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0 I did not expect to be checking out a true “spiritual” successor to the classic game Ghost Master. Although it is not made by the same team, you are able to see the clear inspiration used for the game. I mainly played Ghost Master on PS2, but always wished for another title. So I am happy to see that Ghost Keeper will be making that happen. It is out in early access now on Steam for £10.99, which is rather cheap! There is also a demo available as well.
Things that go bump in the night.
Gameplay
There is not a main story so far in Ghost Keeper, but the level objectives are the same. Kill or scare, all present mortals with a team of ghosts. Each ghost gets their own unique skills, while also sharing some universal ones. Universal skill they tend to share, are telekineses and breakdown, but I don’t think either need explaining. Some of the more specialized skills for our Haunters give options for the player to make combos. A good one, I found, was the dog ghost, called Shadowmaw, whose skill Ethereal Howl, which increase the Fear from other spirits abilities. Tied with Williams, “My Finger is Itching” skill really drives up the fear bar. To make it worse on one mortal, add a trap from Phineas. Skills all use summoning power (not the best name) and some have requirements before use, like different lighting.
Before selecting a level, we get to choose a team of 3 from the currently unlocked Haunters. As well as, the skill that you wish to take in with you. During the game you can unlock more by completing objectives, these are not optional on some levels. So you are going to unlock more spooky friends. The only real threat are the Ghost Hunters, that are found in the levels. They don’t scare easily and are sometimes best killed first. As they lock down areas, that stop you from summoning a ghost to an area. Have a ghost use too many skills in one area, or linger near a hunter, will increase their exposure meter. Which in turn will let Ghost Hunters capture them. Not to worry you can unsummon ghosts at anytime to lower exposure and regain summoning power.
Graphics & Audio
Ghost Keeper is a spooktacular treat all around. I love the stereotypical yet oh so nostalgic music, very reminiscent of classic Halloween media or Scooby-Doo. The level designs are intricate but not too hard to navigate, and lighting and effects (such as ectoplasm and blood) look great. Some of the animations are also downright hilarious, and I lost it at the Night Assassin’s flicking light switches animation, and his noodle-arm flailing to perform telekinesis.
While I like the different ghosts and their designs, I felt there were too many ‘human’ type ghosts, and I would love to see additional creature-like ones in the future. I also would love to hear some voice acting added, as I could imagine some of the excellent and kooky voices that would belong to each character.
Longevity
The current build is short but has some nice replayability when it comes to trying different ghost combos. I managed to beat Ghost Keeper within just 3 and a half hours. Which is a shame as I wanted more. This does not mean that is all there is, as there is more content on the way.
Final Thoughts
Besides a couple of minor issues, Ghost Keeper is a lot of fun. The current cast of spectres maybe small, but they all do work pretty well together. I would say that Shadowmaw is a little too overpowered, since he can just kill anyone without limitations. Level designs are okay, but I wish we had some more dense areas like the hideout, as having objects to mess with is fun. All in all, if you want something close to the classic Ghost Master game, then this is a must to pick up for long term fans.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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