Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Just Adventure (A)

In addition to the fun puzzle-solving element, the game has two other big strengths: First, the presentation is absolutely superb. The characters are beautifully animated (it looks like they actually rotoscoped or used some form of motion capture). The production values are high and the feel of the game is quite cinematic. The characters are frequently outlandish but consistently entertaining. There’s a dancing detective, a drama-queen security guard, a brave little doggie, and many others. Second, the story is complex, convoluted and compelling. A big part of the story is simply trying to figure out who the hell you are and how you fit into the labyrinthine plot. There are other murder victims to save (human and otherwise), motives to reveal, and lots of injustice to correct.

1UP (A)

Despite completely divergent gameplay and a very different art style, Ghost Trick feels like a creative extension of Ace Attorney; as though the team at Capcom is able to expand on the ideas in their flagship franchise, without being tethered to either those conventions or characters. It would spoil some of the game's surprises to talk about how the gameplay evolves over the course of your adventure, but with its concise plotting and entertaining puzzles, there is no moment of Ghost Trick that isn't completely engrossing.

Sharkberg ( )

There really is only one negative point I can think of for Ghost Trick, and that is the fact there simply isn’t any replayability to have here. Once you play through the story (which is probably managed in 7-10 hours), there is nothing more to do. I don’t mind this so much, but some people might. I see it as being a lot like a book or movie though, as mentioned earlier. Ghost Trick is a story to enjoy, and well-worth playing through in order to experience that story. The story also might be a bit too ridiculous for some, but if you’re familiar with Ace Attorney at all then the tone of this one should not come as a surprise. Now, any chance we can get Shu Takumi to take another break from those Phoenix Wright games? I don’t think Ghost Trick needs a sequel (it ends very conclusively), but it would be lovely to see another imaginative new title of this sort made one day.

God is a Geek (9 out of 10)

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is the perfect type of game for the Nintendo DS, it’s a fun game that can be picked up for minutes at a time while waiting for a TV show to come back on, or you can lose yourself in the game’s world for hours at a time. However long you’ve got to spend on Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, it will keep you occupied and you’ll find yourself itching to get to the next piece of the larger picture. Just like a good book.

Jeuxvideo.fr (9 out of 10)

Ce début d’année 2011 commence sur les chapeaux de roues pour la DS avec cet incroyable Ghost Trick. Pas loin de la perfection, le titre de Capcom est un petit bijou qui se doit de faire partie de votre ludothèque pour peu que vous adhériez à son concept et que l’aspect puzzle ne vous rebute pas. Sa réalisation de haute volée en fait une référence. Riche, profond, intelligent, drôle et amusant, les qualités ne manquent pas. Les quelques défauts rencontrés ne sont que broutilles vite oubliées tant le plaisir de jeu procuré est intense. Ghost Trick m’a fait lâcher World Of Warcraft pendant un temps, ce qui n’est pas un mince exploit.

GamesCollection (9 out of 10)

Shu Takumi (già creatore della fortunatissima saga di Phoenix Wright) riesce nuovamente nell'impresa di regalarci un altro piccolo grande gioiello, un concentrato di idee e di giocabilità probabilmante senza pari... Vestire i panni di un morto: chi ci aveva anche mai solo lontanamente pensato? Gli amanti dei rompicapo ma anche tutti coloro che amano i giochi di classe devono fare proprio Ghost Trick, titolo da inquadrare come un vero e proprio canto del cigno del Nintendo DS, console ormai al termine del proprio ciclo vitale... Forse non sarà per tutti, ma questo titolo è un must-have...

GameSpot (9 out of 10)

Ghost Trick is one of the most original and compelling puzzle-oriented adventure games to come along in recent years. Nearly every facet of the game is outstanding: the unique gameplay concept and the puzzles you solve, the great characters and dialogue, the terrific animation and visual design, and the strange mystery, full of surprising twists and shocking revelations, whose threads all come together in a memorable and rewarding conclusion. The length of the game can vary significantly depending on how long it takes you to work out the puzzles, but you can expect to spend a good 10-15 hours piecing together this mystery, and its novelty and quality ensure that the experience will remain fondly in your memory well after that. If you have any interest in games of this kind, you need to play Ghost Trick.

