging upside down desperately trying to stay alive, the ability to strafe around with no downside can feel overpowered.

This strategy works for most bosses

Unfortunately, despite having the mechanical skeleton of great gameplay and mission designs, the game is over too quickly, expecting you to repeat the same few missions for a higher score.

"Batou, look, see what I have? The new Rookie gave me all these funny little stickers!"

Since the game wisely focused on the cute "Fuchikoma" tanks, we were spared the polygonal interpretation of Major Kusanagi and her team, and were also probably spared the crude sexualization of her that is at least evident in one region's box art. Yet, that's not to say that the game absolutely survived the graphical limitations of that era.

Other than your spider tank and some of the bosses, the majority of enemies looked bland, and the environment was bland and a bit boring, but everything thankfully rendered smoothly. In fact, besides the excellent anime cutscenes, the game wasn't anything special to look at.

Despite its best efforts, the game can't convey the style of the manga graphically

 

That sits in direct contrast to the soundtrack, which took inspiration from the famous anime film to provide an excellent cyberpunk atmosphere. Produced by Takkyu Ishino, the soundtrack is comprised of several techno tracks that reinforce the futuristic feel of the game and give texture to its otherwise bland environments.

In Conclusion:

While it is indeed the highest praise for a game to wish it were longer, I think it's beyond a mere wish in this case—it would have been necessary for a full experience. Since you can realistically finish this whole game in about an hour, I can't imagine this being good value for money when it was first released, but that shouldn't be a concern today.

Instead, you are looking at what could only be described as a highly competent tech demo for an innovative 3rd-person shooter that doesn't have the time to reach its potential. Still, that's a much better position to be in than with the boring and bloated licensed games that plagued the PS1.

Final: 7/10 (Recommended due to its short length)

 

Beware the spider tank of terror

Pros:

• High-quality Production I.G. anime scenes
• Original voice cast returns
• Innovative wall-climbing tank mechanics
• Smooth, high-speed movement animations
• Incredible electronic techno soundtrack

Cons:

• Extremely short campaign
• Bland levels and enemy designs
• Overpowered strafe mechanic trivializes combat
• Lacks the franchise's trademark deep philosophy

Tips:

1. Use your strafe buttons constantly; slide-strafing in circles makes you incredibly difficult for standard ground enemies to hit.
2. If you find yourself getting turned around while climbing on vertical surfaces, look at your sensor data to track your orientation.
3. Don't be afraid to take the fight to the ceiling—it's a valid way to bypass certain enemy patterns entirely.
4. Enjoy the animated briefings; they provide excellent canon flavor even if the main plot lacks the franchise's deeper philosophical elements.

Admittedly, despite its length, the missions are of impressive variety

Series:

For those reading one of my PS1 review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:

I already reviewed both major Generation 4 consoles and am now reviewing Generation 5 consoles. I already finished reviewing the Sega Saturn, so I am now reviewing the PS1. In these reviews, I take a top 100 games list and review the games that interest me in that list. This time, my review series is based on this list from Retro Sanctuary and other sources, since the PS1 can handle a list bigger than a top 100. 

But boss battles become repetitive thanks to a single optimal strategy

Next Game:

Upending my expectations, I managed to enjoy a licensed game. However, just after finishing Ghost in the Shell, I started reviewing another licensed game, Die Hard Trilogy, and the world felt logical again.

Since I dropped my review of Die Hard, I am moving to one of Hideo Kojima's hidden classics, Policenauts, as part of the addendum reviews list. Since Kojima is known for making what is perhaps widely known as the best PS1 game, this should be an interesting review.

Stay tuned to find out. 

 

For Previous PS1 Game Reviews:

The List