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Ghost in the Shell
North American box art
Developer(s)	Exact
Director(s)	Kenji Sawaguchi
Producer(s)	Tetsuji Yamamoto
Designer(s)	Masamune Shirow
Writer(s)	Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Series	Ghost in the Shell
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Genre(s)	Action, third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Ghost in the Shell is a cyberpunk-themed third-person shooter video game developed by Exact and Production I.G for the PlayStation, relying on the same cast from the original film for the English voice acting. The game was first released in July 1997, along with soundtrack albums, an artbook and a guidebook.

The game's story and art design were written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, the author of the original manga. Ghost in the Shell's plot revolves around a recruit of Public Security Section 9 as he investigates and combats the Human Liberation Front. The player controls a Fuchikoma, a robotic fighting vehicle capable of traversing walls and ceilings.

The game received mainly positive reviews for its graphics, animation, music and unusual wall-climbing mechanics, as well as living up to the name of the series. However, it received criticism for its tedious and repetitive gameplay and low difficulty. Fifteen years after its release, Game Informer listed Ghost in the Shell as one of the best manga and anime-based games.

Gameplay

The player controls a spider-shaped think tank robot, known as Fuchikoma, that is able to jump, thrust forward, strafe to the side, climb walls, and hang upside-down from ceilings. The camera auto-adjusts its position when scaling walls and ceilings for easy maneuvering, and automatically switches between first and third-person perspectives depending on the environment, although the player can stay in first-person view at will.

The Fuchikoma is equipped with twin machine guns and guided missiles. Both weapons have unlimited ammunition, however up to six missiles can be launched at once after a charge time. Grenades can be found throughout missions and a maximum of three can be carried at a time. Enemies vary from humanoid robots to helicopters and sport an array of firearms and explosives. Some stages of the game are governed by a time limit. Seventeen cutscenes can be unlocked throughout the missions and depending on the player's score in training mode. Once unlocked, the cutscenes can be reviewed on the options menu.

The training mode contains six stages to learn the basic game elements. The first five stages introduce the player to targets in various settings and using the controls effectively, with the sixth being a battle against another Fuchikoma. The twelve missions that compose the story take place in different environments, including a warehouse complex, a sewer, the city highways, and the enemy base inside of a skyscraper. The missions display a variety of gameplay objectives: the first mission is a raid; the third level is an Explosive Ordnance Disposal mission that involves the elimination of bombs attached to red barrels; the fourth level is a sea chase on a boat; the fifth level is a game of hide-and-seek with the player having to locate a boss wearing thermoptical camouflage; and the game's final boss fight ends with a free fall battle down the skyscraper under a timer.

Plot

The plot follows the members of Public Security Section 9, mainly consisting of Major Motoko Kusanagi, Chief Aramaki, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa, and a nameless male, the Rookie, controlled by the player. The game's story is told using mission briefings and animated cutscenes.

After the terrorist organization known as the Human Liberation Front claims responsibility for blowing up the Megatech Body Corporation building, Section 9 is sent to resolve the situation. Section 9 is able to trace the terrorists' communications and find their location in the bay area; however, it is a trap. Chief Aramaki later announces that the leader of the Human Liberation Front is a mercenary known as Zebra 27. Ishikawa then reports that the Energy Ministry is interested in files relating to Zebra; Aramaki orders further investigation.

The Rookie's skill is put to the test, leading chase missions and surviving an ambush. Eventually, the Human Liberation Front's secret base is discovered in Aeropolis II tower by following the enemy supply line, along with the terrorists' intentions of using a nuclear reactor. Ishikawa informs Aramaki that an official of the Energy Ministry named Sawamura has been in contact with Zebra and is connected to Megatech Body Corporation. While conducting the raid on the enemy's base, the reactor begins to overload. In order to shut it down, squad leader Motoko Kusanagi attempts to remove the protective barrier from an access point nearby, as the rest of the team search for the other building's control room. After disarming the reactor, Kusanagi locates the target (Zebra) on top of the tower. Batou and Togusa encounter obstacles that prevent them from moving to the top, leaving the Rookie as the only available member. Once he reaches the top, he engages Zebra in combat and defeats him in a free fall battle off of the tower.

After the mission, it is revealed that Sawamura planned to collect bribes from Megatech in exchange for covering up a defect in the nuclear reactor, which was going to explode, and presenting it as a terrorist attack; however, Zebra seized the reactor to take it over and wanted to extort money from Sawamura. Kusanagi declares the entire experience a training exercise for the Rookie and acknowledges his cleverness, but criticizes his overdependence on the Fuchikoma.

Development

The game was in development for one and a half years, and involved the work of several divisions, being Kenji Sawaguchi and Tetsuji Yamamoto the total director and producer respectively. The programming was done by Exact, known for the Jumping Flash! series. Ghost in the Shell was designed and targeted to a mature audience; developers did not make Motoko playable to prevent the game appearing to be a character-based game for children. The original manga's creator Masamune Shirow was the main designer of the characters and mecha for the game.

