Ghostlore, an ARPG with a distinctly Southeast Asian vibe, recently released for Steam and Xbox Game Pass after being honed by player feedback in early access. Partially inspired by classics likeDiablo 2andTitan Quest, theindie gamenow faces stiff competition from the triple-A juggernaut,Diablo 4.Even thoughGhostloreis a much simpler project boasting LoFi pixel graphics reminiscent of the early PS1 and late SNES era, the ARPG has some unique systems that deserve attention from genre aficionados.
Game Rant recently spoke withGhostlore’s creator, Andrew Teo, about the game’s unique Singapore-inspired world and enemies. Compared to medieval Europe,Japanese settings, and far-flung fantasy or Sci-Fi worlds, the game’s unique setting is a refreshing entry into a genre that can often feel overly familiar. ButGhostlorealso has more to offer than atypical cultural representation, including a deep character-building system, a unique skill-building grid, and a puzzle-like glyph system for developing character stats.
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Ghostlore’s Crucial Question
Early on inGhostlore’s development, before Teo developed the conceit to do an ‘Eastpunk’ themed adventure, his friends and beta-testers presented him with a simple, but pivotal development question:
“It’s a question that has stuck with me to this day: ‘‘why would I play this game when I can already playDiablo?’ and it made me think ‘Why, indeed?’ That one question changed the whole trajectory of the project. I wanted to do something unique."
Rather than trying to capture specific mechanics fromGhostlore’s spiritual predecessors, Teo focused on capturing a general mood. According to Teo, the ARPG genre is all about character choice. The true nature of the game is building unique and awesome characters who can cleave through droves of enemies, rather than the exacting, moment-to-moment challenges of a souls-like. Therefore,the game’s character-building systemwas of paramount importance, with the mechanical variety on display being impressive and unique.
Diablo 4presents players with five, highly distinct classes that can each be built in a number of ways but remain rather exclusive from each other. In contrast,Ghostloreembraces synergy. The game boasts six classes overall, but the real hook is that players can select up to three classes for a single character as they progress. Playing with one class feels like a fairly familiar affair, but once players unlock their second class at level 15, they can combine skills to form entirely different abilities with their own mechanics. The result is a system whereeach class feels distinctand expressive.
Prioritizing Fun Over Balance
Competitive games live and die by their ability to balance characters, classes, weapons, and abilities. Again,Diablo 4’sfrequent balance patchesprovide a useful counterexample. Activision Blizzard must not only make sure that each class is fun, but also fair for competition’s sake. But when a player is only competing against AI and the only form of co-op is local play, Teo believes the number one priority should be making the player feel awesome:
“If there is a single build to rule them all, then you have a problem. But as long as there are multiple builds, enough room for players to show off their cleverness, and people are having fun, balance isn’t that important.”
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Choosing a class inGhostloreimmediately gives players access to everything that class offers, from core skills that can be assigned to button presses to a robust variety of passive skill points that can be implemented into a grid. Allowing players to mix and match between three different class options in total—half of the game’s complete suite of abilities—yields some trulyunique and powerful builds.
Each of these combinations is viable for the sake of completing the game and there is no single ‘correct answer’ to optimizing a character. Therefore, it doesn’t really matter if one combination of skills and active abilities slightly—or even moderately—outpaces another configuration, because players are only in competition with the game’s gallery of spooks and monsters. Admittedly, the result isan easier game thanDiablo 4. WhileGhostlorewill occasionally overwhelm players with hordes upon hordes of mobs or a tough boss fight, Teo feels that decision-making is at the core of a good ARPG, and that a good build will allow the player to slightly tune out during combat for an experience that is simultaneously meditative and empowering.
Layering In Complexity
Teo was surprised to find that players in early access always wanted more complexity. Initially, the skill system did not feature combination skills, but the game is much deeper and stronger for their addition. Apart from class choices, players also have a grid of equipable glyphs similar toLast Epoch’s altar system, which requires puzzle game-like placement to optimize bonuses. And like any ARPG worth its salt, the gear also provides meaningful bonuses that can completely change the way players approach fights. For dessert, the game has a food system that affords other bonuses to further fine-tune builds.
Given these unique charms, it would be a shame to dismissGhostloreas a Southeast AsianDiablo. And even in the wake ofDiablo 4’s release, ARPG veterans owe it to themselves to check it out.
Ghostloreis available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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