This is Ghost Bike, a new game announced earlier today. It’s being developed by Messhof (Nidhogg), and will be published by Annapurna. As the headline says, I think it’s important we all sit down and watch this.
I mean, I’ve already watched it. A few times. But I’ll watch it again, now, with you, because why not. I could watch it all day.
Argh. It’s beautiful. I will play this when it’s out, but I could also just watch this trailer a bunch more times, or even just watch other people play it, and be almost as happy.
As the trailer suggests it’s primarily a racing game, though one with a narrative point:
Ghost Bike puts players in the shoes of a streetwise kid from Freehub City on a mission to revive the last of the Ghost Bikes, the magical couriers who rode between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Ride the Ghost Bike to the afterlife, and save the lost souls of Wheel World.
Abandoned and forgotten, the Ghost Bike needs repair. Bikes need maintenance, and this one is on its last link! Beat ghosts in contests of speed and skill to win back Ghost power. Only then can you make the journey to the afterworld, and return the true spirit of biking back to Wheel World.
Ghost Bike has a “beautifully stylized semi-open world”, which will let you take on these races “at your own pace”, and one of the press release’s most appealing bullet points is that the game also features “general tomfoolery”.
Also nice to see, for those who are very into bikes and rightfully feel they’re not as well-represented in games as they could be, is that the game is embracing the whole bicycle lifestyle/culture thing, saying it will feature “bespoke spokemakers, radical roadies, troublesome tourists, badass BMX’ers, fanatical fans, super fun stunts, intrigue, adventure, and more!”
Ghost Bike is coming out on Xbox, PlayStation and Steam in 2024.
