BANISHERS: Ghosts of New Eden - PlayStation 5

I saw trailers for Banishers prior to release and it piqued my interest, so on release I figured, “Why not?” I’m glad I did, because it has proven to be a solid action adventure akin to God of War and even elements of Fable, albeit a little darker and more somber. The combat isn’t as tight as GoW, but it’s similar in style with combos and upgrades galore. The hook is there, with plenty of upgrades and collectibles and a fairly open map to explore. The story is pretty satisfying as well, with a built in choice system for passing judgement on NPCs. It takes a little bit of time for things to pick up and really click, so give it a good college try. You’ll be happy you did.

I’d rate this a 4 & a half, but I don’t have that option, so a 5 will do. This is a great AA game that surprised me - better than some AAA games, even. Then again, it’s from Don’t Nod, & I really like their innovative style (don’t follow every present-day norm that most AAA publishers want). Great storytelling. Great battles with their own “feel.” & just enough RPG elements. Plus the great world building makes use of skills learned. I also really like Don’t Nod’s PS3 game, Remember me (innovative gameplay, inspired by Total Recall). (Have yet to take Vampyr off my backlog.) If Banishers is available, & you like a different actiony battle system with some PRG elements, don’t pass it up. It’s even a bit creepy in the “ghost” department at times, a wee bit more creepy than some horror games I've played.

Great product very fun game. It was a easy process to order product. Best Buy has great product and great customer service.

Wonderful visuals and story!! Different levels to fit the type of gamer you are.

[Employee of bestbuy] This is a good game! The storyline is very intriguing and there were moments where my heart broke for Red. I also love how there doesn't really seem to be a biased outlook, meaning I truly felt like I was taken to the late 1600s where death was a matter of course and no one was condemned for certain beliefs because it was the way it was--and with the supernatural thrown in, you really DON'T know if the devil/witch/etc is involved. It also made some choices surprsingly hard as you move through the game and need to make decisions that will affect the outcome of the game. The visuals are haunting and beautiful and definitely sets up the atmosphere of isolation, desolation, and tension. The score is also decent, but not my favorite. At times it felt choppy instead of fluid and flowing from ending to beginning or into the next scene. The gameplay mechanics, however, seem a bit basic, sometimes clunky, but nothing that really distracted me from the game. I will also say that between hauntings or storyline objectives it can feel a bit repetitive or feel like it's dragging on. I have also encountered odd sound glitches that I have yet to fogure out if it is a game issue or maybe my speakers or something else is malfunctioning. Overall, it's a solid game that I am enjoying playing after work.