Hype Muffin
When Raimi and the rest of the counter-terrorist team take on Volks corporation, they get more than they bargained for, leading to Raimi being used for the company's ghost creation experiments. The story dives head first into science fiction waters and remains there, leading to a climactic battle with a demon from another plane of being. The pacing can be a little choppy; the overarching plot is slow to develop and immediate goals often boil down to reaching the end of the stage, and Raimi's connection with the only other surviving member of his team, Bryson, feels weak. The plot is decent but suffers from poor presentation and some cliché concepts.
Gameplay is divided between exploration and puzzle solving as a ghost and combat when possessing a human host, though neither are fully explored. The game isn't sure which side it wants to focus on, and instead both are under-developed. As a ghost Raimi can float and possess inanimate objects (including a dog food bowl!) and human or animal hosts which he has to scare before they are available for possession. Because he cannot survive indefinitely as a ghost, Raimi has to possess something, and because he cannot pass through walls or doors--despite being completely intangible--human hosts are preferred. The puzzles for capturing the ideal host are often straightforward with only one solution, or are otherwise bland.
When possessing a host with a gun, the game becomes a first person shooter, though ammo is infinite and weapons cannot be changed. Whether fighting other soldiers, monsters, or ghosts, one thing remains constant: poor aim controls. Aiming is imprecise and stiff which, coupled with the fact that shooting from a distance is often fruitless, promotes close combat and resulting heavy damage. Combat feels dumbed down and awkward, making boss battles especially frustrating. Aside from the aforementioned aiming, the controls are decent for a first person perspective game, though customization is regrettably limited.
In addition to the main story, Geist includes a multiplayer experience, incorporating ghost and host possession concepts into standard FPS games like deathmatch. Though the ghost abilities certainly make Geist's multiplayer unique, it doesn't fix the poor aiming or simplified gun options, making the gameplay option feel rushed and unfinished.
The presentation is a mixed bag; character animations are often stiff and silly looking, but the game does have some interesting visuals. There is a lot of color and a decent amount of variety in the level design considering the entire game takes place within the same facility. The audio has some generic music and includes some spooky sounds in the creepier sections of the game, though the voice work is more frightening.
The game is a fair length but again could have been better focused on ghost exploration or more ghost abilities. The multiplayer mode and hidden secrets in the story mode (which unlock more options in multiplayer) can keep dedicated gamers playing, but searching the entire game for hidden collectibles that add arbitrary options to multiplayer is a path most would avoid.
In the end, Geist shows a lot of potential with an intriguing story and unique gameplay ideas, but fails to follow through on either account. The resulting amalgamation of game styles fails to impress.
6.5/10
Images from IGN.com
