If you’ve played a narrative-adventure game in the last several years, there’s a likelihood it came from Don’t Nod. The undeniable zeitgeist that is Life is Strange was originally the work of Don’t Nod, and the studio followed up with titles like Tell Me Why, and more recently Jusant and Harmony: The Fall of Reverie. Way back in the yesteryear of 2018, Don’t Nod released its most ambitious title at the time, an action-RPG by the name of Vampyr, in partnership with Focus Home Interactive. Vampyr was well-received by players and critics alike, although the game did receive justifiable criticism for its slow and clunky combat.
I take a moment to remind you about Vampyr because Don’t Nod has yet again, in the year 2024, developed an incredibly ambitious ARPG with Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. Philippe Moreau, creative director at Don’t Nod, describes Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden as a spiritual sequel to Vampyr. I’m inclined to believe him, as you can see Vampyr’s essence dripping into Banishers in a variety of ways. And yet, even with so many elements of Vampyr prominently on display, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden feels as though it has learned from Vampyr’s past and become something entirely new. Something even more haunting.
