Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Reviews

With a stunning art style, unique puzzles, and a one-of-a-kind concept, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a puzzle game.

Ghost Trick was, bar none, one of my favorite games for the Nintendo DS. Clever, engrossing and amazingly compelling, it’s one of the few titles that I played where I forsook anything else on my DS for a period of weeks. Normally I can toggle between multiple games to help my dopamine receptors fire on all cylinders at all times and guarantee gaming fatigue in a matter of days, but this was different. I wanted, nay, needed to play Ghost Trick and find out everything I could about this game....

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective’s wonderful storyline gets new life in a remaster that offers a unique puzzle game that anyone interested in the genre should be playing.

Ghost Trick is twistier than a slinky in a tornado.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the best puzzle games out there, and this remaster only improves on perfection. Its sharp and witty writing is accompanied by a gripping murder mystery plot, a beautiful art style, and an ear worm soundtrack. Ghost Trick absolutely deserves more attention than it got back on the DS, and hopefully this resurrection will change its fate.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an awesome puzzle game with a fantastic story that runs fantastic on the Steam Deck!

After Devil May Cry V and quite a successful run of Resident Evil games over the past few years, Capcom is again in many people’s good books. Perhaps a lesser noticed but still important feat is how they’ve finally taken advantage of their niche backlog titles with the anticipated Dragon’s Dogma 2 and, most recently, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective returning. For the first time in over a decade, the quirky puzzle game is available on more than exclusively mobile and DS. It’s an in...

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the classic puzzle-solving mystery adventure directed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, is back! This long-awaited HD remaster features upgraded visuals and sound and new gallery content. Nintendo Switch version reviewed.

If you like Ace Attorney, you should play Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. It's as simple as that. You may already have done so, since the point-n'-click visual novel hybrid originally launched over a decade ago. However, this remaster is the perfect opportunity to either revisit the cult hit on modern hardware, or discover it for the very first time — and we'd suggest you do so. Ghost Trick is every bit as compelling and charming as its better-known stablemate, and thanks to its supernatural premise, its story goes to even weirder and wilder places.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective might be a port of an older title, but newcomers shouldn't hesitate to check out why this became such a cult classic. A gripping story and deceptively complex puzzles make this one of Capcom's best titles.

When all is said and done, the HD remaster of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an ideal way to check out this fantastic title. Though it might still suffer from some awkward puzzle logic, those that give it a chance will find a game bursting with creativity and originality they won't soon forget.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the most rewarding puzzle games that I have ever played. With an awesome aesthetic, great music, and a story full of twists and turns, this game will keep you coming back for more.

Really more of a guardian angel, if you think about it.

Ghost Trick Phantom Detective is a worthy remaster of a DS game you might not have tried before. It won’t be for everyone, but if you like a challenge, you might want to give this title a shot, especially if you enjoy a good mystery.

Ghost Trick Phantom Detective, even with its quite obtuse puzzles, is a joy to play. Particularly with its interesting story full of twists and turns and unique characters.

The unique DS mystery game Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective has been remade so let's jump into the ghost realm and solve a murder.

A crisp and cracking remaster of a little known Nintendo DS curio, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is Capcom doing what it does best – bringing back its old games in carefully considered, elegantly made revivals. This is no exception.

As you play, you’ll unlock numerous extras for completing “challenges,” which are in-game achievements that correspond to the actual trophies/achievements if you’re playing on a platform that has them. Unlockables include new backgrounds for the sidebars, art and illustrations, and music. It’s always nice to get this sort of glimpse behind the scenes, so it feels like a nice way to reward the player’s progress. Less rewarding is the bonus unlocked once you beat the game, the “Ghost Puzzle” feature. Unlike the puzzles in the main game, these have nothing to do with ghost tricks or any of the game’s mechanics at all. Instead, they’re three sliding block puzzles, each with 3×3, 4×4, and 5×5 versions, where you must slide the panels into the correct position to recreate the scene. They’re fine, but they don’t add much to the experience aside from the additional unlockable art you get for completing them. I was perplexed by why this was the new content Capcom chose to make for the remaster, until I learned the sliding block puzzles were originally included in the Japanese iOS port. In that sense, it’s nice to have this content included.

The only thing that Capcom has actually done wrong is not give Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a sequel.

For fans of puzzle games and visual novels, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a bit of a treat. It’s a stylish and humorous affair that’s a pleasure to look at and has a fun soundtrack. Only the odd frustration is likely to sully your impression of it, as having to watch the same scenes play out multiple times until you strike it gold with the solution can get a bit tiresome. But overall, these moments are far outweighed by the many bouts of joy you feel as you overcome challenges and unfold the game’s engaging tale.

The murder mystery puzzler makes the jump to PlayStation as Capcom successfully revives Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Captivating characters, an engrossing mystery, and inventive puzzles ensure Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective's appeal is alive and well in 2023.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective isn't looking to overhaul what made the original version so memorable. It offers sleeker HD visuals and rearranged music while retaining the same great music, writing and characters. Some of the newer features feel superfluous, but the game's core is still strong.

All things considered, even after more than a decade, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective remains a gem that can’t be missed, and that’s a true testament to its long-lasting quality. With brilliant design, improved visuals that are remarkably smooth and pleasant to watch, a challenging adventure, and a story that has more nuances than you could ever expect during its 10-hour duration, this is a unique game that delivers so many thrills, so many funny moments, that you won’t regret a single minute invested in it.

Time will reset giving Sissle the opportunity to change the fate of a specific scene, and if he is not able to accomplish the goal by the end of the time limit, he will be given the opportunity to start over. While the puzzles themselves are interesting and unique, it's the stakes that really make them fun. Working under a countdown and knowing what will happen if Sissle doesn’t succeed makes these different levels all the more interesting. Additionally, since Sissle will initially see the scene play out normally before he has the chance to alter it, players will always know what failing will cost them. The level of difficulty is balanced for those seasoned with games like this and novices. Though not simple by any means, a pause and re-evaluation of the limited available options can make the path clear.

PlayStation LifeStyle's Ghost Trick review explains how this PS4 port is a lovely port of a true handheld classic.

Missile the Dog remains a living legend.

Ghost Trick’s unusual premise, unique gameplay, satisfying puzzles, and wonderful characters make it an adventure game you don’t want to miss.