Summary
WhileBanishers: Ghosts of New Edenisn’t too difficult in its gameplay, there’s still a noticeable learning curve that players will need to overcome to avoid being killed by the ghouls and spirits that roam around New Eden. Rather than just assuming control of one character and upgrading them throughout the story,Banishersinstead features two protagonists who are vastly different in how they play. The enemies in this game can also be very tough to take down, even in those first few hours, which also goes a long way in dialing up the overall difficulty.
All of this meansBanisherscan be a pretty brutal experience for players who don’t know what they’re doing, which is a shame because the game itself is still very high-quality and well worth seeing through to the end. There are a few key mistakes that are easy to make during the early portions of the game. Here’s how to avoid them and why they can be so costly in the long run.
1Don’t Be Shy About Breaking Boxes
Boxes And Barrels Contain Plenty Of Items That Can Be Used Later Down The Line
In more recent years, the addition of breakable boxes in games that contain valuable items hasn’t been as prevalent, since it can seem a little unrealistic to find a stash of ammo or materials hidden away in some random barrel. However,Banishersdoesn’t follow this trend, as almost every box and small item in the open world can be cracked open to reveal a few goodies for players to pick up, which will aid them in their adventure.
Most of the time, these boxes will contain materials thatcan be used for upgrades, so stocking up on as much as possible in the early game can be a huge help later down the line. Players should also keep in mind that it doesn’t matter whether these boxes belong to anyone or are a part of someone’s territory. They can still be broken and will almost always contain items of value to pick up and store away for later.
2Don’t Ignore The Glowing Ring
Red And Antea’s Ring Can Highlight Key Areas In The Environment
As players explore the vast open world, they might spot a small glowing ring on the character’s hand which will make a small audio cue in certain areas of the map. Because it only lasts for a little while, it can be easy to ignore this and move on, but the ring is useful since it indicates when there’s something nearby that a specific character can interact with. For example, if it starts emanating red, it could mean Red himself is close to finding an item to open the Cursed Chests, or if it turns blue, Antea may be able to enter a new area by using a Manifestation.
It’s a subtle but clever way to point players in the right direction without taking up too much of the screen, but this also comes at the cost of it being easily missable. Exploration plays a big part inBanishers’core gameplay loop, and since the ring can help out so much with this, keeping a close eye on it is never a bad idea.
3Never Skip Over The Haunting Cases
Haunting Cases Are A Good Source Of Essence Points, And They Also Include Important Moral Choices Too
Alongside the main missions, players will also be able to participate in Haunting Cases, which essentially act as the game’sside missions. Though in most cases, side quests can provide little more than a few coins and maybe some EXP, they’re more or less essential to complete inBanishersconsidering how much they can help out with upgrading the characters, especially Antea. Although Red can earn new skills with EXP, Antea works a little differently as she instead requires Essence Points to acquire new abilities.
Completing a Haunting Case will reward the player with an Essence Point, and most of the time, will also provide a few extra items or bonus EXP for Red to make use of. Outside of the rewards, Haunting Cases are also well worth seeking out since they’re all different and unique, while also containing tough choices for players to make, which can impact elements of the story and gameplay.
4Avoid Wasting Skill Points
At the beginning ofBanishers, players will only have access to a limited skill tree that features a handful of abilities and buffs to unlock. Though many useful early skills can make combat and exploration a lot more forgiving, it doesn’t take long before other skill trees start opening up which contain some of the strongest abilities in the entire game. Therefore, rather than spending points and EXP on skills that aren’t really needed, it can be a better idea to save them for when these bigger trees become available.
There are five skill trees in totalthat players can work through, and considering each one is bigger than the last, they can take quite a while to fill out if players are spending skill points too liberally. Therefore, it’s encouraged to be mindful about when and when not to purchase a new skill, since there could be a much better one on the horizon that could be worth holding out for instead.
5Don’t Ignore The Specters
Specters Can Resurrect Bodies, So Taking Them Out Should Always Be A Priority
Specters are small ghostly entities that can possess corpses in the middle of battle. Every time they take control of a body, that enemy will also gain special buffs and enhancements which can make them a nightmare to deal with, and even when they’ve been defeated, the Specter itself will still need to be killed soon after. The good news is, when a Specter does show up, Antea will comment on the fact one is nearby, giving the player a heads-up.
No matter how many enemies are in the vicinity, it’s advised to always aim for the Specter first, since this will end up making the encounter so much easier. Of course, it’s also important to watch out for other enemy attacks in the process, but taking down a Specter as quickly as possible will prevent Red and Antea from being overrun byswarms of the undead.
6Try Not To Overuse Antea
Using Up Too Much Of Antea’s Spirit Energy Will Make Her Unavailable For A Short Duration
A key part ofBanishers’gameplay loop that players will need to get used to is switching between Red and Antea in the middle of combat. Both characters have their pros and cons, but while Red plays more like a traditional hand-to-hand bruiser, Antea is a lot more agile and magical, utilizing dangerous spells to destroy her opponents from within. The biggest difference between the two is their health. While Red comes with a standard health bar, Antea runs on Spirit Energy, which depletes every time she attacks or takes damage.
The advantage is that Antea can’t technically “die"since she is a ghost after all, but it also comes at the cost of her being unavailable if players overdo it and use her too much. Antea can instead be used as a valuable last resort for when a battle starts getting a little hectic since she will be able to tank hits that would otherwise kill Red, while also dishing out her damage in the process. As Antea unlocks more skills, she can become even more durable when she’s tagged into the fight, so throwing her out when she’s most needed is far better than consuming all her energy too early.
7Never Take A Choice Lightly
Choices Have A Very Big Impact On The Story Of Banishers, Including The Endings
In the leadup to the release ofBanishers: Ghosts of New Eden, developers Don’t Nod emphasized thatchoices in this game do matter in the long run, and they certainly weren’t lying. Each time the player makes a moral choice in the main campaign, or during a Haunted Case, it will cause new activities to pop up depending on their decision, while also determining how much essence is granted to Antea.
Additionally, every choice in the game will have a subtle impact on which ending players receive, so they’re not to be taken lightly, especially since all of them can have drastic consequences on the individuals involved in the mission. It’s also worth mentioning that every available choice will have a small description of its effects at the bottom, so it’s always worth checking these before making a decision, just to verify it will be the right one.
