Is Ghostwire: Tokyo Open World?

Ghostwire: Tokyo pits you and your spectral passenger against the supernatural forces that have laid claim to the Japanese capital. With the game finally coming to Xbox consoles and Game Pass in April 2023, you might have questions about it. How much freedom does your protagonist have, considering the fact they’re semi-possessed by a spirit? Is Ghostwire: Tokyo open world? Here’s the answer.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is Open World, but Developer Tango Gameworks Disagrees

We’d definitely class Ghostwire: Tokyo as open world. You get to roam a Yakuza-style area of the city, busting ghosts and engaging in a little supernatural sightseeing. Most of the human populace is… indisposed, shall we say, so you can gawp through all the shop windows you want. 

Want to go exploring instead of pursuing the main storyline? Go right ahead. And there are side missions to engage in, too. However, according to Tango Gameworks, it’s actually a “sandbox-style action-adventure type of game.”

We’re happy to call it open world, but we can understand why Tango Gameworks is reluctant to apply that label. Firstly, the city Ghostwire: Tokyo is smaller than your average game metropolis. That said, the new free update that’s dropping alongside the Xbox release means there’s even more to see.  Secondly, the phrase “open world” may conjure up images of vast, sprawling regions, with plenty of space but not an awful lot of interesting things.

We can happily report that Ghostwire: Tokyo’s side missions are hardly humdrum fare, but there are plenty of open world games loaded with busywork.

So, while Tango Gameworks may not agree, the answer to whether Ghostwire: Tokyo is open world is yes. And that’s all you need to know about that.