Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden preview – it already has me enamoured

11 December 2023 , 16:00

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Combat in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is much improved compared to 2018's Vampyr. (Image: Focus Entertainment)

Don’t Nod’s first game of 2024 could very well be its best, seamlessly blending heartfelt storytelling and a deep world to explore.

The developers at French studio Don’t Nod Entertainment must never sleep. After releasing not one, but two games this year in narrative adventure Harmony: The Fall of Reverie and the more recent chill climb-a-thon Jusant (available on Xbox Game Pass), the team is seemingly gearing up for an equally as busy 2024. Admittedly, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was originally meant to be out in November before being pushed to February 13, 2024, but the reveal of Life is Strange spin-off Lost Records: Bloom & Rage at The Game Awards last week suggests that the hard work is set to roll on.

At a recent preview event, I got to play a few hours of the former, described to me as a spiritual successor to Vampyr, which initially had me worried. I was excited by the prospect of playing Don’t Nod’s first proper foray into a more conventional third-person action RPG back in 2018, of course, but the combat wasn’t anywhere near as enticing to me as the game’s core mechanic of choosing whose blood to drink to stay alive and who to let live. Thankfully, from what I’ve played so far, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is shaping up to be a better balance between action and intellect.

The world in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is stunning but bleak. (Focus Entertainment)

Set in the North American wilderness circa 1700, Banishers see you take on the dual roles of Red and Antea. As both lovers and ghost hunters the pair have a penchant for helping those caught between the living and the dead pass on, done by investigating and then solving each’s personal mysteries. Their mission is quickly thrown into disarray early on in-game, however, after they encounter a new force that sees Antea becomes trapped in ghost form. This leads Red to question what to do next: attempt to bring her back by banishing spirits, or let her ascend by fairly assisting them?

This dichotomy is very much at the core of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, working similarly to the way Vampyr has players ponder their own morality. I’d be lying if I didn’t say choosing which path to go down wasn’t a difficult decision, though, given just how much it’s evident that Red and Antea care for one another. Although I only spent a brief time fighting, exploring and investigating as the titular banishers, Don’t Nod has done a brilliant job at making them feel fully rounded as characters. Red clearly needs Antea’s warmth and guidance, feeling lost without her being in a regular state.

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Give up the ghost

This choice-driven gameplay, where your decisions will ultimately change the ending, is made all the more challenging by the clear step up in presentation compared to Don’t Nod’s previous titles. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a truly beautiful game, chock full of dense forests to push through, caverns to discover, and small communities to rub shoulders with. Being exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on consoles and running on Unreal Engine 5 appears to be working wonders, helping to immerse me in the cold bitterness of this haunted world.

Combat-wise, Banishers also proved to be a nice surprise. As an action RPG there’s the usual upgrade trees, gear systems and the like, sure, but the actual act of fighting wolves and spectres felt less of a chore than it was in Vampyr to me. Doubly so in the case of the latter enemy type, where any available corpse can be invaded and then reanimated to shamble its way towards you. There were a few times when I found myself overwhelmed, but it only encouraged me to prevent the spectres from finding a vessel in the first place, adding an appreciated layer of strategy and tension.

Antea might now be a ghost, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t useful in fights herself. In fact, her abilities have more of an effect on certain types of foes than Red’s traditional attacks. The duo’s split power set also translates into Banishers’ more detective-driven segments too, at least from what I’ve been able to play so far. Antea can see through misty areas shrouded in red mist, for instance, indicated by a bane ring that will glow over locations of interest. So far, in almost every aspect of gameplay, Red and Antea complement each other brilliantly.

Just because Antea is in spirit form, doesn't mean she isn't handy during a fight. (Focus Entertainment)

Though not a truly continuous open world – certain story paths blocked until you unlock the correct level of ‘manifestation’ – a cheeky glance at the map would indicate that there’s plenty of ground to cover. Such feeling is reinforced by plenty of side investigations known as Haunting Cases, whereby you can improve Red’s ultimate goal (whichever way you lean towards) by helping trapped ghosts complete their unfinished business.

The one Haunting Case in my preview involved two gentlemen, Jacob and Benedict, forced to take refuge in a cave and live on scraps. As well as hammering home the sheer bitterness and bleakness of this world where characters don’t have much hope, it was a perfect encapsulation of the difficult choices laced throughout the game. Jacob was clearly losing himself, thinking that Benedict would be coming back with supplies, but my investigation eventually revealed that one killed the other after a misunderstanding over scraps. Getting Jacob to realise the realisation of his actions carried a lot of weight, so much I wonder how heavy other Haunting Cases will turn out to be.

Overall, then, I came away from my Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden preview not just impressed at the emotional storytelling, engaging characters, and solid combat, but excited that Don’t Nod may be on the cusp of releasing its best game yet. Single-player, story-driven titles with an emphasis on character and emotion are rare at the best of times, let alone one where your choices actually have an impact on the outcome. Almost out of nowhere, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has swiftly become one of my most anticipated games of 2024. Thank heavens we don’t have to wait long to experience the finished result.

Aaron Potter