Ghost Trick is one gem of a game that is definitely recommended for those who enjoy a good murder mystery.
Now that Sissel is dead, he should just sit back and wait for his soul to fade away into oblivion when dawn strikes, a little fact that the talking, dancing desk lamp let him know. But this man is one of the few who question the world around him and he is not going down without a fight; at least, not until he finds out why he was killed and recovers his lost memories.
However, the game quickly sets the pace and lets our determined hero know that his journey to unscramble his mind is not going to be easy, and he's quickly led into the web of a highly complicated and elaborate murder mystery. Ghost Trick wastes no time and quickly begins to draw its players into its highly addictive plot. If you have ever read a mystery novel that is hard for you to put down, then you are likely to have the same experience with Ghost Trick. A great plot goes hand in hand with great characters and Ghost Trick introduces plenty of fantastic characters. You have your main characters that are covered with a thick blanket of mystery, due to Sissel often being split up with them to accomplish his own objectives or due to limitations, but there are still plenty of side characters that, while they do not get developed all that much, have unique personalities of their own and pop up every now and again. While it does boast a highly unique and innovative gameplay of its own, it's also a full blown novel in its own right. You will constantly be in the middle of some developing crisis, or at least eavesdropping on one of the many characters. Because the dead can't talk, right?
This is where that innovative and creative gameplay comes into play. As a ghost, Sissel can not really interact with any of the characters that he meets. But, his power of the dead allows him the ability to do things without drawing others' attentions. By setting off a chain of events along with the ability to prevent the death of someone who has died recently, this ghost is a force to be reckoned with. However, due to his restrictions of only being able to move about through certain inanimate objects, he has a difficult time getting around, causing the scales to balance a bit. Gameplay is both subtle but challenging at the same time and, while most puzzles do not require very much thought, some will push you, and make you rethink your course of action. The end result is well balanced, fluid gameplay that fits in perfectly with what's going on in the game.
Part of Ghost Trick's charm and allure is its graphics, which consist of 2D backgrounds with animated character designs. While the backgrounds look great, the character designs are the real treat, as they are animated beautifully. When the characters talk to each other one of two things will happen: they will interact by speech bubbles or character portraits will pop up with text underneath. Each character has several different portraits that mirrors the current mood they are in. The soundtrack is also of the utmost quality, with many nice, lighthearted themes playing during times of humor and mysterious or darker themes being played during the more suspenseful moments. . While there are no voice overs present in Ghost Trick, you will likely not miss them all that much. This game has exceptional, well written dialogue that is well worth the sacrifice.
Ghost Trick is a highly unique and innovative game that has an addictive, well written and endearing plot that will be sure to hook you. The best part of this is that it keeps going and throws many plot twists that extend the story for quite some time. The creative gameplay blends in well with the plot and the soundtrack sets the mood well for what's going on. It is extremely text heavy, so might not be the best choose for those who enjoy more action oriented games. Ghost Trick is one gem of a game that is definitely recommended for those who enjoy a fantastic murder mystery.