Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
What to Know
Average Score
- June 30, 2023
- Capcom
- Adventure, Puzzle
- Editors' Choice
Critics Consensus
- In-Game Purchases
- June 30, 2023
- Adventure, Puzzle
- Editors' Choice
- In-Game Purchases
Critics Consensus
# Reviews: 45
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a beautiful remaster of one of the best murder mystery puzzle games of the last two decades. Capcom left no stone unturned, preserving and elevating the original's gripping detective story, unique mechanics, and slick graphics.
Rate and Review
Awards & Recognition
Critic Reviews for Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Critic Reviews
Score Distribution
45
Reviews
Silver
% of scored reviews fell within the range of 86 to 92 / 100
Ranges
I’m thrilled that the remaster has given Ghost Trick a new lease on life. But Sissel spends the whole game making sure that nothing falls through the cracks — and that just doesn’t square with his game’s now lonely survival.
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won’t astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Kerry Brunskill (PC Gamer)
92/100 - (Read Review)
Ghost Trick is an essential and engrossing experience for any PC gamer.
Jay Castello (Polygon)
Recommended - (Read Review)
I’m thrilled that the remaster has given Ghost Trick a new lease on life. But Sissel spends the whole game making sure that nothing falls through the cracks — and that just doesn’t square with his game’s now lonely survival.
CJ Andriessen (Destructoid)
8/10 - (Read Review)
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won’t astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atomix | Alberto Desfassiaux | 80 / 100 | 06-27-2023 | This remaster version of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a great way to revive the Nintendo DS classic, but the lack of real extras are a pretty importante downside. | Read review |
But Why Tho? | Mick Abrahamson | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick Phantom Detective, even with its quite obtuse puzzles, is a joy to play. Particularly with its interesting story full of twists and turns and unique characters. | Read review |
Cerealkillerz | Manuel Barthes | 8.7 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | With Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Capcom brings a title into modern times that didn’t get the fame it deserved when it was first released. Because the adventure of Sissel and all the characters he meets on that fateful night is not only fantastically written, but also beautifully staged. Each chapter surprises with new mechanics and twists that lead to a grandiose finale at the end. A must-play for all mystery and crime fans. | Read review |
CGMagazine | Andrew Farrell | 9 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Not being able to turn the ever-present bright flashes off is a shame, but Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a ridiculously unique, captivating game that is very much worth puzzling through. | Read review |
Checkpoint Gaming | Charlie Kelly | 8.5 / 10 | 06-26-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective now being playable on modern platforms is an incredibly exciting occasion worth celebrating. Its involved puzzle mechanics are as satisfying to unfold as ever as you glide between interaction points, moving that last piece to create a thrilling domino effect of a solution. Complimentary to this are the quirky character design and animations, along with the involved storyline that wraps up without any loose threads. Tying this all in a neat bow is the return of a fantastic soundtrack now with incredible rearrangements to further immerse you in the noir setting. Ghost Trick is back and the gaming world couldn’t be any better for it. | Read review |
Chicas Gamers | Álvaro Bustío | Recommended | 06-28-2023 | Ghost Trick: Ghost Detective revitalizes us and offers a new opportunity to enjoy a fabulous game with more than 13 years behind it. Now in high definition as well as multiplatform, thus being accessible to all users of a home or portable system. An adventure with a very interesting story and characters with strong charisma that will inevitably make us feel affection for them, without a doubt, the strong point of the game. Its impeccable artistic section is not far behind, forcing us to emphasize that both its refresh rate, a constant 60 FPS, which makes its animations even more dazzling, together with its 1080p graphics, make it a visual marvel. A game in which ingenuity and observation will be necessary through 18 chapters that will keep us busy for a minimum of 13-14 hours, with some postgame unlockable extras that will offer us a little more fun with which to squeeze the title once finished. | Read review |
COGconnected | James Paley | 80 / 100 | 06-27-2023 | A good mystery should hook you right from the beginning. Solving your own murder is a juicy hook, to say the least. Better still, there’s a fascinating narrative beyond that elevator pitch. The mechanics are unique and engaging, the graphics are slick, and the writing keeps you plugged in until the very end. While I wasn’t a perfect fit for the puzzle design, that’s alright. Players more interested in a tense experience will find a lot to love here. I still appreciated the mix of frustration and elation, even as it burrowed into my brain. If you’re looking for a unique, puzzling mystery, definitely give Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective a shot. | Read review |
