Thanks to the creative mind of video game developer Shu Takumi, Capcom has a new take on mystery-solving with "Ghost Trick," a game for iPhone, iPad and iPhone touch that mixes paranormal puzzles with a quirky, off-the-wall storyline.
You play Sissel, a mysterious character who starts the game dead as a doornail, with a poor redhead weeping over him who is about to be killed by the same assassin. However, in his afterlife, Sissel finds that he has access to special abilities, such as possessing nearby items, including a banjo he can strum to distract enemies or power equipment to knock them out. He can even rewind time to change events that happened in the past. He does this by switching between the normal world and the alternate "ghost world."
That’s how a majority of the game goes along, with the player using real-world objects to get through situations within a four-minute time frame in order to save people. If you screw up, you’re given the option to try again and find the right solution.
"Ghost Trick" follows a rather absurd storyline, in which you converse with a strange spectral force, the redhead, a dog named Missile and several other quirky characters. Soon, you get a better idea of what happened with your murder, but then more dangerous events unfold.
"Ghost Trick" utilizes simple touch-screen controls, and the opening tutorial teaches you the ins and outs of using “tricks” to manipulate items and save lives.
The first two chapters of the game are free. You can then buy additional chapters at $5 for a group of five, or all 19 for $10.
The visual style of "Ghost Trick" is a mixture of Japanese anime and more traditional game graphics, as in the recently released adventure game "Another World." It’s highly detailed, and the storyline and characters, while a bit strange for most gaming tastes, offer a refreshing detour off the beaten path with its innovative play style and splendid art design.
Rating 3/4
