Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has certainly out done itself when it comes to virtual reality (VR) content for PlayStation VR during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018. There are 14 titles on display for attendees to get their hands on, and one that everyone should make a beeline for is Ghost Giant by Zoink.
Much in the same way Polyarc’s Moss has captured players imaginations and hearts, Ghost Giant evokes that same warm feeling that you’re about to play something rather special. As the videogame title makes quite clear you play a giant ghost (sound familiar?) who helps out a small animal character named Louis. Scared at first, Louis soon befriends his new companion as you begin to help him out in his daily life.
It’s best to think of Ghost Giant as a sort of dollhouse sandbox experience where you can lift and interact with many of the items that inhabit the town of Sancourt where Louis lives. In doing so you’ll help solve puzzles and various challenges that Louis faces along the way.
What’s instantly striking as Ghost Giant starts is the design. Zoink has done a tremendous job of creating a lush, vibrant town that you just want to peer into and explore. The dollhouse design means that you can open individual houses and see the occupants going about their daily lives. They can be spun around or even lifted up with various switches, creating an elaborate and interactive environment to play in.
Louis is the only one that can see you, and he runs around trying to escape which makes for a humorous game of hide and seek – especially when tipping him out of the dustbin he unsuccessfully uses. Yet that doesn’t mean you can’t interact – or toy – with the other town residents. For example, at one point Louis gets cornered by some bullies so it’s up to you to scare them off by finding a suitable item. And it’s in this way that the bond between giant and Louis begins to form.
Currently there are some restrictions when admiring the intricate design of the town. Being a PlayStation VR title there’s no physical turning around, yet at points all you want to do is inspect everything. Speaking to one of the Zoink development team demoing the title at E3, VRFocus found out that Ghost Giant has really been designed to be viewed almost as a 180-degree experience, with nothing of relevance behind players.
Whilst that’s fine in principle, there’s currently no option to turn the camera at all or spin the town around. This highlighted a problem with the PlayStation Moves tracking when trying to complete the bully segment. When facing the PlayStation camera straight on the area in question was about a 110-degree twist to the right, meaning the controllers dipped in and out on occasion. Nothing too horrendous that couldn’t be easily fixed it did showcase the limitations of PlayStation VR’s technology over its PC roomscale rivals.
With that being said, Ghost Giant is still one of the most deliciously interesting VR titles to be announced for PlayStation VR at E3 2018. Playing Ghost Giant is like starting a 1000 piece puzzle or a good book, you don’t want to stop, it has that addictive, engrossing quality all developers strive for. Seeing what Zoink has already achieved so far, Ghost Giant is now firmly on VRFocus’ most wanted list.