Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden review

Our VerdictThis ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

Our Verdict

This ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

PC Gamer’s got your backOur experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you.Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.

Need to KnowWhat is it?A story-focused action RPG where you play as a ghost-hunter and his spectral partner.Release dateFebruary 13, 2024Expect to pay$50/£45DeveloperDON’T NODPublisherFocus EntertainmentReviewed onGeForce RTX 2060, Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB RAMSteam DeckTBALinkOfficial site$40.25View at Amazon$40.25View at Walmart$68.22View at WalmartSee all prices (5 found)

Need to Know

What is it?A story-focused action RPG where you play as a ghost-hunter and his spectral partner.Release dateFebruary 13, 2024Expect to pay$50/£45DeveloperDON’T NODPublisherFocus EntertainmentReviewed onGeForce RTX 2060, Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB RAMSteam DeckTBALinkOfficial site$40.25View at Amazon$40.25View at Walmart$68.22View at WalmartSee all prices (5 found)

$40.25View at Amazon$40.25View at Walmart$68.22View at WalmartSee all prices (5 found)

$40.25View at Amazon

$40.25View at Walmart

$68.22View at Walmart

See all prices (5 found)

Of course, in such a world, Antea’s death hardly stops her making an appearance, and she soon returns as an active partner in Red’s personal mission. While Red can touch things and talk to living people, Antea sees into the realm of the dead, where she can use her ghostly powers to destroy obstacles and unveil hidden items. You’ll switch between them at the touch of a button, as you make use of their complimentary abilities to investigate hauntings and pummel ghosts into the afterlife.

Love is…

(Image credit: DON’T NOD)

Red confronting a ghost in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

While we often have party members in games like Mass Effect, there aren’t many RPGs that feature two protagonists – and surely no others where they’re in a relationship from the onset. It’s refreshing to see the bickering, flirting and reminiscing of a mature couple, and to have that dynamic be present for the entire game.

I’m really quite fond of Antea and Red, now that I’ve seen their story through to one of the multiple endings, although for a long time they just felt too perfect to be relatable. It was only later on – when the easy back-and-forth that comprises their banter began to slip away, allowing deeper conversations to emerge – that I finally became attached to the couple.

Ghost town

(Image credit: DON’T NOD)

Red entering a scary forest in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

Banishers’ story has a very different flavour than most RPGs, in that you’re striving to save a region, a small cast of people, and your beloved rather than the entire world. I mean this as a compliment (well, mostly), but it feels like a Witcher 3 quest blown up into a full-size game, really giving you the chance to get to know one town and its colourful inhabitants.

Despite the supernatural overtones, Banishers is very much set in our world, at a time when witch hunts (if not witches) were very real. A witch hunt is central to the plot, with most of the major characters involved in some way, so as you might imagine they’re not an overly pleasant lot. Every haunting drags up a shameful backstory, whether it’s for the settlers or their hard-hearted leaders, and while it is difficult to like a bunch of murderous, mob-minded bigots, I did take pleasure in bringing their dark secrets into the light. Their nuanced facial animations convey emotion with subtlety, even if that emotion is usually hatred towards the meddling Banishers.

Spirited defence

(Image credit: DON’T NOD)

Red fighting a beast made of tangled wood in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

It’s all a bit Dark Souls, but locked into subtle arenas as creatures emerge from the ether to interrupt your exploration. Using your sword and gun as Red, and your various spectral powers as Antea, you have to wallop spooky creatures that come in a variety of denominations, from lowly spectres to massive bosses made up of multiple unhappy spirits.

I appreciate the subtle differences between the protagonists, with Antea not having a health bar but a rechargeable spirit gauge that whittles down as she attacks, and Red relying on, essentially, Dark Souls’ Estus flasks. And hey, Banishers has bonfires too, which similarly recharge your healing items while respawning enemies – but as you can save at any time, and you just restart from your last save when you die, their implementation does feel a little muddled.

Ultimately combat is solid but not especially thrilling, soon falling into a comfortable rhythm of weakening enemies with Antea, before finishing them as Red, with not enough variation in your abilities or weapons to feel like you have much input over character development. I never came to hate the combat, but I would always groan when I discovered a large-ish space that would obviously house the next combat encounter, although they are usually brisk enough to not outstay their welcome.

(Image credit: DON’T NOD)

Antea using her ghostly powers in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

But while there’s tension between a more personal story and the expectations of scale that come with an RPG, I’m still glad I docked in New Eden Town. It’s an evocative place, rich in atmosphere, history and horrible deeds, and it feels rewarding to drag its injustices into the light.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden: Price Comparison

$59.99$40.25View$59.99$40.25View$68.22View$83.97ViewLow Stock$95.99ViewLow Stock

$59.99$40.25View

Banishers: Ghosts of Eden…

Amazon

$59.99$40.25View

$59.99$40.25

$40.25

$59.99$40.25View

BANISHERS: Ghosts of New…

Walmart

$59.99$40.25View

$59.99$40.25

$40.25

$68.22View

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden…

Walmart

$68.22View

$68.22

$83.97ViewLow Stock

$83.97View

BANISHERS: Ghosts of New Eden…

Walmart

$83.97View

$83.97

Low Stock

$95.99ViewLow Stock

$95.99View

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden…

Walmart

$95.99View

$95.99

Low Stock

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

The Verdict74Read our review policyBanishers: Ghosts of New EdenThis ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

The Verdict

74Read our review policyBanishers: Ghosts of New EdenThis ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

74Read our review policy

Banishers: Ghosts of New EdenThis ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

This ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

LatestSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kitSee more latest►

Latest

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

Herobrine standing in front of a foggy forest

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

A valuable TF2 hat shimmers in the moonlight.

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

Mister Fantastic mid ultimate

The best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

See more latest►

Most PopularTurtle Beach Stealth Pivot reviewIkea Matchspel gaming chair reviewASRock DeskMini X600 reviewZotac Zbox Magnus EN374070C reviewMinisforum AtomMan G7 Ti reviewSamsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra reviewNoctua NH-D15 G2 reviewGulikit KK3 Max reviewBallionaire reviewMarvel Rivals reviewBe Quiet! Dark Rock 5 review

Most Popular

Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot review

Ikea Matchspel gaming chair review

ASRock DeskMini X600 review

Zotac Zbox Magnus EN374070C review

Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti review

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review

Noctua NH-D15 G2 review

Gulikit KK3 Max review

Ballionaire review

Marvel Rivals review

Be Quiet! Dark Rock 5 review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Our Verdict#

Love is…#

Ghost town#

Spirited defence#

Our Verdict

Love is…

Ghost town

Spirited defence