Published by Bethesda in early 2022, Ghostwire: Tokyo launched as a PlayStation console exclusive, and, roughly ten months after its debut, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers have a chance to experience a one-hour demo of the title. This, alongside the visual novel prequel Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude, should give prospective buyers ample insight into whether they’ll like the open-world supernatural pseudo-shooter.
Developed by Tango Gameworks, the studio that made a mark on the survival horror landscape with The Evil Within and its sequel, Ghostwire: Tokyo draws from a diverse pool of influences. Steeped in horror yet borrowing the stealth-action gameplay philosophies of games in the Far Cry and Dying Light series, it was met with mixed to positive reviews, but it was passed up by many in favor of heavy hitters like Elden Ring, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands—the latter two having released on the same day as Ghostwire: Tokyo.
That said, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers who missed out on Ghostwire: Tokyo when it came out can give the first hour a shot if they’re interested. Plus, it only takes around ten hours to beat Ghostwire: Tokyo, so Sony is offering a fairly sizable chunk of the experience up for free. Of course, much of that time is spent plodding through the tutorial and coming to grips with the controls, some players may come up against a full-price paywall just as soon as they’ve got their bearings.
This hour-long demo scheme could be an interesting perk for a PlayStation Plus Premium service that’s desperate to get a leg up on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. In a recent response to a statement forwarded by the UK’s Competition and Market’s Authority, Sony admitted that Xbox Game Pass was “considerably ahead” of PlayStation Plus Premium in terms of subscription numbers, and that’s likely not going to be an easy margin for PlayStation to close.
Furthermore, Microsoft seems to be planning something very similar to Sony’s one-hour demo deal for the near future; in June of this year, it was revealed that curated demos will be making their way to Xbox Game Pass at some point in 2023. While the exact parameters of the service’s demos aren’t yet known, they’ll likely be similar to what PlayStation Plus Premium is currently offering. Ultimately, Ghostwire: Tokyo seems like a bit of an odd choice, as its year of console exclusivity is nearly over, and it’ll likely share the same fate as one-time PlayStation exclusive and fellow Bethesda IP Deathloop and make the jump to Xbox Game Pass soon after that.
Ghostwire: Tokyo is available on PC and PS5.
Source: PlayStation