Warning: Major spoilers ahead forBanishersandLife is Strange.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenis a brand-new action-roleplaying game from developer Don’t Nod, in which players take on the roles of Antea and Red, lovers separated by life and death. Don’t Nod is best known to gamers as the developer behindthe popularLife is Strangeseries, which features rich, hard-hitting narratives that change depending on player choice.Banishersis no different, as the title tasks players with navigating a wide range of dialogue and narrative decisions on their path to freeing New Eden of its various hauntings. However,Banishers: Ghosts of New Edentakes things to another level, as its central mechanic sees one ofLife is Strange’s hardest choices thrust front and center. In their pursuit of a love that defies death, Antea and Red are offered the option to sacrifice the many for the good of the few.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenadapts Don’t Nod’s narrative formula to a sprawling action-adventure title, in which Red and Antea investigate a series of hauntings affecting the settlers of New Eden. Each haunting explores the themes of love, death, relationships, and difficult decisions, each of which sees Red and Antea forced to analyze their current situation through a greater lens. Early in the title’s narrative, Red and Antea swear an oath to each other, which sets the stage for the game’s biggest decisions. Regardless of players' choices, keeping this oath will require the lovers to make an incredible sacrifice.
Banishers Asks Fans to Sacrifice Lives for Love
The originalLife is Strangeculminated in an immensely impactful decision. Depending on players’ choices through the title’s five episodes, Max and Chloe, whose death spurs the narrative, are either best friends or new lovers. However, their path to reuniting for good leads to a catastrophically large decision, as players can either save Chloe or save their hometown of Arcadia Bay. Choosing tosave Chloesees Arcadia Bay succumb to a monstrous, otherworldly storm, as countless inhabitants are essentially sacrificed so that the pair’s love can live on. InBanishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Don’t Nod takes this concept and transforms it into a core game mechanic.
The rules ofBanishers' universe are clearly explained in its prologue chapter. Ghosts, manifested by those they left behind, require living essence to remain and grow stronger. However, Banishers exist to ensure that they move on, either peacefully through ascension or forcefully through banishment. Theoretically, enough essence can resurrect the deceased, though doing so would require a substantial amount.Red and Anteacan follow one of two paths on their journey, choosing to either resurrect Antea or allow her to ascend. To accomplish the former, the two must sacrifice the living inhabitants of New Eden to strengthen Antea’s ghost, and each haunting that they solve grants them the opportunity to do so.
Banishers' Haunted Inhabitants are its Arcadia Bay
Much ofBanishers' narrative sees Red and Anteahelp New Eden’s residentsbring closure to departed loved ones, who now haunt them. As a Banisher, Red must see these ghosts depart, but Antea’s potential resurrection sees him contemplate a different path. Rather than help the ghosts move on, Red and Antea can choose to punish the person being haunted, blaming them for the haunting and ending their lives. Once all is said and done, Red and Antea will need to condemn and sacrifice dozens of innocent souls all so that their love may endure. Much like the inhabitants of Arcadia Bay, these souls are required so that a single relationship can live on.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Edenbuilds on many ofDon’t Nod’s greatest strengths, wrapping players up in a deeply emotional relationship, before forcing them to weigh its value against the needs of others. However, the title pushes the boundaries far beyond those seen in theLife is Strangeseries, starting with the original’s most jarring decision, and forcing players to confront its ramifications with every haunting. Whether players pledge an oath to resurrect Antea or allow her to ascend, Red must undertake an immense sacrifice. Whether that sacrifice was worth it, by the timeBanishers: Ghosts of New Edenconcludes, is for fans to grapple with themselves.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
WHERE TO PLAY
New Eden, 1695. Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith are lovers and Banishers, ghost-hunters who vowed to protect the living from the threat of lingering ghosts and specters. Following a disastrous last mission, Antea is fatally wounded, becoming one of the spirits she loathes. In the haunted wilds of North America, the couple desperately searches for a way to liberate Antea from her new plight.Immerse yourself in a beautiful, intimate and powerful story between two fated lovers. As Banishers, enter the lives of New Eden’s communities and solve haunting cases in a mystical, lore-rich world plagued with supernatural creatures and ancient secrets. Use your wits or combine Antea’s spiritual powers and Red’s arsenal to defeat and banish the souls tormenting the living.Challenging decisions will lay on your path, dramatically impacting your story and the fate of New Eden’s inhabitants—be they living people or wandering souls. How much will you compromise your ghost-hunting vow for the sake of your lover who became one of such spirits?
