There are many things that can compel a person to purchase a video game. While aspects like gameplay, narrative, graphics, controls or genre are usually the larger deciding factors, others can filter in. Maybe you like playing puzzle games because it makes you feel smart; or racing games because it attempts to recreate the thrill of speed.
Sometimes its a voice-actor that spurs interest, or a new mechanic, or the online competition. Then, every once in a while, there is an addition so brilliant that it brings everything about the game into cohesion. Ghostwire: Tokyo‘s dog is that epiphany. Therefore the Highlight of the Week is Ghostwire: Tokyo‘s dog.
With 99% of Tokyo's population gone, it's up to you…TO PET ALL THE DOGS. pic.twitter.com/8b6bhk1NPp
— Ghostwire: Tokyo (@playGhostwire) August 7, 2020
My parents just lost their pet dog two days ago, and it was rough, as any pet owner knows. Enter Ghostwire: Tokyo, a game I had a slight interest in due to its creator but for which I wasn’t actively excited. As the creator of Resident Evil and The Evil Within, Shinji Mikami is known as a horror guy. His new game looks to continue that trend while leaning more into action, all while in a first-person perspective. The trailer was shown at Sony’s June State of Play, and while intriguing, it didn’t have me hooked.
A Work in Pawgress
I am now, and it only took one thing– you can “pet the dog”. As mentioned in the short video above, released during QuakeCon at Home, Tango Gameworks is including an option to “pet the dog”. The clip begins with a self-deprecating Mikami, who refers to himself as a fossil in the game industry, before thanking people for their initial responses to the game.
Finally, he gets to the important stuff– the petting of the dog. Labelled a “Work in Pawgress”, the video ends with what I assume is the player’s character interacting with a Shiba Inu. With that one little video, the game has my attention.
If you didn’t get enough from petting the foxes in Ghost of Tsushima, there’s another little canine friend waiting. Players will be able to “pet the dog” when Ghostwire: Tokyo releases in 2021 for PlayStation 5 and PC. For more reviews and gaming news you can keep up to date at Informed Pixel. Want to speak to the team and interact with other gamers? You can do so over on the Informed Pixel Facebook page or on the Informed Pixel Twitter account.
