5 best games like Ghostrunner 2 to play in 2023, from Neon White to Mirror's Edge
Ghostrunner 2 is a fast and fun experience, but with it being a fairly quick game to complete, you may want our picks for some of the best games that are similar to play in 2023.
The Ghostrunner games are all about taking simple but tightly designed mechanics and getting the most out of them. In that spirit, our list is more than just games with first-person melee combat and parkour, but titles that share a similar ethos - though of course, we've got some fun stuff with katanas too.
So, if you want to know our picks for the best games like Ghostrunner 2, all the way from indie hits like Neon White to classics like Mirror's Edge, read on.
How we chose the best games like Ghostrunner 2
Click to enlargeTo find the best games like Ghostrunner 2, we chose titles that feature similar gameplay ideas - with a particular focus on parkour and fast-paced melee combat.
We also decided on games that share the same core ethos of Ghostrunner's design - using simple mechanics and building upon them with clever encounters to squeeze the most out of the gameplay in a short space of time.
Best games like Ghostrunner 2 in 2023
Neon White
Click to enlarge- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release date: June 2022
- Key Features:
- Colourful, blocky aesthetic
- Iterative gameplay loop
- Anime cutscenes
- Steve Blum voice acting
Neon White was one of the smash indie hits of 2022, with its brilliance showcased in the electrifying gameplay loop and fantastic soundtrack from Machine Girl. It's a speedrunning FPS game where you parkour through levels as fast as possible, picking up cards along the way which grant you special powers.
There's a satisfying puzzle element to the game too, where you figure out the optimal route and usage of your powers to get the best time out of each level. It's an extremely fun time if you love iterative games and the feeling of beating one of your old runs as you get better. If you want to know our full thoughts on this game, check out our Neon White review.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Click to enlarge- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
- Release date: February 2013
- Key Features:
- Cutting system
- Combo-based combat
- Crazy boss fights
- "My source is that I made it the f*ck up" quote
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is the weird and wacky spin-off of the stealth action Metal Gear Solid series, which focuses on MGS 2 protagonist Raiden after he became a katana-wielding cyborg ninja.
It's a character action game, with a focus on building stylish combos and hitting counter-attacks against the myriad of humans and cyborgs you'll face, making for a really energetic combat system. The game frequently gets ridiculous at and has some hilarious character moments, but the game has just the right length to leave you wanting more as you finish.
Katana ZERO
Click to enlarge- Platforms: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Release date: April 2019
- Key Features:
- Synthwave soundtrack
- Punchy 16-bit graphic style
- Tense combat
- April Fools ending
Katana ZERO is in many ways a 2D version of Ghostrunner, featuring action-packed platforming, instant-death combat, and of course slashing and dashing with your trustee katana.
Everything about the game coalesces into a stylish and bloody romp through a colourful neo-noir cityscape, and combat has openness that lets you solve encounters spontaneously without sacrificing speed and rhythmic pacing. It reminds us a lot of a Soulslike game, of which we have a whole other list covering the best games like Dark Souls.
Shadow Warrior 3
Click to enlarge- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
- Release date: March 2022
- Key Features:
- Fun encounter design
- Gore weapons and bloody combat
- Platforming
- Lo Wang is a massive loser
The boomer shooter genre stands in close proximity to Ghostrunner 2. While the game sets itself apart in a few major ways, few genres are packed with games that can engender similar feelings of momentum and speed.
Shadow Warrior 3 is part of the new school of boomer shooters, taking more inspiration from the DOOM reboots than its metaphorical grandfather which released in 1997. You'll play Lo Wang, a katana-wielding ninja on a path to right his wrong and fight demon kind after he accidentally unleashed a dragon and ended the world as we know it.
There are parts here that feel very similar to Ghostrunner 2 - especially during platforming sections, or arena encounters where you're slicing through everyone with your katana - but it sets itself apart with a distinct humour and creative weaponry that are fun to blast demons with. We gave Shadow Warrior 3 a full review when it came out if you're keen to learn our full thoughts on it.
What is the best game like Ghostrunner 2?
Mirror's Edge
Click to enlarge- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
- Release date: November 2008
- Key Features:
- Immersive parkour gameplay
- Iconic bold colour aesthetic
- Gorgeous soundtrack
- Silly speedrunning strats
Mirror's Edge is a classic when it comes to parkour and movement mechanics in gaming, with it pushing the medium forward and directly inspiring tonnes of the games you'll play today with similar ideas.
You'll play Faith, an underground parkour courier who transmits messages in person to avoid the surveillance of the oppressive society she lives within. It's hard to think of gaming experiences with smoother parkour gameplay, as Mirror's Edge set the standard when it comes to that type of movement in a first-person environment.
There are some combat elements here, but the real focus is on the idea of flow state - where you get immersed and lost in your own movement, while you race across the various levels as fluidly as you can.
That's all for our breakdown of the best games like Ghostrunner 2 to play in 2023, and hopefully one of the entries caught your eye.
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