At Production I.G, Hiroyuki Kitakubo directed the animation scenes, wrote the screenplay and did the storyboards; Toshihiro Kawamoto was animation supervisor and a character designer. Production I.G had adopted a full digital coloring technique for the game considered to be groundbreaking in the industry. The difference in the scenes when compared to the Ghost in the Shell film stemmed from this difference and the new director.

The game's animated scenes are a combination of cel animation and three dimensional digital renderings. Masamune Shirow's character and mechanical designs of the Ghost in the Shell were the basis for the game's look and feel. The storyboards consisting of camera shots and movement became the groundwork for the animation. The cel animation consisted of numerous individual cel layers that were combined to create the scene digitally. The backgrounds were digitally rendered in three dimensions to ensure smooth transitions throughout scenes for the camera movement. The three dimensional computer backgrounds were merged with the two dimensional cel animation to complete the scene. Adobe Photoshop was used to complete the animation and add additional details to the scenes.

The voicing for the Japanese version of the game was done by a different cast than the film, with Motoko Kusanagi being played by Hiromi Tsuru, Batou by Shinji Ogawa, Chief Aramaki by Soichi Ito, Ishikawa by Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Togusa by Hirotaka Suzuoki, Saito by Nobuyuki Hiyama, and the Fuchikoma were voiced by Katsue Miwa. The English localization does not credit the voice actors to their respective roles, but the same cast was used for the original movie. Motoko was voiced by Mimi Woods, Batou by Richard Epcar, Aramaki by William Frederick, Ishikawa by Bob Papenbrook, and Togusa was played by Christopher Joyce with the roles of Wendee Lee, Jimmy Krakor, Julie Maddalena being unknown.

Release and promotion

The game was originally released in Japan by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan on July 17, 1997. On the day of its release, a special launch party was held at the Yebisu Garden Hall. The "Megatech Body Night" event featured the game's music artists such as Takkyu Ishino and Joey Beltram performing live. All who bought tickets also received a 3D papercraft kit of the Fuchikoma. A Japanese demo disc for the PlayStation was also released.

A special demo disc was included with the first edition of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, which featured the game on its cover. The game was released in North America by THQ on October 31, 1997, and in Europe by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe on July 1, 1998. Don Nauert, THQ's producer for the English localization of the game, said that aside from dubbing and changing the button configuration, the game was not modified nor censored.

Soundtrack

A series of soundtrack albums for the game, titled Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body, were released on July 17, 1997, by Sony Music Entertainment Japan in several versions. The album, named after the fictional cybernetic body manufacturer in the Ghost in the Shell series, was produced by Takkyū Ishino and features tracks composed by various techno music artists. Some artists were already fans of the series and enthusiastic to composing the music for the game.

The first version, Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body CD., is a standard single-disc edition. The second is a limited edition titled Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body CD., Ltd. and contains an additional second disc and poster. The third is also a limited two-disc vinyl LP record edition, titled Megatech Vinyl. Ltd..

Track listing

Related media

An artbook titled Ghost in the Shell Official Art Book was published by Kodansha on July 4, 1997. It contains concept designs, scenes and commentary on Ghost in the Shell. Two guidebooks were also published by Kodansha. The first one, Ghost in the Shell: Basic File, was released on July 17, 1997. The second one, Ghost in the Shell: Master File, was released on August 29, 1997. A video titled Making of Game Ghost in the Shell All of Digital Animation Video, featuring interviews with game developers was released by Kodansha on April 22, 1998, on VHS/Laserdisc and on April 25, 1998, on DVD.

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
AllGame
Computer and Video Games	3/5
Electronic Gaming Monthly	7.25
Famitsu	76.50
GameFan	87.3
GameSpot	7.3/10
IGN	8/10
Next Generation

Ghost in the Shell received mostly positive reviews, gaining an aggregate rating of 78.50% at GameRankings. AllGame gave the game 4 out of 5 stars, praising the graphics, sound and gameplay; the review stated, "Even with plenty of eye candy and strong audio, a game is nothing without actually being fun to play and as you've probably guessed, Ghost in the Shell supplies the fun, whether you're familiar with the license or not." GameSpot rated the game a 7.3 out of 10, praising the game's controls as "simple... most people will take to them like a fish to water" and praising the animation sequences. GameFan gave the game three scores: 88, 88, and 86 from three different reviewers, who also cited the game's unique wall-scaling mechanics and noted how it lives up to the name of the Ghost in the Shell series. IGN said that the game was faithful to its manga counterpart, stating that "the game mimics its manga counterpart well, and the techno music, including tracks from artists like Derrick May and Hardfloor, is superb," but adding that "the levels aren't incredibly difficult, and don't really encourage replay." Super GamePower gave the game a 4 out of 5 praising the animation and stating it is better than of the original film adaptation. Velikij Drakon gave the game 5 out of 5 praising the mechanics and animation. NowGamer praised the gameplay mechanics of the game however criticized the option to unlock, stating, "The tremendous feeling of agility you get from Ghost In The Shell and the slick weapons is where the fun comes from. But it’s a tough game and playing for more scenes of new footage will not be compelling enough for a country in which anime is a cult industry and not a national fixation."

