Where to begin with this one? DONTNOD and Focus Entertainment seemed to bring something quite special with their new title, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. It's a true AA title that had its teeth in me from the moment I booted it up, I would come back for more over and over. Though it has some faults, there’s no denying that Banishers truly is one of those special games that you never forget playing.

Story and Gameplay

From its initial moments, it becomes quite clear that Banishers is a serious game that blends its own fictional lore into the fabric of its American Colonial setting pretty well. You play as Antea and Red, a couple that both just so happens to be a team of Banishers; this world’s Witchers of sorts. Their goal is to banish spirits that linger in this world, both pure and evil. But the catalyst that gets this title rolling is when Antea herself becomes one with the spirit world. This allows the game to implement choice into its gameplay.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden really is an Action RPG, and where it shines is in its dialogue and choices for the player to make. Honestly, this is some of the best writing that I’ve seen in a game in a couple of years, and it makes sense seeing as DONTNOD is behind this. I felt so addicted to seeing how the story would unfold, that I would play for at least four hours a sitting.

Not only does the story feel extremely real, but its setting and environments are so exciting to explore. We haven’t really gotten a game set in this era, and DONTNOD took advantage of that, giving players so much to experience. From icy mountain forts to old colonial settlements, this title does its best to create a realistic-feeling world.

Graphics and Audio

Doubling down on its environments, Banishers is a truly beautiful title. This is some of DONTNOD’s best work to date. Though the journey mostly takes place in forests throughout its duration, the developers made sure to give each a varying look that actually kept the gameplay feeling fresh and fluid. It’s almost as if each was a different biome altogether at times.

However, my favorite aspect is going to have to be the sound design. The game’s music is organically implemented and rich for the ears, as well as environmental sounds. This is best played on a good headset to hear every little detail added. And the acting, dear lord, this is a masterpiece in my eyes for its acting, specifically by its main characters of Red and Antea. They suck you right into this story so beautifully.

Feedback

Getting into some negative talking points, there are some things that are worth noting when it comes to Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The first glaring thing here is the gameplay. Though the RPG elements are great, the combat and exploration have the tendency to feel hokey.

Combat isn’t the worst offender here though, but it can just feel samey at times. Exploration could’ve been refined. There are a lot of things that are painted a certain color in the game to indicate that you can go over, under, or through them, and it just took me out of the game a bit. I also would’ve liked the ability to jump freely, but it’s not the end of the world.

I came across some optimization issues as well that I hope are ironed out before release. The first big one was major game crashes that actually made it so I couldn’t progress past a certain point of the story for a time. Additionally, voice syncing to facial animations was another thing that just took me out of the immersion from time to time.

Conclusion

For me, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was one of those rare games that you see announced, you anticipate, and then it finally delivers. As I said before, this is one of those titles that you play, and you never forget. It honestly has the ability to be a gaming classic amongst fans because of its setting, dialogue, and horror setting that doesn’t go straight into being a scare-fest. I can’t wait to jump back into it from the beginning again.