Honestly, it’s a bit of a tragedy. Don't get me wrong, the gaming world is crowded, but Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden deserved a lot more noise than it actually got when Don’t Nod dropped it in early 2024. People were too busy talking about Helldivers 2 or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. They missed something special.
New Eden is cold. It's miserable. It’s a 1695 version of North America where the trees look like skeletal fingers and the fog feels like it’s trying to swallow you whole. You play as Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith. They aren't just partners; they are Banishers. Basically, they are professional ghost hunters with a philosophical streak and a very complicated relationship status.
Early on, things go sideways. Antea dies. She becomes the very thing she swore to hunt: a ghost. This isn't a spoiler; it's the entire soul of the game. Now Red has a choice. Does he perform the "Ascend" ritual to let her soul find peace, or does he "Resurrect" her by murdering living settlers to gather enough life force to bring her back?
It's heavy stuff.
The Haunting Ethics of New Eden
Most games give you "good" and "bad" choices. You know the drill. Blue for hero, red for jerk. But Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden doesn't really play that game. Every haunting you investigate ends with a "Bring to Justice" moment. You have to decide who to blame: the living human, or the ghost.
If you want to bring Antea back, you have to kill people. Even the "nice" ones. It makes you look at every side quest through a warped lens. You aren't just solving a mystery; you're grocery shopping for souls. It changes how you listen to the NPCs. You start looking for excuses to find them guilty just so you can justify taking their life for Antea.
It’s gross. It’s brilliant.
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The writing here reminds me a lot of The Witcher 3. You’ll meet a blacksmith who is being haunted by his dead wife. Standard ghost story, right? Not really. Maybe the wife was a nightmare. Maybe the blacksmith is a coward. Maybe they both deserve a break. Don’t Nod (the folks behind Life is Strange) are masters at making you feel like a terrible person regardless of what you choose. They don't let you off the hook.
Combat that Actually Works
Let's talk about the fighting. Usually, in narrative-heavy games, the combat is just... there. It’s a chore you do between cutscenes. Here, it’s surprisingly tight.
You swap between Red and Antea on the fly. Red handles the physical stuff with his saber and firestick. Antea, being a ghost, uses supernatural "Outbursts" to break shields and teleport around. It feels snappy. There’s this rhythm where you hit a guy with Red, then instantly switch to Antea for a heavy spectral punch that shatters their guard.
It isn't Elden Ring. You aren't going to be pulling your hair out over frame-perfect dodges. But on the harder difficulties, the "Specter" enemies—especially the ones that possess corpses—will absolutely wreck you if you aren't paying attention.
The gear system is surprisingly deep, too. You aren't just finding +1 swords. You’re finding equipment that changes your "synergy." Maybe you want a build where switching to Antea automatically triggers an explosion. Or maybe you want Red to heal every time Antea lands a hit. It’s a proper RPG.
A Technical Marvel of Atmosphere
New Eden is a character. That’s a cliché, I know. But the way the wind howls through the trees and the specific way the light filters through the canopy is eerie.
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- Environmental Storytelling: You’ll find notes and letters, sure. But you also find "echoes." These are little snippets of the past you can see through Antea's eyes.
- The Map Design: It’s not a massive, empty open world. It’s more of a "wide-linear" style. Think God of War (2018). There are paths, shortcuts, and areas you can only get to once you have the right spectral power.
- Voice Acting: Russ Bain and Amaka Okafor deserve awards. Seriously. Their chemistry is the only reason the "Resurrection" choice feels so painful. When they bicker about the ethics of their job while walking through a swamp, it feels real.
The game runs on Unreal Engine 5, and it shows. The character models—especially the faces—have this incredible nuance. You can see the grief in Red’s eyes. You see the flickering, unstable nature of Antea’s ghost form. It’s polished in a way that "AA" games rarely are. Focus Entertainment clearly put some real budget behind this one.
Why You Should Care About the Banishers Lore
The world-building here is dense but not boring. You aren't just "Banishers" because it sounds cool. There’s a whole history. The Banishers are a secret society of sorts, trained to handle the "lingering" spirits that refuse to leave.
They use a mix of folk magic, alchemy, and pure grit.
The game tackles some pretty dark themes. Colonialism, religious zealotry, and the crushing weight of isolation in the New World. It doesn't shy away from the fact that the settlers in New Eden are often just as monstrous as the ghosts. Sometimes more so.
The "Nightmare" is the big bad. It's a massive, terrifying entity that has cursed the entire region. To get to it, you have to peel back the layers of the town’s history. You’re basically a supernatural detective. You find clues. You perform rituals. You force the truth out of people who would rather keep it buried in the dirt.
The Pacing Issue (The Only Real Flaw)
Is it perfect? No.
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Sometimes the travel gets a bit tedious. There’s a lot of backtracking. If you’re the type of gamer who needs a waypoint every five seconds and constant dopamine hits, the slow-burn nature of the investigations might test your patience.
The game is long. Probably 30 to 40 hours if you’re doing the side stuff. And honestly, you should do the side stuff. That’s where the best writing is. But by hour 25, you might find yourself wishing the fast travel points were a little closer together.
How to Play Banishers Properly
If you're going to dive in, don't try to be a completionist right away. The game is designed to be played with your heart, not a checklist.
- Commit to a path early. Are you going to save Antea or let her go? If you flip-flop, you might end up with an ending you hate.
- Listen to the dialogue. Don't skip it. The hints for the investigations are often hidden in how people talk, not just the glowing clues on the ground.
- Experiment with the "Switch" combos. Don't just stay as Red. Antea’s powers are essential for crowd control, especially when you’re being swarmed by those annoying wolf-specters.
- Read the Bestiary. It’s actually well-written and gives you tactical advice on how to handle specific ghost types.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a rare breed. It’s a big-budget game that actually has something to say. It’s about grief. It’s about how far we are willing to go for the people we love, even if it means becoming a monster ourselves.
Stop waiting for a sale. Go play it. It’s the kind of game that stays in your head long after the credits roll, making you wonder if you actually made the "right" choice back in that foggy forest.
Actionable Insights for Players
- Focus on the Haunting Cases: These are the meat of the game. Completing them provides the "Essence" needed to upgrade your skills.
- Don't Ignore Ritual Sites: These combat challenges are the best way to test your build and earn rare crafting materials.
- Balance Your Blame: If you want the "good" ending (Ascension), you need to be merciful. If you want the "Resurrection" ending, you need to "Blame" the living settlers in the majority of your cases.
- Upgrade Your Flask: The healing mechanics are stingy. Prioritize any gear or skill that increases your "Healing Vials" or their potency early on.