Ghost Blade HD Reviews

Ghost Blade HD is ranked in the 28th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Jul 1, 2017

Overall it may look like a typical shmup, but Ghost Blade HD is an exceptional shooter that holds its own against genre heavyweights.

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8.6 / 10.0
Jun 27, 2017

Perfect 90s influenced bullet hell that does nothing but delight.

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8 / 10
Feb 28, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is a brilliant entry into the shoot-'em-up genre for both newcomers and veterans alike. It strikes the tricky balance of offering a reasonable challenge to anybody who picks it up, but makes sure that the difficulty never gets out of hand. The deep gameplay and strategy allows for a variety of playstyles, and while the two-player co-op is a let down, the score attack mode will leave you coming back for more after you've bested the main game.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 28, 2017

While Ghost Blade HD isn't for everyone, it's hard to not appreciate it for what it is despite the fact that it's as brutally short as it is challenging: An intricately designed experience of speed and shrapnel coming at you from every single angle. There's a certain layer of subtlety present, but don't expect Ghost Blade HD to redefine the genre. Rather, it's a celebration of everything that made schmups fantastic so many years ago, wrapped up in a tight and bright package.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 3, 2017

Ghost Blade HD perfectly captures charm and spirit of arcade shoot ‘em ups, offering all the pros as well as cons of the golden age of the genre from 90s.

Review in Polish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 1, 2019

Ultimately, Ghost Blade HD is a wild good-time and excellent shmup experience. While short, the game’s sharp gameplay mechanics and stellar presentation make this an incredibly engaging spaceship shooter that all Nintendo Switch owners should have in their library.

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8 / 10
Mar 15, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is one hell of a lot of fun that does a great job of reminding you of the uncomplicated nature of the genre’s past without the fuzzy visuals.

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Nov 22, 2019

Ghost Blade HD is a callback to the golden age of shoot ‘em ups. With simple yet addictive bullet-hell gameplay and modern HD graphics, it manages to remind veteran gamers of the old days.

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80 / 100
Oct 29, 2019

Ghost Blade HD is a vertical action shoot 'em up of the bullet hell sub genre. It is quite remarkable despite not highlighting anything in particular, but it is well built and enjoys a very balanced difficulty. Ideal as a entry to the genre, it will allow you to learn to play, before leaving yourself in the middle of hell.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.9 / 10.0
Feb 28, 2017

Ghost Blade HD features incredible classic shoot 'em up gameplay that's as rewarding as the best in the genre.

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Mar 6, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is exactly what it appears to be: a bullet hell shmup emulating the pinnacle of the genre in the mid-nineties.

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7 / 10
Mar 5, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is a game that may be out of its original time but still provides a fun-packed and fluid 2D shooting experience, just like so many others did in decades past. Despite its lacklustre sound environment and rather short lifespan, it's a well-crafted introduction to the genre for many players who never had any contact with 2D shooters and can bring back some good memories for more experienced players.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

7 / 10
Mar 16, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is a good bullet hell shooter. The training mode is a solid addition for newcomers to the genre, but in the end if you don't like this kind of game you won't find much to persuade you otherwise here. For score chasers and fans of hardcore arcade shmups, though, there's a lot to like about Ghost Blade HD.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 28, 2017

Ghost Blade HD isn't going to astound its players with exhausting layers of depth, or challenge them in ways never thought possible. Still, it features a strong grasp of the basic necessities that make for a fun and exciting game. The constant loop of dodging bullets, destroying enemies, and collecting their precious stars is solidly executed. The level of difficulty is balanced well, and learning the intricacies of the scoring system will make each playthrough all the more enjoyable. All in all, this STG is a fine way to spend a weekend or three.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Mar 9, 2017

Ghost Blade HD is a niche game for a specific crowd. Most people know long before booting it up if it is their thing. There is really nothing special about this game, but what it does, it does well. Fans of the genre have yet another hidden gem to check out.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jul 10, 2017

The gameplay is frantic but ultimately redundant. The short campaign may turn off some, but for a measly 10 bucks, fans of the genre, who don't have many bullet hell games to choose from on current consoles, will probably get their money's worth.

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6.5 / 10.0
Mar 17, 2017

Ghost Blade HD mostly accomplishes what it sets out to do. It provides a bullet-hell arcade shooter, with leaderboards to chase. The awesome 90’s effects and focus fire gameplay are undermined by a slight lack of difficulty and effective power-up system.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 10, 2017

With an easy mode, truncated (basically non-existent outside of "defeat the AI called Shira") story, and a multiplayer option, Ghost Blade HD is a great gateway drug for anyone on the fence about getting back into shmups. It has all the mechanical makings of a great shooter, it just lacks that special spark in a few major areas.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2017

Ghost Blade HD has the 90s retrograde down pat, delivering a nostalgic retro shooter that’ll bring you back to that favorite arcade of yours. Enough keeps this from being a must buy, but the price point makes it appealing for anyone looking for a good ol’ time.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 19, 2017

While shoot 'em ups are conspicuously underrepresented on modern hardware, Ghost Blade HD's presence amounts to little more than a fleeting cameo. Just because it's the only port in the storm doesn't mean that anyone will stick around after the raging winds subside.

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