Life is Strange studio announces action RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

A new game from Life is Strange studio Dontnod was announced at The Game Awards 2022 tonight. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is an action RPG that tends a little closer to the studio's 2018 title Vampyr in spirit, but it sounds like it may adopt some of Life is Strange's choice-based narrative elements too.

The trailer above doesn't show a lot of gameplay footage, but it confirms a third-person perspective, and a baddie that has a similar vibe to Dark Souls' Hollows. There are two playable protagonists in lovers Antea and Red: the former uses "spiritual powers" (note how she can spectrally teleport in the gameplay snippet), while the latter uses good ol' fashioned offensive weaponry.

These lovers were ghost-hunters, which means they once roamed the world protecting "the living from the threat of lingering ghosts and specters". But Antea has fallen afoul of some curse, which has turned her into a spirit. Thus, she and Red go on an adventure to try to reverse her plight.

"Immerse yourself in a beautiful, intimate and powerful story between two fated lovers," reads the official blurb. "As Banishers, enter the lives of New Eden’s communities and solve haunting cases in a mystical, lore-rich world plagued with supernatural creatures and ancient secrets. Use your wits or combine Antea’s spiritual powers and Red’s arsenal to defeat and banish the souls tormenting the living."

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden releases on Steam in 2023.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.