- Publisher: Bandai
- Release Date: Nov 8, 2004
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This game is good, but could have been much better. A longer story and less sound on the next one will make it a "top of its field" game.
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Weekly Famitsu7 / 7 / 8 / 7 - 29 [Vol 795; 12 Mar 2004]
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Levels can be bland at times, but there's some breathtaking aerial work to be performed...A difficult and sometimes frustrating ride; however, it is engrossing and ambitious.
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An interesting ride that takes only a few short hours to complete. Even with a few unlockable items, and a rather inane multiplayer romp that is forgotten almost before it begins, this game seems destined for obscurity.
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It's a professionally executed but thoroughly conventional action game that's more tepid than it is thrilling.
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The game has a complex plot and a decent idea with the hacking ID element, but for the most part this is a typical shooter. Stylish graphics are not enough to overcome that.
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Play MagazineInjects skillfully deployed melee combat infiltration, platforming and a wealth of well-honed play mechanics into a sortie-based operation that puts the player on the receiving end of intel direct from Section 9 itself. [Nov 2004, p.74]
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I really wanted to enjoy this game. And, well, you can, if you just watch someone play it. Because actually playing Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is pretty boring.
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The derivative visuals, unoriginal gameplay, bare-bones multiplayer mode and annoying BGM make this an amusing weekend rental, but that’s it.
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Official U.S. Playstation MagazineApparently, it never occurred to anyone at Cavia that using a first-person shooter setup to control a game seen in the third person is a little like putting "Resident Evil"-style controls in a "Mario" game: technically possible but deeply stupid. [Dec 2004, p.102]
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Rent. You can play through the game in an afternoon and still get to your weekly "Magic: The Gathering" tournament on time.
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PSM MagazineThe game is fun, and the story - while sometimes opaqe because of all the techno-talk - is engaging, mostly due to the great cinemas. [Holiday 2004, p.73]
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Doesn't have the action you'd expect from the name. It plays more like a platformer game at times mixed with the idea of stealth action. Along with the frustrating controls the game makes it hard for gamers to get into.
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GMR MagazineAs anime-based games go, there have been far worse. Unfortunately, there have also been better. [Dec 2004, p.125]
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Even with its too-standard approach, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is still one of the best treatments given to anime-based games we've seen in a long time.
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Game InformerThere were so many aspects of this game that showed promise, but I winced in pain as I watched each one fail to attain noteworthy heights. [Dec 2004, p.175]
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A well-done action game that has a distinct style and some strong graphics...It's just that the overall experience comes up short and only gives a tease of giving players more of an active role in the story itself.
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Those familiar with the series are likely to feel right at home thanks to GitS's nicely designed 3d environments that appear to have been ripped straight from the TV series...In the end though it's the gameplay that matters. And in that regard Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has come up decidedly average.
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Expertly produced with enough sheen in all the right places to make it worth your while, but still flawed enough to be a bit disappointing.
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Cheat Code CentralAction is plentiful, in terms of shooting, but we don't really become immersed in this futuristic world. The linear nature and the repetitiveness of the gameplay make you feel as though you're just going through the motions - which of course you are.
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This title isn’t what I’d call really good, but it’s a satisfying pickup if you are a serious Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex fan, otherwise I’d say pass.
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Diehard fans of the "Ghost in the Shell" series will likely want to play through it at least once in order to dissect more of the series' story. Otherwise, I would say this game is only for people who really like shooters, and even then, it's a moderately short game.
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Because of the very convoluted and hard to understand story it knocks the game back a few notches in the enjoyment factor. Running blindly through a game is never as fun as having a reason to do so.
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It's by no means a fantastic game, but it satisfied my urge to blow stuff up, and even though it didn't necessarily last long, I was entertained for most of the time.
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Nothing but the sum of its parts -- a mediocre action game painted up with some licensed characters and a recognizable name on the box. Fans of the property deserve better.
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Most of the game is nicely done, but the bad AI kills what could’ve been a real must-buy.
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What the game could have done with is more content and a darned sight more polish – both of which it severely lacks.
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Pelaaja (Finland)Stand Alone Complex lives on its good looks and famous anime licence only. As a game, it’s so average in every other aspect that it’s not even funny. [May 2005, p 80]
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Spend the cash on the DVD instead to avoid certain disappointment.
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A bloodstock as strong as Ghost in the Shell deserved a more considered treatment but it just joins an ever-increasing list of third person cannon fodder.
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A large stock of firearms is available but a steady thumb is required because there is no auto-targeting.
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After a while it’ll begin feeling like you’re playing the game in auto pilot, but that won’t last long because, well, the game doesn’t last all that long.
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Pelit (Finland)An average action-adventure. One for the fans. [Aug. 05]
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Ghost in the Shell only works when it comes to the voicecast, which is pulled straight from the show's voicecast.
Awards & Rankings
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96
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#96 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 10 out of 21
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Mixed: 7 out of 21
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Negative: 4 out of 21
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Feb 5, 2023
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Sep 6, 2019
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Apr 11, 2017