Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the newest project from DON’T NOD, the studio behind gaming gems like Life is Strange, Tell Me Why, and Twin Mirror. What do these games have in common? Their excellent narrative focus—a hallmark of the studio.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was originally announced at The Game Awards 2022 with a November 2023 release date. However, in September 2023, the developers delayed the game to February 13, 2024 to avoid getting lost in the AAA release rush.
Ahead of its official launch, we at PSX Brasil received early access to test the game and determine whether the wait was worthwhile.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden follows the story of Red and Antea, a pair of Banishers who can banish—or ascend—spirits trapped in the real world by unresolved matters or physical anchors.
During a dangerous mission in New Eden, Antea is killed by a powerful ghost known as the Nightmare—the same entity that murdered the couple’s best friend. Devastated, Red later encounters his beloved’s spirit and faces a critical choice: revive Antea using forbidden magic or guide her spirit into the afterlife. Their love is profound, but keeping her near risks Antea draining Red’s life force, ultimately killing him.
DON’T NOD excels at player-driven narratives shaped by choices, and this is no exception. To resurrect Antea, players must sacrifice as many lives as possible—contradicting Banishers’ code of only banishing spirits. Choosing this path makes Red face consequences from vengeful spirits or abandoned villages.
The studio masterfully blurs the line between justice and self-interest, forcing players into morally gray territory. You might deem a human “innocent” yet kill them to resurrect Antea, indulging the protagonist’s selfish desires and facing community condemnation.
Since ghosts manifest from unresolved trauma, Antea accompanies Red in hunting the Nightmare. Unlike typical spirits, the couple can shift between the physical and spiritual planes to fight enemies and solve puzzles.
As Antea, players use spectral attacks effective against spiritual foes, while Red deals heavier damage to corporeal monsters. Chaining combos by swapping characters increases combat variety.
Early combat initially felt sluggish and repetitive, but as I progressed, new abilities and gear opened dynamic approaches for confronting New Eden’s ghosts.
The lock-on system proved problematic—it often malfunctioned, disorienting the camera. Died multiple times due to this even on normal difficulty. Not using lock-on wastes Spirit Points, as you’ll likely attack empty air.
Enemy variety isn’t extensive, but this fits the lore: spirits manifest based on human emotions before death, creating limited but intentional diversity.
Resurrecting Antea demands collecting life force from humans, requiring near-total completion of side quests.
Initially, all side missions involve hauntings, but your choices trigger follow-up quests. This unpredictability fuels replayability—players will want to see outcomes for decisions “X” versus “Y.”
Map activities like clearing spirit nests reward essential items for your journey.
The game offers diverse gear, but players must prioritize Red or Antea—most equipment boosts one while weakening the other. Though this encourages strategy, some may find it tedious.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden prioritizes narrative. While exploration helps, key context comes from optional files and villager conversations—aiding decisions about banishments. Unfortunately, character animations disappoint.
Facial expressions clash with voice acting, reminiscent of Kristen Stewart’s single-emotion performance in Twilight.
Visuals impress in Performance Mode, but frame drops plague busy scenes. Snowy areas suffered severe stuttering—unexpected for a current-gen exclusive.
The lack of custom map markers is frustrating. You can flag existing campfires or portals but can’t mark empty areas for exploration.
Map loading delays worsen this issue. Two patches during the preview period didn’t resolve the sluggish system.
New Eden is sizable but semi-open—constrained to paths gated by abilities. You can’t freely climb hills or explore unchecked.
Side quests efficiently guide players to undiscovered areas, compensating for the cumbersome map—a positive design choice.
Despite performance issues, bugs, and missing QoL features, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden excels. Exploring New Eden is addictive, with side stories rivaling main quest engagement—a rare achievement.
DON’T NOD struggles with optimization (as in Life is Strange), but delivers unparalleled storytelling.
Game reviewed on PS5 with code provided by Focus Entertainment.
