Team Green after one year, two weeks and four days your wait is over. ‘Ghostwire: Tokyo’ has finally arrived on X-Box. It hasn’t arrived alone though, it has brought with it updates that PS5 and PC players did not get to experience. Developer Tango Gameworks and publisher Bethesda Softworks have added more, not only in improvements but a new game mode called ‘The Spider’s Thread’.

Having never played Ghostwire: Tokyo when it released over a year ago, the improvements unfortunately are lost on me. My fabulous editor, Stacy, got to review it and you can find her review here “Ghostwire: Tokyo PS5 Review”. This and other reviews I’ve seen have not only delivered an improvement in the quality of gameplay, but improve on the experience as a whole.

Coming to Game Pass day one and owners of the game getting access to all it’s content at no extra charge, there is no reason not to come visit Shibuya again or for the first time.

For those living under a rock like myself, let’s touch briefly on what Ghostwire: Tokyo is.

As Tokyo undergoes a supernatural event making all it’s inhabitants disappear. You play as Akito a young man on his way to visit his comatose sister in hospital. Becoming involved in a traffic accident at the beginning of the event Akito is killed. This allows KK a detective who has already been affected by the event to inhabit Akito’s body. KK’s affinity with ether not only revives Akito but prevents him from disappearing.

This also allows KK to remain in Tokyo and continue his quest to stop Hannya, the masked antagonist who has caused all this upheaval. After a brief fight for dominance Akito and KK agree to work together building a stronger bond as the story progresses into an unshakable friendship.

This first person action-adventure is delightfully combined with an open-world to explore, do side quests and collect the many items on offer. You aren’t forced to do any of the additional content and can follow the storyline to it’s conclusion.

Doing this however will potentially make your adventure harder as the experience and items obtained will enhance your abilities. The large skill tree and equipment make battling your spiritual foes lurking about Tokyo fun and exciting the longer you spend exploring. Controlling Akito feels seamless as the button commands are easy to execute as your repertoire expands.

The creepy atmosphere is beautifully displayed in realistic graphics. The cut-scenes are also no exception as they are exceptional in their appearance as well. Even though the lip syncing is slightly off with the English dubbing it doesn’t detract from the immersive story. The sound scape is just as impressive as even in silence you’ll be drawn in to the environment.

With the story running approximately 15 hours those looking to complete all the content available will spend an additional 15 to 25 hours in the game. For achievement hunters, the achievements are easy to obtain and with some light grinding you will unlock everything with minimal effort.

Ok, are we all caught up now? Excellent lets talk about ‘The Spider’s Thread’.

The Spiders Thread is a Rougelite feature added to the newly revised content to the main game. In this mode you will begin with the bare essentials and delve every deeper into the gauntlet style arenas. The gauntlets are not all about fighting, you will also be tasked with other goals like collecting and racing. As you progress further you will not only grow stronger in ability you will also gain access to more equipment to assist you in reaching the lowest depths.

All the skills available in the main game are available in the The Spider’s Thread mode. The skill tree however has been changed so that it unlocks though earning currency from repetitive delving. Control responsiveness, graphics and sound remain just as impressive as that experienced in the main game.

Ultimately, The Spider’s Thread is a great addition to an already solid game. Where additional DLC could have been made to expand on what has already been delivered. I believe that option would have only watered down what a success Ghostwire: Toyko already is. With The Spider’s Thread being a Rougelite it has given the mechanics a much greater lease on life. Their use through the re-playability of the mode will extend the games enjoyment beyond its original scope.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove