Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | |
Developer: | G-Artists |
Series: | Ghost in the Shell |
Platforms: | PlayStation Portable |
Genre: | Shooter |
Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a 2005 first-person shooter video game developed by G-Artists and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. Bandai released the game outside Japan. It is based on the cyberpunk anime series and a sequel to the first Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex game. It was released in Japan on September 15, 2005, in Europe on October 21, 2005 distributed by Atari Europe, and in North America on October 26, 2005, but releasing it under the same name as the original PS2 game caused confusion and misinterpretation of it as a port.
Ghost in the Shell features first-person shooter gameplay. Customizable Tachikoma sentient tanks, which can operate independently as AI characters or be ridden inside by players, accompany the player at all times. Playable characters include Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, and Saito. All levels can be played by all characters. Aramaki is also available for multiplayer matches. All characters have varying statistics which can affect how a game plays out, for example Batou has more health than other players and Saito holds sniper rifles steadier than others. In addition, Tachikoma robots can act as an AI companion, and players can select from four Tachikoma "characters", balanced, aggressive, intelligent and humorous. Controls are similar to other first person shooter games on the platform, such as Coded Arms and .
Dealing with similar concepts to other incarnations of Ghost in the Shell, the game has an original storyline which follows on from and refers to the PlayStation 2 game's plotline.
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Reviewers generally noted flaws in gameplay and graphics. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.