GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO: SPELLS IN AN EMPTY CITY

7.5 of 10 bananas. A gorgeous haunted Tokyo carried by hand magic and a grumpy ghost on your shoulder.

By the Alpha. Steam storefront. Updated Oct 2026.

Honest note: This verdict is not from a fresh hands-on playtest. I built it from launch coverage, critic consensus, patch history, and known play. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: PC on Steam is the button. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions also exist. No Amazon listing is linked yet, so Steam is the only button.

Sit with me a moment. An empty city is a hard thing to make interesting. Ghostwire: Tokyo fills Shibuya with fog, rain, and spirits, then puts a ghost in your head who never stops talking. The city is the reason to come.

What It Wants To Be

Tango Gameworks built it and Bethesda published it in March 2022. A fog takes the people of Tokyo, and Akito survives because the spirit KK binds to him. Together they fight hostile spirits called Visitors with Ethereal Weaving, a first person hand magic system, while chasing a masked man behind it all.

What Works

Night time Tokyo looks superb, with neon, puddles, and yokai folklore around every corner. The hand gestures for wind, water, and fire attacks feel distinct and stylish. Akito and KK make a fun pair. Side requests draw on Japanese folklore and often surprise. The free Spider Thread update in 2023 added a roguelite mode and more to do.

What Breaks

Listen well. Combat is shallow and repeats long before the end. The open world leans on icon clearing and collecting spirits. Enemy types run out fast. Despite the setting, it is rarely scary, so do not come looking for true horror.

Who Should Play

Play if you love Tokyo, folklore, and atmosphere more than combat depth. Skip if you need a deep shooter or real scares.

Related: HITMAN World of Assassination, Cronos: The New Dawn.

Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. Steam is the only button until that listing is real.