🧙♂️ Ghosts, Love, and Choices That Haunt You
In the crowded landscape of 2025’s AAA releases, it’s easy to miss a title that doesn’t scream blockbuster. But sometimes, it’s the quieter games that leave the deepest mark. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is one such game—a supernatural action RPG by DON’T NOD, the same studio behind Life is Strange and Vampyr.
On paper, it's about ghost hunters in a 17th-century frontier town. In reality, it’s a tale of love, loss, and moral choices so heavy, they’ll haunt your gaming soul long after the credits roll.
So is Banishers a hidden treasure or just a spectral side quest in 2025’s game lineup?
Let’s summon the truth.
💔 A Love Story in a Haunted Land
Set in the eerie wilderness of colonial America, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden introduces us to Red mac Raith and Antea Duarte, professional spirit banishers and lovers. But very early on, tragedy strikes: Antea dies—and returns as a ghost.
Now you play as both Red (the living) and Antea (the spectral), traversing cursed settlements, investigating hauntings, and uncovering twisted secrets in New Eden—a land as haunted by history as it is by spirits.
The twist? You must choose whether to honor your duty and let Antea go… or sacrifice others to bring her back.
🎭 Morality That Hurts
This isn't your typical binary morality system. Each haunting you resolve presents an agonizing choice:
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Banish the spirit to protect the living.
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Ascend it if it deserves peace.
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Blame a living human—sometimes innocent—for their death to strengthen Antea.
These decisions affect the world around you and the game’s ending. And trust me—they hurt in the best possible way.
🎮 Gameplay – A Mix of Ghostbusting and Guts
⚔️ Dual-Protagonist Combat
You swap between Red’s swordplay and firearms and Antea’s ghostly abilities, often in mid-fight. Red is a grounded brawler—slashes, parries, and gunshots. Antea is ethereal—teleporting, soul-slamming, and spectral stunning enemies.
Combat is satisfying if not revolutionary, but the dynamic switching adds strategic depth. You’ll find yourself thinking:
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"Do I need Red’s rifle or Antea’s shockwave here?"
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"Should I save Antea’s energy for tougher spirits?"
🕵️♂️ Investigation Mechanics
Each haunting is its own narrative mini-mystery. You:
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Explore the area,
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Gather evidence,
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Interview villagers,
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Reconstruct events,
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And ultimately render judgment.
It’s not Sherlock Holmes-level complex, but it gives welcome variety from just hacking and slashing.
🗺️ A World That’s Alive (and Dead)
New Eden isn’t a massive open world—it’s semi-open, built with handcrafted detail and narrative density.
You’ll explore:
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Snow-covered frontier forests 🌲
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Colonial villages full of religious tension 🏘️
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Haunted battlefields and abandoned forts ⚔️
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Wraith-infested catacombs and crypts 🕯️
The atmosphere is thick with dread. Lighting, sound design, and weather effects all work together to make this a place that feels haunted—not just by ghosts, but by human guilt and grief.
🎨 Visuals and Audio – Eerie Elegance
Banishers isn’t the most technically stunning game of 2025, but its art direction is gorgeous. Think The Witcher 3 meets Crimson Peak—drenched in candlelight, snow, and fog.
Characters are expressive, especially Antea, whose ghostly presence is animated with surprising delicacy. The ghost designs range from melancholy to terrifying, and the sound design? Top-tier.
Every whisper of the dead, every echoing footstep, and every crackle of fire contributes to the unnerving vibe.
🎧 Pro tip: Wear headphones—there are ghost voices you might miss otherwise. Some are clues. Some are just chilling ambiance.
🧩 Choices & Consequences – The Real Heart of the Game
Where Banishers truly shines is in its emotional storytelling and player agency.
The game features:
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20+ hauntings with deep moral conundrums,
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Multiple endings based on your actions,
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Relationship-building moments between Red and Antea,
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Side quests that aren’t filler—they’re personal, tragic, and morally layered.
Every choice you make is permanent. There’s no “go back and fix it” button. And many of them will leave you second-guessing yourself hours later.
This makes Banishers a spiritual successor to Life is Strange in a way Vampyr never fully was.
💬 Dialogue and Writing – Subtle but Sharp
Red and Antea’s chemistry carries the game. Their banter feels natural, not forced. Their grief, frustration, and moments of hope are genuinely affecting.
The villagers of New Eden are equally well-written—full of suspicion, superstition, and secrets. The game digs into themes like:
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Religion vs. science
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Guilt and forgiveness
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Colonialism and myth
It never feels preachy, but it’s clear that DON’T NOD still writes with purpose.
🛠️ Weak Spots – Where the Spirits Falter
No game is perfect, and Banishers has its ghosts in the closet.
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Combat repetition
After a while, encounters start to blend together. Enemy variety is modest, and boss fights, while cinematic, lack mechanical depth. -
Visual bugs & performance dips
Especially on older consoles. Some facial animations glitch, and framerate drops occasionally during Antea’s flashy ghost powers. -
Voice acting hit-or-miss
While Red and Antea are strong, some side characters feel B-movie wooden. -
Pacing issues in Act 2
A few hauntings drag on and overstay their welcome with unnecessary backtracking.
Still, these issues never break the game—they’re annoyances, not deal-breakers.
🏁 Final Verdict – Don’t Let This One Slip Away
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a bold, emotional, and atmospheric gem that will likely fly under the radar in a year crowded with flashy releases.
But for players who love:
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Thoughtful storytelling 🎭
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Moral dilemmas with weight ⚖️
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Gothic, moody atmospheres 🌫️
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Character-driven romances 💔
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And supernatural ghost lore 👻
…this is one of 2025’s most unforgettable titles.
⭐ Final Score: 8.8/10
“A hauntingly beautiful RPG that lingers like a ghost—subtle, soulful, and stirring.”
📊 Recap at a Glance
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Story | 9.5 – Deep, emotional, tragic love story |
| Combat | 7.5 – Functional but repetitive |
| Visual & Audio | 9 – Eerie, artistic, immersive |
| Morality System | 9 – Tough choices with long-term effects |
| Replay Value | 8 – Multiple endings, but no New Game+ |
👀 Should You Play It?
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If you loved Life is Strange, Plague Tale: Requiem, or Vampyr: YES
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If you’re looking for fast-paced action or deep RPG mechanics: maybe not
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If you're craving a spiritual, emotional ghost story with teeth: absolutely
💬 What Do You Think?
Have you played Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden? Did the story break your heart or your moral compass? Leave a comment below and let’s talk about your toughest haunting judgment.
🔁 Share this review with fellow ghost-hunters and gamers who love a good story over a million explosions.