This year's Game Awards featured some of the most exciting announcements in the event's history. From start to finish, the 2022 Game Awards were a non-stop rollercoaster ride of reveals and heartfelt speeches, with some high-profile sequels and new IPs being some of the most memorable announcements of the night. Gamers got their first look at Ken Levine's new project, Judas, along with confirmation that Death Stranding 2 and Hades 2 are in the works. But by far one of the most unique reveals of the night was Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, a new action game from Life is Strange developer DON'T NOD.
An action game that sees players hunt down ghosts and banish them, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is quite the departure for developer DON'T NOD. This departure doesn't just cover the game's tone and gameplay, however, as it also extends to its setting, which is very different from Life is Stange's modern suburban setting. Set in 1695, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden drops players into the North American wilderness long before towns and cities were built on the land, potentially being one of the most unique settings in all of gaming.
Banishers' New Eden Setting Seems Very Unique
From the get-go, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has a very unique premise. The year is 1695, and players take control of two ghost hunters, Antea and Red, known colloquially as Banishers. Together, the couple uses their talents to banish ghosts from communities across North America, until one day, Antea is mortally wounded in a failed mission. Succumbing to her wounds, Antea becomes the very thing she swore to destroy, and with the help of Red, she plans on finding a way to return to the mortal world.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden will be primarily set in the titular location of New Eden. Though DON'T NOD hasn't really given much information on this setting, New Eden will apparently be a collection of communities in the wilderness of North America, which fits in historically with the game's 1695 time period. At this time in history, America had been colonized for about 100 years, with the Spanish, English, and Dutch all staking their claims to different areas of land. During this time, North America wasn't the connected country it is today, but instead a series of colonies, each featuring a collection of towns, provinces, and districts.
With some colonies having only been founded for a few decades by the time of 1695, the size of these industrial and suburban areas was still fairly small, leading to some big gaps between populated areas. Between these populated areas, wilderness filled in the gaps, and that's where Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is set to take place.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden features an incredibly unique setting that helps it stand out right off the bat. In the current gaming landscape, this time period is very rarely seen. The only games that tend to cover 17th century are strategy titles like the Europa and Anno franchises, and even then, they tend to be more focused on the European side of history. Practically no games have ever allowed players to explore late 17th century North America, with the closest being games set during the Wild West era like Red Dead Redemption, which is set over 200 years after Banishers. Hopefully, Banishers' gameplay and story stand out just as much as its setting does.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden releases in 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.