Ghostwire: Tokyo has been out on PlayStation and PC on a one-year timed release but is finally coming to Xbox: Game Pass on April 12. The reviews have been positive in the game’s initial release, and when it drops on Game Pass, it will have found an excellent new home.
Xbox Game Pass boasts over 100 games on a constant rotation, allowing players to play whatever they want and not have to worry about fronting the cost for the whole collection. While not every game that gets released goes onto Game Pass, there are plenty of titles to choose from, from indie efforts to AAA offerings. The format lends itself perfectly for individuals with a broad range of gaming interests.
While it wasn’t not one of Game Pass’ Day One releases, Ghostwire: Tokyo fits the format of Game Pass perfectly. Between the play style, the open world and its visuals, the game should be able to find widespread success on Xbox’s platform.
More than anything, the gameplay in Ghostwire: Tokyo makes it an excellent title for Game Pass, with the simple, fast-paced combat system. There is a certain learning curve that it takes to really get the hang of the mechanics, but once they’re figured out, there’s a satisfying smoothness to fighting demons with your fingers that should keep players coming back.
The combat system is unique compared to many other first-person shooters, using an interesting combination of martial arts and ranged attacks to win battles. This makes fighting more satisfying because it feels more personal and organic than merely shooting enemies with a handgun.
While there is always a beauty to linear games, the open world in Ghostwire: Tokyo gives players plenty to explore both while playing the main story, but also just on a whim. With 556 collectibles and seemingly endless nooks and crannies to explore, there will be something to do almost anywhere you look, from the 42 side missions to arbitrary sightseeing around the eerieness of the city.
Open-world maps might sometimes prove overwhelming for many players who feel like there’s almost too much to do in any given direction, but at least on Game Pass you can try the game out and not worry about making such a large commitment. If the map gets to be too much, putting the game down doesn’t feel like a waste of $60.
Xbox Game Pass also has their cloud gaming feature, allowing players to experience the game without installing it to your system. This is a perfect way to try the game before committing it to your storage, though it might not be optimal for some combat situations due to the minor delay that comes from gaming over an internet connection. While this might not be the perfect way to play the game, it should certainly be enough to get a feel for the environment, which there is a lot of.
The visual style of Ghostwire: Tokyo alone is enough to attract players to install the game on their Xbox consoles. The ambiance is gloomy and befitting of a city devoid of people, and yet it still remains colorful, a perfect homage to the city of Tokyo itself. Between the design of the world and the animation of the combat, the game certainly wants to be looked at, and Game Pass will allow for more eyes to be on it than ever.
Even though Ghostwire: Tokyo didn’t launch on Xbox’s platform, the nature of the game lends itself perfectly to Microsoft’s Game Pass service. Once it arrives on April 12 with the Spider’s Thread update, it’s sure to perform well amongst players.