Cultured Vultures | Ryan Stevens | 9 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a masterwork of puzzle engineering, with a fantastic cast, impeccable design, and no shortage of surprises in store. | Read review |
Destructoid | CJ Andriessen | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won’t astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash. | Read review |
Digital Chumps | Nathaniel Stevens | 8.5 / 10 | 07-05-2023 | Ghost Trick: The Phantom Detective from Capcom is a challenging and creative puzzle game that casts the same logic-driven shadow as its gaming cousins in the Ace Attorney series. It offsets its incredibly large amount of difficulty with a strong story that has sprinkles of humor in it, while still maintaining its murder mystery mission to deliver an overall entertaining experience. | Read review |
Eurogamer | Henry Stockdale | Recommended | 07-03-2023 | A Capcom charmer returns from the dead with a definitive remaster . | Read review |
GameGrin | Alana Dunitz | 9.5 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the most rewarding puzzle games that I have ever played. With an awesome aesthetic, great music, and a story full of twists and turns, this game will keep you coming back for more. | Read review |
Gamersky | Unknown | 8.5 / 10 | 06-29-2023 | In terms of creativity, story and integration of narrative and gameplay, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is truly unique. Even after more than a decade, there’s still no game that can be considered a replacement. | Read review |
GamingBolt | Ravi Sinha | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective isn’t looking to overhaul what made the original version so memorable. It offers sleeker HD visuals and rearranged music while retaining the same great music, writing and characters. Some of the newer features feel superfluous, but the game’s core is still strong. | Read review |
GamingTrend | David Flynn | 100 / 100 | 07-03-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the best puzzle games out there, and this remaster only improves on perfection. Its sharp and witty writing is accompanied by a gripping murder mystery plot, a beautiful art style, and an ear worm soundtrack. Ghost Trick absolutely deserves more attention than it got back on the DS, and hopefully this resurrection will change its fate. | Read review |
GBAtemp | Jakub Kowalski | 7.6 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick was one of the classics for me, and one of the games that really took advantage of the hardware it was on way back in the day. With that being said, this is a remaster, which comes with a different set of expectations. While the game plays just as well as it did on original hardware, it only does the bare minimum without extra bells and whistles for returning players, so I have to dock some points for that alone. This was a perfect opportunity to extend the game a little and include some additional content. Thankfully, it does that bare minimum very well and remains an enjoyable game that leaves you wanting more. Hey Capcom | Read review |
Generación Xbox | Alejandro Serrador | 8.8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Since its inception, the video game has deployed an aesthetic spectrum that has enabled new ways of representing death. It could be thought that the differences between the video game and other media such as cinema arise from the meeting of two great cultural forms such as the story and the game, but the current panorama shows a scenario full of mixtures and passages. | Read review |
God is a Geek | Chris White | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective still holds up almost 13 years later, with plenty of variety in its puzzles and some fantastic music. | Read review |
Hobby Consolas | Javier Escribano | 80 / 100 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Ghost Detective receives a somewhat poor remaster on Switch, PS4, Xbox, and PC, but enough to rediscover an almost forgotten gem from the creator of Ace Attorney. His way of presenting and solving the puzzles is unique in its kind, and the story is exciting and unforgettable. Long live Sissel! | Read review |
IGN Italy | Majkol Robuschi | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a high-definition re-release of a cult game from the Nintendo DS era, which in this high-definition version has one more chance to be appreciated by fans of the mystery stories and puzzles typical of the works written and directed by Shu Takumi. This ambitious game is highly recommended for Ace Attorney fans and anyone who wants to get involved with the rich cast of eccentric characters that populate its dark mysteries. | Read review |
LevelUp | Fernando Salinas | 8 / 10 | 06-30-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an interactive tale that immerses us in a shadowy and humor-filled narrative right from the start. With its distinct style of creatively unraveling puzzles, it keeps us engaged from beginning to end. Retaining the game’s original essence while enhancing its visual appeal was a commendable choice. This version serves as a deserving tribute to a truly original game that went unnoticed during its initial release. | Read review |
Metro GameCentral | GameCentral | 7 / 10 | 06-28-2023 | Time has been surprisingly kind to Ghost Trick, with its bizarre plot and gorgeous graphics, and while some old problems remain, they’re very easy to excuse. | Read review |
