PlayStation Plus gamers in love with 'haunting' free RPG: 'I can't believe I'd never heard of it'

I never thought this day would come; thanks to PlayStation Plus, the masses are now discovering the wonderful game that is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

Released just last year, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is an action-RPG from Life is Strange developer DON’T NOD.

It most definitely flew under the radar upon release, and that’s likely for a couple of key reasons.

The first is simply that Banishers is both a new IP and one within the AA space.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has since proven that those facts shouldn’t necessarily hold a title back, but I would say that Expedition 33 is the exception and not the norm.

Banishers, unfortunately, just didn’t land on many people’s radar despite its respectable Metacritic score of 78.

I played the game shortly after release and ended up calling it “the year’s most underrated RPG”.

“It pains me to see that one of my most beloved releases of the year so far is already massively flying under the radar, so here I am to rectify what I can only deem to be a colossal crime,” I wrote.

“If you like action RPGs that don’t take half a lifetime to complete, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re also a fan of enthralling narratives that include tough moral choices then oh my, fate certainly couldn’t have led you to a better article.”

I continued, “Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is one of the most exciting new IPs that I’ve encountered in a long time and it saddens me to think that a lack of eyes on this game may kill the franchise before its life has even begun.”

The game is a third-person RPG where players assume the roles of both Antea and Red, a paranormal-hunting duo who arrive in the New England town of New Eden in 1695 to deal with a powerful spirit known as The Nightmare.

It’s not a perfect game by any means with a rather repetitive gameplay loop, but it’s a fun loop, if you ask me, and this remains one of the most engaging stories I’ve played to date.

And finally, I’m not the only person raving about this game.

PlayStation Plus recently welcomed Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden to the service’s extra tier and I’m so thrilled to see it’s being received so warmly.

“Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the most haunting RPG I’ve ever played, and I can’t believe I’d never heard of it,” wrote Reddit user Sammy_Kneen.

“Everything about this game feels so high quality that it’s a tragedy that it flew so under the radar. If like me, you finished Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and are desperate for another story-rich RPG, or if you just want a great game with meaningful themes, then I highly recommend Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, especially now that it’s on the PS Plus Catalogue.”

Additional praise soon started flooding in on the thread.

“If you're into narrative/choice heavy games you'll love it. I'm currently playing through it and enjoying it very much. However, if you value gameplay, the combat is very basic,” replied ayoubkun94, which I’d say is fair.

“Combat clicked for me a lot more once I unlocked the rest of the skill trees and could do more switcheroo shenanigans,” added the OP, and I once again agree.

Once you get past the game’s opening chapters, you’ll be able to more freely combine Antea and Red’s powers, switching between them effortlessly in combat and it becomes much greater fun.

So if you do have a subscription to the extra tier, I’d urge you to join in with those who are already giving the underrated Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden a go.