411mania.com (8.9 out of 10)

Simply put, if you are a fan of the Ace Attorney series, early LucasArt games, or point-and-click adventure game in general, then Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a must have for your DS library. The game will provide you with 18 chapters and eight to ten hours of high quality entertainment and a gripping storyline. The deeper you dive into the game, the more compelling the mystery unfurls, and the more you’ll want to stay up late into the night finishing this addicting game. And here I thought that 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors would be the last great DS adventure game that I would play on the DS. Heh heh… WRONG!

That Gaming Site (8.8 out of 10)

In summary, Ghost Trick will be loved by anyone who enjoyed the Ace Attorney games. It's also a lot more accessible, thanks to the increased presence of actual gameplay instead of hours of dialogue. In short, it's a fun, satisfying game with a compelling mystery and some fantastic characters.

Fragland.net (85 out of 100)

The main idea behind Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is simple, but the developers managed create a very nice game that manages to offer some challenge and some leisure. The combination adventure-puzzle is interesting for those who like to play mentally challenging games, but not so much that too complex puzzles can spoil the fun. And for others this is an interesting game to get to know another genre.

gamrReview (8.5 out of 10)

Death is a sign of failure in many games; it is the punishment for failing to complete the mission that the game has laid out in front of you. By contrast, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective embraces death, and does so to the point that the entire game is based around the death of Sissel, the main character.

IGN (8.5 out of 10)

Fans of games like Phoenix Wright and The Secret of Monkey Island are going to love Ghost Trick. It's a spirited point-and-click adventure that manages to innovate in an aging genre and the animation has to be seen to be believed. Provided you're not averse to reading, you'll find this Trick to be a treat.

Jeuxvideo.com (17 out of 20)

Ghost Trick propose des personnages poseurs, des répliques humoristiques qui tombent juste, et surtout des fantômes aux pouvoirs bien spéciaux. C'est Sissel que vous suivrez, âme à la recherche de la vérité concernant son assassinat. Nul doute, le créateur d'Ace Attorney frappe fort avec ce nouveau jeu DS, combinant gameplay aux petits oignons et scénario étoffé au sein d'un univers vraiment réussi.

RPGFan (83 out of 100)

Ghost Trick is worth a playthrough, if only to experience something completely unique in the graphic adventure genre. The narrative doesn't take itself too seriously, and you'll most likely enjoy the ride. There's a lot to like, but there's also plenty that's bothersome. If you've grown tired of the Ace Attorney games and want to feel a sense of mystery and adventure again, Ghost Trick is the game for you. However, if you're somebody who despises time-based puzzles and replaying content repeatedly to find a solution, you probably should avoid Ghost Trick. It has its frustrations, and the outcome of the game might not seem worth the stress to some. At the very least, it's one game that dares to be different and isn't entirely predictable. It takes puzzle solving to a new level, and that is more than enough reason to applaud Ghost Trick.

HCL.hr Gaming Portal (82 out of 100)

Grafički stil igre pomalo podsjeća na Ace Attorney serijal, no razlika je ipak prisutna. Zapravo, kad bolje razmislimo, i likovi nas u svojoj preuveličanoj maniri podsjećaju na AA serijal - čovjek koji uvijek ima goluba na glavi, detektiv koji pleše dok hoda, općenito čudne frizure i karikaturno ponašanje svih likova... Također, kao i u spomenutom serijalu, možete igrati koristeći samo tipke, ekran osjetljiv na dodir ili kombiniranjem jednog i drugog. Eto, mi osobno volimo ovakav pristup koji povelik broj developera komotno ignorira.

4Players.de (82 out of 100)

Kurzweilig, witzig, ansehnlich! Ghost Trick ist ein cleveres Adventure, das mich richtig gut unterhalten hat. Obwohl ich angesichts von Gedächtnisverlust (schon wieder?) und Grafikstil (Sprechblasen-Overflow!) zunächst skeptisch war, entwickelt sich eine interessante und ausgezeichnet animierte Mystery-Story mit überraschenden Wendungen. Zwar kommt der blonde Held Sissel nicht an das Charisma von Phoenix Wright heran, aber der Kern des Spiels ist natürlich die Knobelei bei der Spurensuche: Hier blitzt an einigen Stellen auf, welches Rätselpotenzial in der originellen Idee steckt - man reist in die Vergangenheit von Toten und manipuliert Gegenstände, um seinen eigenen Todesfall aufzuklären. Leider besteht die Schwierigkeit auf Dauer eher im Zeitlimit sowie dem Timing des Dimensionswechsels, so dass etwas zu oft Trial & Error in der Routen- bzw. Lösungsfindung anstatt vertrackte Rätsel den Spielfluss beherrschen - also heißt es häufig zurück zum Checkpoint.

