With The Ghost in the Shell series back in the spotlight, you can’t help but want more from the popular IP. With the most recent iteration being a failed online shooter that shut down in 2017, it feels like it’s time for another interactive outing with the crew at Section 9. But the franchise offers plenty of angles and concepts to explore.
Since the franchise’s original release in the manga by Masamune Shirow in 1989, it has shown its versatility and appeal in the following decades. From the first movie, credited with inspiring major genre hits, to the subsequent four TV series, three anime films, and even a live-action adaptation, the franchise has shown an enduring allure. These various outings highlight the brand’s sizable appeal, but given the sometimes mixed results, an entry needs to make sure it hits on what fans love about the concept if it’s to succeed.
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The world the franchise calls home is one that blends action, mystery, and deep questions about concepts like what it means to be human and the dangers of technology, issues that we are wrestling with more today than ever. Blending a narrative that dives into these concepts with finely crafted gameplay is a natural recipe for a great interactive experience. If properly implemented, a game could bring all of this together in a way that would be more immersive than anything the franchise has had the opportunity to do before.
The need to understand the core elements that have always made Ghost in the Shell compelling is evident in the last outing’s failure in 2017. A free-to-play squad-based shooter, First Assault – Stand Alone Complex Online, ignored the franchise’s greatest strength, just to try to make the franchise fit into the trend that was hot at the time. This rarely ever works out, and it didn’t then.
If a new project fully embraced the franchise’s core narrative themes while also crafting fun, interactive systems around them, it could be something really special. Along with its thematic elements that could speak to the modern audience, there are key opportunities that come from the unique place the IP finds itself that could help a developer create something special. Something narratively meaningful while delivering great interactive experiences.
Below are five ways that a potential game could bring something special to gaming, while highlighting what a game in Masamune Shirow’s world could bring if woven into a compelling story worthy of the franchise’s best.
1. An Open Approach to Visual Style
With five distinct visual styles already in the fanbase’s perception of the world, a game maker could have ample room to create their own concept of what their take on ‘Ghost in the Shell’ looks like.
Whether it leans towards the darker tones of the early entries in the anime, the brighter visuals of the newest release, or something in between, there is no single “canon” look for Kusanagi and her team. A developer could even try to do some clever blending of the two. Maybe reserving one for net dives or other novel moments.
The only place where the design department would need to be careful would be the details surrounding the cast itself. Motoko has to have some iteration of her iconic hair; Batou has to have his robotic eyes, Saito’s gotta have the eye patch, and Aramaki has to have his recognizable haircut as well.
2. A Chance to Focus on Narrative Over Progression
These days, everything is built like an RPG. With myriad leveling systems that require players to spend hours unlocking their character’s full potential. However, with Ghost in the Shell, everyone at Section 9 is already at their peak of skill. Beyond a brief tutorial here and there, there is no reason to make players scale up their character. Kusanagi has her full suite of abilities ready to go. You can be a combat/hacking monster right from the start.
This doesn’t mean that gameplay couldn’t evolve. Special gizmos or upgrades from combat aids, like the iconic thermoptic camo, and support elements like the Tachi/fuchikomas could come into play when needed to switch up gameplay. But no starting as a rookie and having to work your way up. You are already in the big leagues.
3. A Wealth of Gameplay Options
While the most likely core of a new Ghost in the Shell game would center on third-person action controlling Motoko Kusanagi, there are tons of other options that could be considered. While an open-world environment that players can cruise through in their signature think tanks would be fun, a more linear, level-based, or even open-area structure could work just as well and save on cost and development time.
And while Kusanagi would be at the center of the game, the other characters could be brought in at times when their particular skills are needed. Batou could show up for more combat-centric ops, Togusa could be playable for investigating crime scenes, Ishikawa would be back at the base hacking, Borma could defuse bombs when needed, and players could occasionally provide long-range fire with Saito’s trademark artillery piece….
I mean, a sniper rifle. Even Arakami could be played when government agents or other powerful people need to be negotiated with. There’s a lot to explore with such a wide toolset available.
4. An Opportunity for Impactful Choices
The world of Ghost in the Shell is unforgiving. Despite the wide variety of skills available to Section 9 and the determination of its personnel, the good guys do sometimes come up short. This ability to fail could be brought into the game by allowing players the opportunity to do just that.
Whether through dialogue choices or failures to solve puzzles fast enough or reach a designated location in time, how well the player performs could impact the outcome of different cases the team is assigned to. Unique dialogue from characters and observations made about how the situation resolved could bring unique thoughts from a franchise known for its deep looks at life and what it means to be human.
You could even extend the repercussions beyond single missions. Actions could take characters out of duty for a mission or two if not helped quickly enough. This could limit players’ options as they approach subsequent missions.
5. Unending Narrative Opportunities
No matter how hard Kusanagi and her team fight, the world of Ghost in the Shell always has another villain waiting to appear. With the broad mandate they hold to fight both terrorism and cybercrime, the potential for threats and original scenarios seems endless. If done well, there feels like an open pipeline for follow-up content to flow through. Individual missions could be released post-launch, allowing fans to return again and again for new stories and battles.
Whether this would take the shape of a core game with DLC coming later, or more of a live service model with regular episodic content drops, there is ample reason to believe that, if done well, both could prove to be a great structure for a near-endless series of outings.
Ghost in the Shell is back in the public eye and has been absent far too long from the gaming landscape. A fantastic game that explores the rich cast, as well as a world that is both intriguing and exciting, feels like a must-have. Here’s hoping someone out there agrees.
The Ghost in the Shell is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
