Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden - The Choice between Love and Fate
Game Name: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Publishing Time: 24/2/2024
Game Publishing Platform: PC, PS5, XSX丨S
The setting of "The Spirit Destroyer" is in the late 17th century, when the unknown North American continent was being extensively explored by British colonizers. Our two protagonists were entrusted to come here to expel evil spirits - this is the origin of the so-called “Banishers”.
In the preface of the game, when I learned about the concept of the “Banishers” and the elements related to it, a familiar feeling rushed towards me. You will find how similar history and civilization are: similar to our understanding of the concept of “ghosts”. There is also a setting where the souls of the dead linger. What’s more, there are also ghostly fires, rituals that require the use of media to manifest, and there are also bonds that need to be severed from the mortal world. The latter is precisely the meaning of the existence of the “Banisher”.
The protagonists - Red and Antea, this couple faced a life and death decision, embarking on their first stop on the New World. Charles, who invited them to come and expel the evil spirits, died before he officially appeared. By summoning his soul, Red and Antea learned that killing him was an unprecedented powerful spiritual body. So they made some preparations and went to engage the enemy forces.Unfortunately, after only one round of fighting, Red was knocked off the cliff and Antea died.
To be honest, from the perspective of process and storytelling alone, this preface is the most exciting chapter I have encountered recently. It compactly explains the game background and brings an unexpected turning point, which is the protagonist's death. But death is only the beginning of another journey, which means a true starting point.
After waking up, Red saw Antea who had become a soul, and she accompanied Red in the form of a soul. After a series of beddings, Red realized that he had to make a choice, resurrect his lover through taboo rituals, or help her ascend to heaven - complete death. The former is not a process without cost, which leads to the most important setting in the game's process. That is "how to end a haunted event".
Living in a vast and semi open world, banishers will face many haunted events, which can also be understood as the entanglement between mortals and souls. For example, when players come to the shelter camp in New Eden, you will encounter a blacksmith who is always entangled by an inexplicable soul. His wife also confides in you. But after investigation, you found that the fact is not as they stated. The so-called "blacksmith" was originally an impostor, and the lingering soul was the blacksmith himself. One day, a blacksmith and his wife had a conflict, and his wife accidentally killed him. Afterwards, the imposter continued to live with his wife as a blacksmith.
This story is full of convoluted twists and turns, making it difficult to judge solely based on good or evil - but the game requires you to do so. At the end of such a haunted incident, you must make a clear judgment: understand this wife's grievances so as to exile the blacksmith's soul, or blame the blacksmith's wife and imposter (equivalent to killing).
These two choices are not only moral disputes, but also affect the outcome of Antea: only when you choose to blame the living in most haunted events can you help the dead resurrect; On the contrary, it will leads to Antea ascend to heaven.
This is the most perplexing part of the game. Obviously, with the premise of "influence on the fate of Antea", players cannot consider an independent event solely from a moral perspective, but rather it will carry a certain degree of selfish desire. It is interesting that Antea herself does not exert pressure on you. Even if you choose not to blame the living and exile the soul, she will not blame you. It seems that everyone has a spiritual echo and already has the same consciousness.
As a narrative game, these are its core charm. You have always been constrained by strong moral pressure. And its gameplay seems to also complement this process. Your long journey starts from one end of the map to the other, filled with various encounters and events.
This is not a world that is completely open, but more like quantities of levels with open terrain connected together. There are many elements that can be explored, such as battles, treasure chests, puzzles, events, and so on.
Solving puzzles often requires Red and Antea to work together. There is a system similar to an eagle eye that allows you to detect hidden elements nearby, but it is not complicated, often just a process of opening and closing your eyes. The convenience of this preset is also reflected in every aspect of exploration, including battles.
The combat system of this game is relatively simple, combining light and heavy attacks with spiritual transformation, supplemented by special skills - Red's gun and Antea's burst. Although there are also defense, rolling, and various advanced settings selected from the talent tree.
At the same time, players can also explore new Eden to unlock powerful equipment and mysterious supernatural abilities. In this mysterious land, players will discover ancient relics, magnificent decorations, and precious resources to inject powerful power into their equipment and prepare adequately for the upcoming battle. players can also expand Antea's skill tree, master powerful soul skills, and unlock more unique combination skills.
Generally speaking, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a brilliant game with captivating storylines and a complex decision-making system. The moral choices provide players with an emotional and atmospheric gaming experience. If you enjoy action games and are interested in a story involving profound human exploration, this game is definitely worth a try.