Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a deeply moving exorcism epic

12.02.2024 - 17:39 / polygon.com

The eradication of ghosts and demons is a classic plot foundation. From Ghostbusters to The Exorcist, stories about heroes who rid people or places of spooks provide a strong canvas for a range of human experiences. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is not only a good example of this genre, but one of the best-written, most visually intriguing and impactful I’ve ever encountered.

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The latest game from Don’t Nod, the original creators of Life is Strange, Banishers is set in 1695 in the New World, and follows two lovers who are both wandering exorcists, or “banishers.” Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith are sworn to tackle “hauntings,” banishing ghosts and demons from harming the living.

A third-person, semi-open-world adventure in the vein of the new God of War games, Banishers lets you control both Red and a ghostly Antea after Antea dies suddenly early in the game. While Red uses the standard sword and gun to tackle enemies, Antea can utilize her new ghost powers in combat and for environmental navigation.

Players can switch between Antea and Red on the fly, like in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, changing the way the world looks as you swap between the living character and the dead one. As in previous Don’t Nod titles, choices matter here, with the banishers deciding where to place blame for the hauntings and demonic events they encounter: with the living, or with the specters

Antea is the master banisher, training her lover Red, a Scot. Their multifaceted relationship is the main focus of the game, and it’s handled sensitively. This is one of the most wholesome relationships imaginable, with Russ Bain and Amaka Okafor delivering layered performances of depth, sensitivity, and humor Red and Antea. The pair have wonderful chemistry, acting as if they truly have loved each other for years, sharing cute quips, subtle jibes, and in-jokes even in the midst of battle.

Red is constantly deferring to his master Antea — which stands out, considering Banishers is set at a time and place when people who look like Antea were often considered property. Indeed, some of the first villagers the banishers meet believe Antea is Red’s servant, a misconception the pair are quick to dispel. “It’s all her,” Red says, smiling, “I’m just the help.”

Haunting cases are similar to the monster-hunting contracts in The