MonsterVine | Samantha Lienhard | 5 / 5 stars | 06-27-2023 | While it doesn’t have too much new to offer compared to the original, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is as much a masterpiece now as it was when it first launched ten years ago. The passage of time makes some games lose their luster, but Ghost Trick shines as brightly as ever. Its story, humor, and puzzles still stand strong, and it was a delight to revisit this game. | Read review |
Niche Gamer | Fingal Belmont | 8 / 10 | 07-07-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a gripping and utterly engrossing story full of twists and stimulating puzzles that will keep gamers drawn in. Veterans will find that the immaculate presentation of this HD version will be worth experiencing if they played it on DS. | Read review |
Nintendo Life | Kate Gray | 10 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was one of the best games on Nintendo DS. Now it is one of the best games on Nintendo Switch. If you’re a fan of Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, AI: The Somnium Files, any of the games we’ve mentioned, or just of having a good dang time with a brilliant story and stunning art, then why are you still here? Go and get the game. Now. Go!!!! | Read review |
NintendoWorldReport | Willem Hilhorst | 9.5 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | If you’re already familiar with this game, you won’t be missing out on any meaningful extras by skipping this release, but if you are new to Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective it is a must play. It is one of those games that doesn’t need a sequel or prequel but is a perfectly self-contained story that truly hasn’t aged a day. I couldn’t be happier that Ghost Trick has been brought back to life one more time. | Read review |
PC Gamer | Kerry Brunskill | 92 / 100 | 07-05-2023 | Ghost Trick is an essential and engrossing experience for any PC gamer. | Read review |
PlayStation LifeStyle | Tyler Treese | 10 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick’s cohesion is why it is so special. The gameplay connects cleanly into its story, which ties together neatly and wraps up so well with an unforgettable, heartstring-pulling twist. I vividly recall beating the game and tearing up while in a parking lot a decade ago, and it’s nice to re-experience these emotions on the big screen. This is a lovely port of a timeless classic that deserves to be played by all, so change your own fate by picking it up since it’s a special game from start to finish. | Read review |
PlayStation Universe | Neil Bolt | 8.5 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | The murder mystery puzzler makes the jump to PlayStation as Capcom successfully revives Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Captivating characters, an engrossing mystery, and inventive puzzles ensure Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective’s appeal is alive and well in 2023. | Read review |
Polygon | Jay Castello | Recommended | 07-01-2023 | I’m thrilled that the remaster has given Ghost Trick a new lease on life. But Sissel spends the whole game making sure that nothing falls through the cracks — and that just doesn’t square with his game’s now lonely survival. | Read review |
PSX Brasil | José Viana | 85 / 100 | 06-28-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is another hit for Capcom, in bringing Shu Takumi’s masterpieces to a new public, while also expanding the audience for games of less celebrated genres to the wider audience. | Read review |
Push Square | Stephen Tailby | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | After more than 10 years, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective resurrects on relevant platforms. Fortunately, it’s always been a great game, with some intriguing puzzles, a unique premise, and a mystery that builds and builds right to the very end. Fans of point-n’-click adventures, visual novels, or both should absolutely give it a look, and if you’ve played it before, this is the definitive version. It’s a cult hit that’s been granted a second chance at life, and deservedly so. | Read review |
Rock, Paper, Shotgun | Katharine Castle | Recommended | 06-30-2023 | A beautiful remaster of one of the greatest murder mystery puzzle games of the last two decades, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective feels every bit as fresh and lively today as it did back in 2011. | Read review |
RPGamer | Jared Prewitt | Recommended | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective creates a rewarding experience for all fans of the mystery genre and is a must play for those that love challenging puzzles with a supernatural flavour. | Read review |
Shacknews | TJ Denzer | 8 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | This new version of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was a surprising delight to see out of Capcom. We’ve seen plenty of the Phoenix Wright games make a return, but Ghost Trick is quite the interesting spinoff. It offers a compelling narrative, a rather fun mystery-unraveling and time-twisting gameplay loop, and solid original and arranged soundtracks to accompany the journey. It doesn’t add much in the way of new content to visually and aurally upgraded package, but if you’re looking for another romp, or your first, through Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, then this is an fantastic way to go about it. | Read review |
