Soapy Reviews: Ghost Trick Phantom Detective

Soapy Reviews:

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a video game created by the man behind the first three Ace Attourney games, Shu Takumi. It was released in January 2011 for the Nintendo DS, and it went under the radar for a lot of people, unfortunately not selling as well as any of the Ace Attourney games. Is this game one of those hidden gems, or is it better left buried 6 feet under? Let's dig in and find out!

Story: In Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, you play as Sissel, a ghost who has recently died and lost all his memories. Starting his journey to find out who he was, he meets a detective named Lynne, who dies almost immediately. Sissel then uses his new found powers as a ghost to manipulate time and the objects around him to stop the assassin who tried to kill her. From here, the plot takes off as Sissel saves multiple people from death on his way to find out who he was and why he has this power. The story actually takes quite a few surprising twists and turns, and the ending is pulled off with such expertise that I was left feeling the impact of the game for a few weeks. For those who have played the Ace Attourney games, you can expect the same mix of humour and drama, but with a much darker tone, as the game deals heavily with the theme of death. There are many amazing lighthearted and funny moments as well, but the game handles its more somber moments perfectly. This game is worth checking out for the story alone, but that's not the only aspect of it that works so well.

Gameplay: The gameplay is actually very unique, and can get quite tricky at times. At its core, Phantom Trick is a puzzle game, but it's very different than what you might expect from this genre. Sissel has the power to possess and manipulate objects, as well as turn back time (although this power is limited to turning it back to the beginning of the mission). He can also switch between the ghost and human worlds. In the ghost world, time stands still and you can do things freely; but in the human world, events take place in real time, and you must race against the clock to save the person in question before their unfortunate demise. The gameplay works very well and intergrates with the story seamlessly. Near the end of the game, the puzzles become quite hard, and will definitely require a few more tries than usual.

Overall: This is a game that I truly wish more people knew about. I have even spoken to some hardcore Ace Attourney fans who had no idea this game existed, and it upset me because it is one of the best games out on the DS, period. Although it will be harder to find now, I highly recommend buying this game if you ever see it in a store or are willing to go online to get it.