Ghost Giant
Ghost Giant is a virtual reality puzzle game developed and published by Zoink for PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest.[1] It was released for PlayStation VR in April 2018 and Oculus Quest in February 2020.
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Developer(s) | Zoink |
Publisher(s) | Zoink |
Director(s) | Olov Redmalm |
Artist(s) | Olov Redmalm |
Writer(s) | Sara Bergmark Elfgren |
Platform(s) | PlayStation VR Oculus Quest |
Release | PlayStation VR April 19, 2019 Oculus Quest February 20, 2020 |
Genre(s) | Puzzle, adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
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, writing for 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]
References
- "PSVR exclusive, Ghost Giant, is coming to Oculus Quest later this month". KitGuru. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- Fogel, Stefanie (June 9, 2018). "Charming Puzzle Game 'Ghost Giant' Is Coming to PlayStation VR". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Romano, Sal (April 11, 2019). "Ghost Giant physical edition launches May 7 in North America". Gematsu. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Wales, Matt (February 28, 2019). "Stick it to the Man dev's adorable VR puzzle-adventure Ghost Giant is out in April". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "PSVR's 'Ghost Giant' turns the world into your sandbox". Engadget. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- Fingas, Jon (June 9, 2018). "PSVR's 'Ghost Giant' turns the world into your sandbox". Engadget. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "'Ghost Giant' Brings a Small Story with Big Heart Home to Oculus Quest". Oculus. February 20, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Espileli, Matt (June 12, 2018). "E3 2018: All PS4 Games From Sony's Press Conference". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Wales, Matt (November 29, 2019). "Adorable PSVR puzzle adventure Ghost Giant heading to Oculus Quest next month". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "Ghost Giant Releases on Oculus Quest February 20!". Thunderful. February 6, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "Ghost Giant for PlayStation 4 reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "Ghost Giant for PC reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Epstein, Mike (April 29, 2016). "Ghost Giant review". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- Meister, Rich (April 14, 2019). "Review: Ghost Giant". Destructoid. Retrieved August 15, 2020.