Nintendo-Online.de (8 out of 10)

„Ace Attorney“ und „Ghost Trick“ fühlen sich wahnsinnig ähnlich an, obwohl das Spielprinzip doch so verschiedenen ist. Das liegt nun aber nicht an den verrückten Charakteren, die in beiden Spielen auftreten, sondern viel mehr an der spannenden Geschichte, die etwa zehn bis 15 Stunden an den Nintendo DS fesselt. Wir hätten uns gewünscht, dass man mehr Einfluss auf die Geschichte nehmen kann, so zieht man immer und immer wieder am selben Strang, rettet Leben und kann das Schicksal der Figuren im Grunde nicht beeinflussen. Aber auch so liegt mit „Ghost Trick“ ein wunderbarer Titel vor, der in jede Adventuresammlung gehört.

Nukezilla ( )

If you can excuse the extremely linear nature of the game — and don’t mind trial and error in your puzzle-solving, then I encourage anyone with a DS to give Ghost Trick a try.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

If you play mostly to enjoy the experience, however, then Ghost Trick is easy to recommend. It's one of the freshest, most original and genuinely funny games to hit the DS since a certain lawyer raised his first objection.

Brash Games (8 out of 10)

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, and it’s safe to say that Ace Attorney fans will feel right at home here. Some may find the game a little bit too repetitive for their liking, but even so, it’s a more interactive experience than Phoenix Wright’s courtroom drama.

Gamereactor (Sweden) (8 out of 10)

Stegen måste höjas så att jag kommer åt en lampa, men samtidigt måste jag passa på så att jag kan flytta min ande till bollen som studsar förbi innan det är försent att hoppa in i kockens hatt. Samtidigt tickar tiden ned och jag har ingen aning om hur jag ska göra för att förhindra det dödsfall som kommer att inträffa inom bara några sekunder. De pussel som går på tid kan snabbt bli lite stressande. Ändå är svårighetsgraden ganska låg. Det blir mycket "trial and error", men varje misslyckat försök lär mig något nytt. Och jag måste spela vidare. Jag måste få reda på vem min mördare är.

Gameblog.fr (8 out of 10)

Avec son pitch abracadabrantesque et ses persos ultra-poseurs, Ghost Trick balance un vent de fraîcheur sur le jeu d'aventure DS. Un jeu que ses concepteurs ont indubitablement pris plaisir à faire, ça se sent aussi clairement qu'une star du X qui prend vraiment son pied sur un tournage : c'est suffisamment rare pour ne pas bouder son plaisir. Capcom ne nous ment pas sur la marchandise : Ghost Trick a ce petit souffle des jeux heureux d'exister et d'en mettre plein la vue. Réussir une première fois avec Phoenix Wright, c'était la classe, mais on s'incline devant cette manière de redémarrer l'usine de la cool attitude. Chapeau bas.

GNT - Generation Nouvelles Technologies (7 out of 10)

C'est une aventure hors du commun que propose Capcom. Avec des personnages hauts en couleur, une aventure captivante, un scénario bien ficelé et une mise en scène soignée, la DS reçoit ce qui pourrait être son meilleur jeu de ce début d'année 2011. Pour les amateurs de jeux d'aventure, de réflexion et de point'n click, vous ne serez pas déçus.

Gameplay (Benelux) (70 out of 100)

Optimaal genieten van het paranormaal geschift verhaaltje met grandioos aimabele personages is jammer genoeg alleen mogelijk als je genoeg foutjes door de ectoplastische vingers ziet.

Games TM (7 out of 10)

While all the elements of any crime drama remain present and correct - mystery, intrigue, suspense - taking a Jeopardy approach and working backwards from the scene of the crime perhaps wasn't the best structural decision. But then, the same could be said of having a dead hero that communicates with dogs, and that's as amusing a concept as it is bizarre. So, a welcome distraction, then.

Game Informer Magazine (6 out of 10)

Though the game misses some important marks, it isn’t a completely lost cause. The character animations are incredibly fluid and impressive, and several of their conversations are good for a chuckle. Unfortunately, these scattered bits of life aren’t enough to bring Sissel’s adventure back from the dead.

Micro Hebdo N/A

Non dénué d'humour, original et captivant, Ghost Trick est une bonne surprise.