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Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Published: Thu 5 Oct, 2006 | On:

As far as anime is concerned, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is without equal. The thinking man’s anime, it places as much emphasis on philosophical exploration as it does action. And as source material, it contains all the right ingredients for a tasty video game: cyborgs, tanks, "standard-issue, big guns", and an attractive, scantily clad female protagonist. Yet despite all these ingredients, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for the PSP has been undercooked, and is sure to leave a foul taste in the mouths of even the most fervent of fans.

As fan service, the game excels. The show’s cast, with the exception of a few minor characters, is all present and accounted for and voiced by the original actors. They’re also faithfully recreated on the small, wide screen of the PSP; Kusanagi’s attire, for example, is truthful to the show, unlike the recent Playstation 2 game. The story, while nowhere near the quality of the anime, certainly outshines those of other video games, and each mission is preceded by cutscenes that captures the essence of the show, even if the animation leaves little to be desired.

However, the solid presentation cannot hide the fact that the game isn’t fun. The reasons for this are plentiful – by far the most salient is the control scheme. For a first-person shooter, especially one that has a multiplayer mode, smooth, accurate control is essential. It’s difficult to conclude whether the fault lies with Sony for only including a single analog nub on the PSP, or whether Bandai was foolish enough to believe that digital aiming was adequate. Regardless, the default control scheme, which attempts to replicate dual-analog control, only results in the player constantly tapping the face buttons in an attempt to even aim in the right direction – Forget about any headshots. Admittedly, Bandai have tried to accommodate for such sloppy control. A lock-on feature is present, although it’s equally clumsy and is ridiculously temperamental. Also included is a roster of preset control methods, the most convenient of which resorts to control reminiscent of Doom or Goldeneye.

Awkward or archaic control schemes could have been easily overlooked if the gameplay was more than lacklustre. Unfortunately, the level design leaves little to be desired – it’s no more than a series of interlocked boxes – and enemy AI is nonexistent; enemies will rigidly stand to attention while the player attacks them. The game is mission-based, but completing a majority of the scenarios simply involves you hunting out various switches, items, or NPCs – Half the time this is merely a case of trial and error. The game attempts to offer some variety in offering a selection of playable characters and a vast array of weaponry, but ultimately the gameplay remains unchanged no matter what combinations of the two a player chooses. Multiplayer is offered, supporting up to six players over wireless connection, but unfortunately the sloppy controls and bland level design ultimately render this mode a token and pointless addition. And with load times that can take as long as 2 minutes, it seems that the game has neglected any concept of portability.

Ultimately, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex just isn’t worth the price of admission. The gameplay is completely devoid of any redeeming features, and everything it attempts has been elsewhere achieved better. Only diehard fans of the franchise – those who must simply experience everything Ghost in the Shell – or collectors should even think about purchasing this game. For anyone else that is simply looking for an enjoyable game for the PSP, the only recommendation is to avoid Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.