GamePro praised the cutscenes but criticized the game's quality, stating, "The cinemas at the opening of the game and between each level are stunning; however, the game graphics, particularly the buildings and enemies, lackluster at best. The sound effects are bland, and there are no power-ups to be found. Put that all together and you get a very generic video game." Next Generation rated it three stars out of five and criticized the game for being tedious, but recognized that it is still an enjoyable game. Computer & Video Games gave Ghost in the Shell a score of 3 out of 5 and offered a similar criticism, declaring that "it was too repetitive to become anything more than a good game." Edge gave the game 7 out of 10, criticizing the gameplay features such camera control and boss difficulty. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game four scores: 7.5, 7.5, 7.5, and 6.5 from four individual reviews, who mainly criticized the game for its easy bosses and its repetitive and short gameplay value.

In 2013, Game Informer listed Ghost in the Shell as one of the best anime and manga-based games released in English. It also received praise for being able to break away from other games adapted from movies and being original despite being based upon the manga and movie.

See also

• Aeropolis 2001

Notes

1. Japanese: 攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL, Hepburn: Kōkaku Kidōtai GHOST IN THE SHELL, "Mobile Armored Riot Police—Ghost in the Shell"
2. 攻殻機動隊有機肉威感, Kōkaku Kidōtai Yūki Niku I Kan
3. 攻殻機動隊 OFFICIAL ART BOOK, Kōkaku Kidōtai OFFICIAL ART BOOK
4. 攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL 上巻 ベーシックファイル, Kōkaku Kidōtai GHOST IN THE SHELL Jōkan Bēshikku Fairu
5. 攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL 下巻 マスターファイル, Kōkaku Kidōtai GHOST IN THE SHELL Gekan Masutā Fairu
6. MAKING OF GAME 攻殻機動隊デジタルアニメーションのすべて ビデオ

References

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3. ^ Key, Steve (August 1998). "Ghost in the Shell". Computer and Video Games (201): 59. ISSN 0261-3697.
4. ^ Nicholson, Gray (1998-07-01). "Ghost in the Shell". Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-09-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
5. ^ Ghost in the Shell (CD). Exact, Production I.G. 1997.
6. ^ Douglas, Adam (1997-12-01). "Ghost in the Shell". IGN. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
7. ^ Agent Kuper (1997-10-18). "PlayStation - Ghost in the Shell". Velikij Drakon (in Russian) (35): 11. ISSN 0868-5967. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
8. "Shirowledge!". Shirowledge.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2014-09-27.
9. ^ Maruyama, Wataru (October 1997). "Ghost in the Shell". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1 (1): 108–114.
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11. ^ "Ghost in the Shell". Production I.G. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-04-22. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2013-06-17 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
12. Making of Game Ghost in the Shell All of Digital Animation Video (MAKING OF GAME 攻殻機動隊デジタルアニメーションのすべて ビデオ) (VHS). Kodansha. 1998.
13. "Megatech Body Night" (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-04-21. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
14. Ghost in the Shell Playstation Demo Disc (PAPX-90020) (CD). PlayStation.
15. "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine". 1 (1). October 1997. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
16. ^ "Ghost in the Shell Megatech Body" (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2012-10-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
17. "攻殻機動隊 OFFICIAL ART BOOK" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
18. "攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL 上巻　ベーシックファイル" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
19. "攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL 下巻　マスターファイル" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
20. "MAKING OF GAME 攻殻機動隊デジタルアニメーションのすべて　ビデオ" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 2013-11-13. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
21. "MAKING OF GAME 攻殻機動隊GHOST IN THE SHELL デジタルアニメー ションのすべて【DVD未発売】" (in Japanese). Buyuru. Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-04-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
22. ^ "Ghost in the Shell for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
23. "攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL". Famitsu. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
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27. ^ "Ghost in the Shell". Next Generation Magazine (35). November 1997.
28. Kamikaze, Marcelo (October 1997). "P.Station: Ghost in the Shell". Super GamePower (in Portuguese) (43): 28. ISSN 0104-611X.
29. Full-on Ferret. "Ghost in the Shell". GamePro Magazine (November 1997): 150.
30. "Ghost in the Shell". Edge Magazine (October 1997): 93.
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32. "'Ghost in the Shell' Escapes Movie Curse". The Herald News. HighBeam Research. 1998-02-09. Archived from the original on 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2013-04-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

• Official website Template:Jp icon

v t e Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell
Media	Manga 1995 film Video game Innocence 2017 live-action film Stand Alone Complex Episodes Music PS2 game PSP game Solid State Society First Assault SAC_2045 Episodes Arise Episodes "Anata o Tamotsu Mono" The New Movie
Universe	Characters Motoko Kusanagi Batou Togusa Tachikoma Public Security Section 9
Related	Mamoru Oshii Kenji Kamiyama Production I.G Intron Depot 1 Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn "King of My Castle"
Category

v t e Production I.G television series
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Category

• 1997 video games
• Ghost in the Shell video games
• PlayStation-only games
• Production I.G
• Sony Computer Entertainment games
• Third-person shooters
• THQ games
• Video games developed in Japan
• Video games featuring non-playable protagonists