SpazioGames | Gianluca Arena | 7.5 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick is both another brilliant little game from another era and another lazy remaster that doesn’t add anything really new to it. It is still recommended to anyone who never played the original, yet it’s a bit on the pricey and the short side. | Read review |
TechRaptor | Austin Suther | 9 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective might be a port of an older title, but newcomers shouldn’t hesitate to check out why this became such a cult classic. A gripping story and deceptively complex puzzles make this one of Capcom’s best titles. | Read review |
The Games Machine | Danilo Dellafrana | 8.2 / 10 | 06-28-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective reconfirms itself as a gripping detective story, characterised by unique ideas and mechanics and populated by razor-sharp situations that will keep your attention until the end credits. After that you are unlikely to replay it, not least because of its linear structure, but while it lasts it remains a highly recommended experience, today as in 2010. | Read review |
The Outerhaven Productions | Todd Black | 3.5 / 5 stars | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick Phantom Detective is a worthy remaster of a DS game you might not have tried before. It won’t be for everyone, but if you like a challenge, you might want to give this title a shot, especially if you enjoy a good mystery. | Read review |
Twinfinite | Keenan McCall | 4.5 / 5 stars | 06-27-2023 | When all is said and done, the HD remaster of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an ideal way to check out this fantastic title. Though it might still suffer from some awkward puzzle logic, those that give it a chance will find a game bursting with creativity and originality they won’t soon forget. | Read review |
VG247 | Kelsey Raynor | Recommended | 06-27-2023 | All in all, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective pairs distinct gameplay with a strong story and characters you will surely become affectionate towards. I can’t recommend it enough, and if you do play it, make sure to stick around until the end. Working your way through to the conclusion and discovering the fate of each beloved character is well worth it. If you give Ghost Trick a chance, I expect that, like me, you’ll be hoping Capcom will deliver a new instalment in Sissel’s story someday. | Read review |
Video Chums | Mary Billington | 8.1 / 10 | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a classic puzzle detective game from the makers of the Phoenix Wright series and it’s absolutely packed with humour, satisfying puzzles, and colourful characters that you’ll get to know well throughout its complex supernatural story. | Read review |
We Got This Covered | Shaan Joshi | 5 / 5 stars | 06-27-2023 | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is, simply put, a masterpiece. If you’re at all interested in adventure games, this one is a must-play. | Read review |
Worth Playing | Chris “Atom” DeAngelus | 9 / 10 | 06-30-2023 | It’s been over a decade since Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective came out, and the game remains as charming and delightful as the day it was released. The HD remake does a fantastic job of updating the title for modern displays without losing the style that made it so engrossing in the first place. When the biggest flaw is that I wish there was more of it, that says a lot about its quality. It’s weird, it’s silly, and it has the best darn Pomeranian in video games. If you like the Ace Attorney games or colorful puzzle titles, you owe it to yourself to give Ghost Trick a try. Now if we could just get a sequel …. | Read review |
ZTGD | Anthony Mann | 9 / 10 | 07-06-2023 | I also don’t know what to expect if this game does well as this is a story that has an ending but maybe we will see these mechanics come back? It’s a really unique game that I think plays best in this release, particularly because of how good it looks. If puzzle games with good stories and colorful art styles sound interesting, then this is probably a game you should pick up. | Read review |
Game Info
Use your powers as a ghost to solve the mystery behind your own murder. First released in 2010, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the masterpiece mystery adventure game from the mind of Ace Attorney’s Shu Takumi, has made a long-awaited comeback! The enthralling tale of death, life, and lost memories will return with beautiful high-resolution graphics and all-new features to enhance gameplay.
RELEASE DATES:
DEVELOPER(S):
- Capcom
PUBLISHER(S):
- Capcom
GENRES:
- Adventure, Puzzle
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- n/a
GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- RE Engine
DLC:
- -
BUNDLED IN:
- -
DIRECTOR(S):
- Shu Takumi, Atsushi Maruyama
PRODUCER(S):
- Hironobu Takeshita, Shingo Izumi
DESIGNER(S):
- -
PROGRAMMER(S):
- -
ARTIST(S):
- Koki Kinoshita
WRITER(S):
- Shu Takumi
COMPOSER(S):
- Masakazu Sugimori, Yasumasa Kitagawa
GAME MODES:
- Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- RE Engine
DLC:
- n/a
BUNDLED IN:
- n/a
DIRECTOR(S):
- Shu Takumi, Atsushi Maruyama
PRODUCER(S):
- Hironobu Takeshita, Shingo Izumi
DESIGNER(S):
- n/a
PROGRAMMER(S):
- n/a
ARTIST(S):
- Koki Kinoshita
WRITER(S):
- Shu Takumi
COMPOSER(S):
- Masakazu Sugimori, Yasumasa Kitagawa
Time to Beat
MAIN STORY
MAIN + EXTRAS
COMPLETIONIST
ALL PLAYSTYLES
* VSG’s best estimate for how long it will take you to complete the game. Learn more.
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