Ghost Giant Explained
Ghost Giant is a virtual reality puzzle game developed and published by Zoink for the PlayStation 4 through PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest.[1] It was released for PlayStation VR in April 2019 and Oculus Quest in February 2020.
Gameplay
In the game, the player assumes control of the titular Ghost Giant. The Giant is tasked to assist a young boy named Louis by manipulating the game's world, lifting items and solving puzzles.[2] Players can also explore the world of Sancourt and interact with various non-playable characters living in the city.[3] For instance, players can use the PlayStation Move controller to rotate houses and discover what can be found inside.[4]
Development
The studio worked with Swedish writer Sara Bergmark Elfgren to create the story.[5] The main theme is friendship, as the player needs to become a "supporting friend" for Louis as they helped him solve various problems and puzzles in the game.[6] The game took 18 months to develop, and the team drew inspirations from homemade toys, such as miniature cardboard towns, when they were creating the game.[7] Announced during Sony's E3 2018 press conference,[8] the game was released digitally on April 19, 2019 for the PlayStation VR headset, while the retail release, handled by Perp Games, was released on May 7.[3] In November 2019, Zoink announced that it would be coming to Oculus Quest in December the same year, though it was subsequently delayed to February 20, 2020.[9] [10]
Reception
The game received generally positive reviews upon releases, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[11] [12]
Mike Epstein from IGN described the story as "charming", though he felt that some of the puzzles were too simple.[13] Rich Meister of Destructoid stated that Ghost Giant "feels like a VR advancement of a classic PC point-and-click adventure game, albeit one with a great look, phenomenal sound design". He also enjoyed the story, though he noted its short length.[14] UploadVR praised the game's handling of depression and neglect, writing "Louis may be an animal, but the developer’s sensitive handling of these subjects gives him remarkable humanity".[15] Liam Croft of Push Square noted that the game "belong[ed] in the conversation for the very best PSVR game", writing, "Its utterly phenomenal series of scenes will live long in the memory, complemented by a narrative that demands immediate investment...Outstanding presentation that rewards exploration is the cherry on top of a title we won’t be forgetting about any time soon." Pascal Tekaia of Adventure Gamers gave the game 4 stars out of 5, stating, "The game doesn’t revolutionize the virtual reality medium, but it throws players into a well-realized, charming world with simple yet satisfying gameplay and a surprisingly emotional tale."
Notes and References
- Web site: PSVR exclusive, Ghost Giant, is coming to Oculus Quest later this month.. KitGuru. en-US. 2020-02-08. 2020-07-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20200702123602/https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/mustafa-mahmoud/psvr-exclusive-ghost-giant-is-coming-to-oculus-quest-later-this-month/. live.
- Web site: Charming Puzzle Game 'Ghost Giant' Is Coming to PlayStation VR. Stefanie. Fogel. Variety. June 9, 2018. August 15, 2020. June 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210628083832/https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/ghost-giant-psvr-1202838621/. live.
- Web site: Ghost Giant physical edition launches May 7 in North America. Sal. Romano. Gematsu. April 11, 2019. August 15, 2020. April 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230407230237/https://www.gematsu.com/2019/04/ghost-giant-physical-edition-launches-may-7-in-north-america. live.
- Web site: Stick it to the Man dev's adorable VR puzzle-adventure Ghost Giant is out in April. Matt. Wales. Eurogamer. February 28, 2019. August 15, 2020. September 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924151554/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-02-28-stick-it-to-the-man-devs-adorable-vr-puzzle-adventure-ghost-giant-is-out-in-april. live.
- Web site: PSVR's 'Ghost Giant' turns the world into your sandbox. Engadget. en. 2019-07-08. 2019-02-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20190204133516/https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/09/ghost-giant-for-playstation-vr/. live.
- Web site: PSVR's 'Ghost Giant' turns the world into your sandbox. Jon. Fingas. Engadget. June 9, 2018. August 15, 2020. November 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040702/https://www.engadget.com/2018-06-09-ghost-giant-for-playstation-vr.html. live.
- Web site: 'Ghost Giant' Brings a Small Story with Big Heart Home to Oculus Quest. Oculus. February 20, 2020. August 15, 2020. June 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200622095203/https://www.oculus.com/blog/ghost-giant-brings-a-small-story-with-big-heart-home-to-oculus-quest/. live.
- Web site: E3 2018: All PS4 Games From Sony's Press Conference. Matt. Espileli. GameSpot. June 12, 2018. August 15, 2020. April 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220412130912/https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/e3-2018-all-ps4-games-from-sonys-press-conference/2900-2073/#9. live.
- Web site: Adorable PSVR puzzle adventure Ghost Giant heading to Oculus Quest next month. Matt. Wales. Eurogamer. November 29, 2019. August 15, 2020. September 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210928205226/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-11-29-adorable-psvr-puzzle-adventure-ghost-giant-heading-to-oculus-quest. live.
- Web site: Ghost Giant Releases on Oculus Quest February 20!. Thunderful. February 6, 2020. August 15, 2020.
- Web site: Ghost Giant for PlayStation 4 reviews. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. August 15, 2020. April 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230407232249/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/ghost-giant. live.
- Web site: Ghost Giant for PC reviews. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. August 15, 2020. April 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230407233143/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/ghost-giant. live.
- Web site: Ghost Giant review. Mike. Epstein. IGN. April 29, 2016. August 15, 2020. April 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230407230237/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/04/11/ghost-giant-review. live.
- Web site: Review: Ghost Giant. Rich. Meister. Destructoid. April 14, 2019. August 15, 2020. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917062711/https://www.destructoid.com/review-ghost-giant-549677.phtml. live.
- Web site: 2019-04-12 . Ghost Giant Review: A Bold, Brave Adventure That Hides A VR Treasure . 2022-03-17 . en-US . 2022-01-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220116095200/https://uploadvr.com/ghost-giant-review/ . live .