Ghostrunner 2 tips and tricks beginner’s guide

We’ve pulled together a selection of Ghostrunner 2 tips and tricks to help you navigate One More Level’s challenging first-person cyberpunk slasher. For those familiar with the original, Ghostrunner 2’s

Completing the game is no small feat and even seasoned Ghostrunner players have their work cut out to reach the credits. Below, you’ll find 10 tips and tricks we picked up during our time with the game for our Ghostrunner 2 review. We also have guides covering the best upgrade chips and the full Ghostrunner 2 level list.

Accept death

There’s no two ways about it, you’ll die a lot in Ghostrunner 2. The one-hit-death mechanic means that a single stray bullet, a botched platforming dash-jump, or an unexpected slash results in death, at which point you’ll be beamed back to the most recent checkpoint. Accept early on that you’ll see the death screen a couple thousand times and you’ll have a better time with Ghostrunner 2. 

See death as a learning experience, a chance to try something different. In many ways, Ghostrunner 2 is a puzzle game and through death you’ll figure out the solution or optimum kill path to get through each area. Did you approach an area in the right way? Is there a better way to take out a group of enemies? Can you use the environment to your advantage?

Momentum and movement are key

Like its predecessor, Ghostrunner 2 plays at a frenetic pace, one so fast that it can take some adjustment to tune into just how fast you’ll need to think, move, and attack. Key to this is never losing momentum and more specifically being constantly on the move. 

Once you stop moving, you open yourself up to enemy attacks but also lose the momentum needed to make it across large gaps or reach distant platforms. Keep moving and think on your feet and you’ll reach enemies quicker.

Exiting the game saves at the most recent checkpoint

Ghostrunner 2 checkpoint system is generally pretty generous. There’s typically a checkpoint before each enemy zone and even at several points throughout boss fights. But, when you exit the game it will save at the most recent checkpoint. If in doubt, push through a little further until you get the brief slow motion effect after killing the last enemy in a specific area. This is the best sign that you’ve reached the next checkpoint and can safely leave the game without losing any progress.

Equip the Tactical Overlay upgrade chip early

With so much going on at pretty much every moment, Ghostrunner 2 gets very busy and the visibility of enemies and attacks suffers at times. To help make sense of the chaos, invest a little Data and buy the Tactical Overlay upgrade chip as early as possible. Equipped, it automatically outlines enemies in red, making it far easier to spot them and choose a path.

Slow down time with Sensory Boost

At times, Ghostrunner 2 can get a little too fast, especially as you’re chaining jumps in tricky platforming. You can give yourself a bit of breathing room by enabling Sensory Boost in mid-air by pressing down on the dash button. This will slow everything down for a few seconds, allowing you to, say, realign and recover from a sketchy jump, fire off a shuriken at a distant enemy, or dodge incoming bullets.

Scout out new areas

In Ghostrunner 2, you’ll often feel overwhelmed, especially when you try and navigate through a new enemy zone for the first time. The number and type of enemies along with the environment’s layout can stunt you progress. To counter this, scout out new areas first by quickly running and dashing through it to get a sense of enemy positions and of any paths and platforms you can use to your advantage. Die, then map out a route in your head and give it a go. Then, fine tune as you go to figure out the best path through. Don’t forget your abilities – shuriken, tempest, and shadow – when figuring out a zone.

Block and parry

Speed and dodging are key to staying alive, but you’ll also want to lean heavily on Ghostrunner 2’s block and parry mechanics. You can block the majority of attacks, though depending on your upgrade chips, you’ll only get two chances before dying. As for parrying, timing is important, but can quickly turn the tide in your favour or even deflect enemy projectiles back at them with the right upgrade chip.

Unlock these upgrade chips early

Ghostrunner features a ton of upgrade chips to customise and unlock new abilities. Though as you near the late game, it’s worth experimenting to find a build that suits you, we recommend buying and equipping the following upgrade chips as early as you can. They are utility focused and make staying alive a little easier.

• Tactical Overlay – enemies are outlined in red.
• Smart Deflect – deflected projectiles return to where they came from.
• Hydraulics Adjustment – dashing costs 15% less stamina.
• Blade Coating – you can block Scorchman’s and Chook’s laser attacks.
• Sharpened Blade – you can slash through a blocking enemy.
• Flow Stamina Regen – when your combo reaches x6, your stamina fully regenerates.

Keep an eye out for breakable barriers or platforms

Ghostrunner 2’s levels have numerous alternative paths tucked away in the environment, often accessible by reaching perched platforms or breakable barriers. Though not essential, they can be useful if the main path through a zone is causing your trouble, often giving you a stealthier way to take out enemies.

Collect Memory Shards

The number of upgrade chips you can have equipped at any one time is dedicated by your motherboard level, which determines your motherboard memory. Chips are crucial to equipping Jack with more and better abilities to take on Ghostrunner 2’s tough later levels. 

To upgrade the motherboard level, you’ll need to find and collect Memory Shards scattered around Dharma and beyond so it’s worth veering off the level path to collect them when you can. They appear on your minimap as a purple icon.

There you have it, our top Ghostrunner 2 tips and tricks. For more help exploring Dharma, check out how to get more motherboard memory in Ghostrunner 2 and how to solve orange and purple icon puzzle in the Mindgames level.