Ghost in the Shell (Sony PlayStation 1, 1997)

I bought this game because I am a serious anime fan and I am hopelessly addicted to all things Ghost In The Shell. A big plus for this game is that it has 10 minutes or more of sweet, theater-quality anime cutscenes. The graphics, gameplay, controls and 3rd person camera views are very good considering this is PS1. I've only played thru the first 2 levels and some of the training missions. I like it so far.

Each mission starts with your typical Section 9 briefing. Arimaki runs you through the overall situation, then the Major gives you more specific instructions. The action is quick and lively. The controls seem pretty agile, very responsive. The missions I've played so far have you piloting one of those loveable little Fuchikomas wich are maneuverable anywhere, floors, walls and ceilings! They pack some decent fire power, but their quick agility and maneuverability is a huge part of both offensive and defensive tactics.

As with many PS1 games, some of the mission operations seem a little repetetive at times and the levels designs are somewhat simplistic:

Enter maze-like building. Run through hallway after hallway. Eradicate your enemies in each room and hallway. Finally reach a big room with a big enemy. Use all your skills and available firepower to kill the boss. Proceed to next mission.

In the end I would say this game is a "Must Have" for GITS anime fans.
Overall its a good PS1 game as an action/adventure style shooter.

I give it a score of 4 out of 5.

P.S. - I found some videos of this game on youtube, they give a good example of what this game is all about.

I've been a big fan of the Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex series for quite some time. While this game is based off the film version that came first instead, the characters are mostly the same (including voice actors), and it still makes a fun time spender, complete with an original story, original animation made just for the game and full voice acted, and varied gameplay.

That being said, the game does have it's failings. The controls do have a bit of a learning curve, and sometimes it can make the game feel a bit unfair (Levels 3 and 4 are the key showcases of this - a timed bomb search in the former, with a very restrictive time, and an on-rails type limiting motion in the latter). Let it be said - this game is challenging. However, once you get the hang of the controls (and if you're not playing those two particular levels out of twelve), the game can be a lot of fun.

If you're a fan of Ghost in the Shell, try this game out. It may or not be your thing, but even after all these years, it's still the highest reviewed of the three games for the series. If you haven't yet been inducted into the fanbase of the series, I'd suggest having a look at the anime series first (or the films, but I find that despite that they exist in separate continuities, the series makes a better intro to the films than vice versa).

With such a simple premise, I was hard pressed to get around to buying it. Ghost in the Shell plays like a tank-style war game except for the ability of your robot to climb walls. You can also jump, use night vision (sometimes through whole levels), receive weapons upgrades, and regenerate health within the levels by finding health on the ground.

While playing your Spiderman-tank-robot, you face numerous enemies from the Ghost in the Shell universe. There being a boss at the end of each level helps this game allot. Each boss is cool and creative, and the playing style to beat each is completely different. Gameplay never gets old in this game. It's one of the only PSX games I've played that genuinely keeps showing you new things constantly. The start-to-finish level structure is what does it.

The game's story is played out through fully animated cut scenes. The high production of these mini-movies makes me feel like Ghost in the Shell's budget was actually pretty high for a end of the line PS1 game.

This is definitely one of the best of PSX's last.

This game is very much worthy of its namesake, with fully voiced custscenes producted by the same company that made the movie. The graphics are extremely good for a playstation 1 title and the framerate is solid. Gameplay primary consists of button mashing like crazy and desperately trying to avoid getting blown up. Between levels (called missions) you are treated to FMVs which tie the missions together into a story. You play as Togusa when he is a rookie (though in the FMVs the major simply refers to him as "rookie"). A very nice bonus in this game is widescreen support, normally playstation 1 games when stretched across a 16:9 television will look exactly that: stretched. However, an option found in the game's menus can be set so that during gameplay the stretched image will be corrected to be accurate. This is an incredibly rare feature in games from this era and helps to make the playing experience even better than it originally was. If you're a fan of old-school action games or a big fan of Ghost in the Shell you should definately look to pick up a copy.

This game can be a good part of any Ghost in the Shell fan! Neat music, exclusive animated GITS anime footage, great action. Buy it, you'll like it :)