GhostWire: Tokyo, by Tango Gameworks, will be released next month. The gameplay deep dive explained the various mechanics and features in the first-person shooter, but another video, which focused on the development team, discussed its inspirations and thoughts. Take a look at the video below.
When building the GhostWire universe, the goal is to create a realistic representation of Tokyo so that the paranormal components and opponents can stand out. Character designer Reiko Hirashima said “ancient Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints” when asked by studio founder Shinji Mikami about the different movies, manga, and music that affected the game. Kenji Kimura, the game director, mentioned Goethe’s Faust, while Junya Fuji, the environment designer, mentioned the film Solaris.
It’s also fascinating to learn about the creative process behind the sound design, especially considering this is an action adventure game rather than a pure horror game. “If it’s horror, we stimulate the player’s uneasiness with high-pitched shrieks, and we chose noises that produce psychological consequences, and this has been the majority,” stated composer Masatoshi Yanagi.
“However, with action adventure, I wanted to produce sounds that inspire positivity in the user since we want them to feel heroic and battle the bad guys while enjoying exploring the game.” This was the driving force behind our wise decisions.”
GhostWire: Tokyo will be available on PS5 and PC on March 25th. There’s also a Deluxe Edition, which contains cosmetic clothes and three days of early access in addition to the Standard Edition (but only for console players).