Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Reviews
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is in the spirit of high-quality AA games that should not go unnoticed.
Don't Nod drops the melodrama for a poignantly performed story about grief and injustice, where the difficult choices tug at your heart and principles.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden’s memorable story and inspired investigative cases help carry it across its rougher patches.
This ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.
Banishers is a game I’m going to be thinking about for a long time, for better or worse. You’ll likely not find a better story than it any time soon, but there are plenty other better ways you could be spending your time.
Some gripping ghost stories justify gathering around Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden's campfire, but an open world full of routine skirmishes and mindless repetition might just scare you off again. As Dontnod's longest game yet, Banishers underlines the value of a tighter focus.
Banishers is a spooky, loving tale about two incredible people. I cried a few times, both for these two characters I grew to adore, and for the very sad stories of others just trying to make it in a difficult world. While the combat is not spectacular, and the graphics are middling, everything else makes this a very special game. With superb writing, excellent performances, a clever central mechanic, and thoughtful, engaging stories, Banishers is Don’t Nod’s best game yet.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a love story about loss and sacrifice, propelling its choice-driven narrative forward amidst middling combat.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden offers an interesting twist on tried and true RPGs mechanics. A form of a morality system is implemented, but instead of being simply good or evil, it's based one what Red wants to do with Antea's soul which adds a sense of personal investment to one's choices beyond choosing which side with which to align. The mix of detective work to remove hauntings blended with the action-oriented combat elements helps make the role of Banisher seem more complete, as they have to rely on several different skill sets in order to accomplish their goals. This was further enhanced by the interplay between Red and Antea. The biggest stumbling block in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the pacing, as there are many fantastic moments in the game that are spread too far apart by uneventful travel. But even with the overall experience being uneven, the good qualities greatly outweigh the bad.
Don't Nod's new third-person goth-tragedy action-adventure RPG is full of swashbuckling ghost hunting, bound up in a story unironically about the power of love. Despite some repetition and busywork, it's a great time.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a powerful, emotional and compelling tale that shows off a side of Don't Nod that we've never seen so well-lit.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a story full of love, spirits and sacrifices. This game has a very satisfying and challenging gameplay, as it forces players to face a series of ethical dilemmas, following DON'T NOD's usual tone. Immersive and beautiful, this experience is capable of enchanting any type of player.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Having completely finished Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, I can say that it is part of one of the best releases that will be released in this current year 2024. If you're looking for a story full of tension, emotion, and complicated decisions, this is the game for you. And if you already like combats full of magic, action, great animations and unbearable enemies, it will be a success if you get it. In short, this semi-open-world action RPG is one of the greatest successes that the developer has brought to life.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A sprawling action RPG with a poignant love affair at its heart, whose enjoyable combat and supernatural detective work is all in pursuit of a morally ambiguous goal of your own choosing.
It's not going to be the game of the year, but it's a great example of both light RPG adventures and those games that eat your brain out with their decisions. Pure Don't Nod with an extra bit of show.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden delivers both slick action and tough moral choices.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is Don't Nod's most ambitious and solid game, and despite some flaws in pacing and repetition, it remains an action-adventure loaded with feeling and with a solid combat-system.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a fantastic piece of storytelling, and it gives you a compelling world, people and lore for you to delve into. While it labours in some areas, you can put your own personality and feelings into this largely linear adventure, making this a game and a tale that deserves to be experienced.
Don't Nod has carefully crafted a heartwarming tale of ghost hunting lovers that breaks down the need for human connection and forces us to grapple with hypocrisy, sacrifices, and the pain of loss. Despite its heavy subject matter, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden still manages to just be a fun action RPG experience, though its message will continue to haunt me long after the console is shut off.