Gameplay Today - Because You're Always Gaming

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a stylish and supernatural Detective/Puzzle game by Capcom for the Nintendo DS. Building anticipation for this title erupted from the reputation of the game’s lead developer, Shu Takumi: the famous Ace Attorney series creator. Interesting gameplay, unforgettable characters, and the stylistic touches of Takumi are what define this game and set it apart from the crowd.

Ghost Trick revolves around a man who wakes up to realize that he has been murdered but has no recollection of who he was in life. Therefore, you must use your magic ghost powers - explained to you by a talking desk lamp named Ray - to save others from death while trying to uncover the details of your own grisly fate. This probably sounds pretty crazy if you have not played the game already, but believe me when I say the story becomes pretty compelling. Being a ghost is not all bad though as it makes the puzzle-solving elements of the game much easier.

Most of the action in this game involves little puzzles that are solved using your ghost abilities to possess inanimate objects. You can leap between these ordinary items to navigate the scenery or use ‘ghost tricks’ to make the lifeless articles move or function. (For example: turning on a blender) The puzzles are quite simple in function, but can become somewhat complex due to the need for correct timing. Thankfully, Ghost Trick has checkpoints between major breakthroughs in the puzzle and also gives you opportunities to rewind to either the very beginning of the puzzle or to these checkpoints. Also, many of your issues can be alleviated by simply rereading the games hints. Expanding on the idea of manipulating inanimate objects, your character is able to travel long distances by entering phone lines, making spying on phone conversations an easy way of travel.

As an incredible strong point, Ghost Trick’s cast of characters is as unforgettable as those of the Ace Attorney series. Some more memorable ones being a disco dancing detective/investigator, the league of mysterious criminals, a curry obsessed bank robber, and an opera singing chicken chef. The main character, sadly, has amnesia and therefore much of his characterization is only discovered through playing through the game. Still, this may have been a deliberate attempt to allow you to easily associate with him from the beginning of the game. The main character’s relationship with the minor characters is mostly interaction via him possessing them and trying to prevent their deaths using his ghost powers. His cooperation with the living becomes very important to his endeavors in discovering his own back story and therefore the characterization is great.

Blending the cheesy humor and wacky characters that the creator of the Ace Attorney series is famous for with interesting puzzles and even more supernatural themes than already found in his previous games makes Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a fulfilling experience and a good read. Hopefully, the future holds many more titles by Takumi. The American market could really use more games similar to this one. Buy this game if you like Phoenix Wright, other mystery titles, or enjoy puzzle solving. You may want to avoid this game if you dislike reading. Apparently, this game is also coming out for the iPhone sometime in the near future so even if you do not own a DS you may be able to catch it there.