Banishers – Ghosts of New Eden review: Caught between the living and the dead

Set in a facsimile of 17th-century America, Ghosts of New Eden ordains you a spirit hunter – or Banisher – whose job is to send the recently departed to their final rest if they become stuck between worlds. This exorcism may require persuasion, kindness or violence, and sometimes a combination of all three because these ghosts often have unresolved issues with the people they left behind.

The central twist is that your Banisher – a phlegmatic Scot by the name of Red Mac Raith – has himself been lately bereaved. As the game opens, a terrifying wraith known as the Nightmare kills Antea Duarte, a feisty and more senior Banisher who had been Red’s long-time love. The main quest line centres on Red’s investigations to defeat the Nightmare that torments the locals. But he must also decide whether to attempt to save Antea from her own liminal existence – at great moral cost – or work to ensure she transitions to what passes for heaven in this forsaken place.

In the meantime, however, Antea works alongside Red as a spectral partner capable of paranormal second sight and a range of physical attacks. The couple roam a semi-open world pursuing clues to the Nightmare and bringing closure to the many spirits still haunting the living. You might expose someone’s lies, kindle forgiveness or unleash revenge.

In play style, this action RPG is evocative of the investigations of The Witcher 3, with reams of nuanced conversation interspersed with bouts of combat. Though the motion capture is sometimes very impressive and the dialogue well-written and delivered, Banishers’ quests never quite reach the creative watermark set by The Witcher’s plaintive tales.

Combat feels challenging, with the player able to switch instantly between Red and Antea for tag-team attacks to maximise damage. However, with the exception of a handful of boss fights, the enemies lack variety, confined mostly to a few ghosts, wolves and humanoids.

The heart of Ghosts of New Eden springs from the tender relationship between Antea and Red, the pain of their separation and the desperation of their situation – achingly conveyed by the two voice actors, Amaka Okafor and Russ Bain. It is this coupling that holds Banishers together, amplifying the difficult decisions the plot forces you to take.