Unlike the original Ghostrunner, which had a series of one use powerups that drew from a single meter pool which filled slowly from killing enemies, Project_Hel narrows that set of options down to just two abilities. Project_Hel also has a much greater emphasis on meter management than the base game. Conversely, it winds up being much worse in combat, as an attempt to nimbly leap out of the way of an incoming projectile will often leave you hanging in the air as free target practice for everyone within the same zip code. The higher and longer jump is useful in platforming, as it makes it easier to land on platforms and cross large gaps, which, combined with the improved air dodge, serves to make platforming even less challenging. This both makes the game easier and harder at various points, and unfortunately both are to the detriment of the DLC’s quality. Hel’s jump sends her much, much higher and longer than Jack's, propelling her into the air like a drug addled kangaroo. The other big mobility change comes from the changes made to the jump. ![]() I’m all for giving the player more tools to experiment with, but innovations should enhance the gameplay, not just simplify it. Having an option at hand that slows down time and allows you to basically reposition yourself wherever you want within a fairly sizable range is like having an instant get out of jail free card. You often had to move precisely in order to have the right height and angle necessary to reach the next platform, and do so while moving pretty quickly. One of, if not the, main appeals of the original game was the challenging platforming. In theory, more options sounds like an improvement, but as anyone who has stumbled across MatPat’s YouTube channel can tell you, theories are often unpredictable, unreliable, and can make you look really stupid. The titular Hel’s jump, on the other hand, can move you forward as well as side to side, and even up and down to a limited degree, which gives her a much greater range of versatility when platforming. While this was present in the base game, it was limited to moving from side to side (mostly helpful for dodging incoming bullets and other projectiles mid jump). The biggest by far is the addition of a mid-air dash that can be performed in slow motion. You run along walls, jump, and slide through various obstacles to reach the next parts of the stage. The original Ghostrunner is, in my mind, the best example of the fast paced, first person platforming popularized by titles like Mirror’s Edge, and thankfully that element transitions over mostly unscathed. One More Level has made it clear that we’re here for the gameplay and not the story, so let’s judge it on that actual gameplay, which transitions over from the base title mostly intact. That's still disappointing, but whatever. As a result the narrative winds up being more of an excuse to just do some cool platforming rather than develop any actual interesting worldbuilding. Project_Hel focuses on a boss from the original game that only showed up at the end of one mission and had about as much story relevance as the color of the main character’s jacket. If there’s one area the original title failed miserably, it was its narrative, and Project_Hel continues Ghostrunner’s dubious tradition of having the least interesting plot based in a dystopian cyberpunk setting ever. ![]() ![]() By Paul Broussard, posted on 20 March 2022 / 1,227 ViewsĪfter Ghostrunner largely came out of nowhere and wound up being one of my favorite games of 2020, the promise of a full blown story expansion was certainly enticing, although I should hasten to add that the “story” component still isn’t pulling its weight.
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