Ghostlore

Ghostlore is an “Eastpunk” action RPG in which you fight supernatural monsters from Southeast Asian folklore. You explore procedurally generated maps inspired by Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the wider region, facing more than 40 enemies whose quirks and tactics draw on their folklore. You can collect and prepare meals to boost your stats.

Classes and skills

You can combine abilities from three of the game’s six classes to create a character. Each class has a skill set containing active skills, skill modifiers and passive class bonuses. You assign these to a grid to make them usable; more spaces unlock as you level up, and you can rearrange the grid at will.

The classes are:

• The Adept: mystic martial artists who train both mind and body.
• The Exorcist: uses ESP to sense the spirit world and cast out evil spirits.
• The Feral: uses blood magic and can transform into a Weretiger.
• The Geomancer: bends Earth, Fire, Ice and Lightning to their will.
• The Hashashin: relies on speed and stealth to defeat opponents.
• The Sentinel: communicates with animals and keeps the forest.

Skill modifiers change the properties of active skills from any class. Some have trade-offs, while trigger modifiers automatically use a skill when their specified conditions are met, provided you have enough MP and the skill is not on cooldown. Placing compatible skills from different classes next to each other in the grid creates a combo skill that combines their characteristics.

Glyphs and equipment

You find Glyphs, magical symbols based on the Toki Pona language, and inscribe them on a body-shaped grid to gain powers. The number of spaces available increases as you level up. Rare Compound Glyphs occupy five normal glyph spaces and give additional bonuses to glyphs placed within their configuration.

Weapons include:

• Kris or Keris: a well-balanced blade with a distinctive wavy shape.
• Bow and Arrow: a ranged weapon also used for hunting ghosts.
• Parangs: wide-arc cleaving blades, also known as machetes.
• Kukri: knives that attack faster than any other melee weapon in the game.
• Spear: the longest-reach melee weapon.
• Talismans: enchanted objects that fly and cut enemies with papercuts.

You can also equip Amulets, which act as good luck charms with real power in the game. A Psychic can awaken spirits dormant in weapons, shields, hats, scarves and amulets. Each awakened spirit asks you to settle a score; fulfilling its request strengthens the item with new enchantments. Rarely, the nature spirits known as Orang Bunian bless items with random properties.

Multiplayer and missions

Local co-op supports up to four players on the same screen. Two optional asynchronous multiplayer features let you interact with other players: the Shrine of Balance lets you send them equipment, with better chances of good loot in return when they use it; the Shrine of Spirits lets you temporarily summon a snapshot of another player’s character, called their Ghost Data, as an ally NPC. The game also supports community mods through Steam Workshop.

After completing the campaign, you can take on randomized missions in Mission Mode. Unlocking Map Data lets you modify missions and shift the odds in your favour. Hell Gate Island also has an Endless Mode.