RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourceson Google Preferred Source Google News Link copied to clipboard By Ford James Published Aug 14, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT FYI A 30+ hour epic awaits
‘It’s not easy to be told you’re in love’: How Don’t Nod reinvented the video game love story Critical Role's D&D rival officially gets a big update in 3 weeks This Gen Con, Daggerheart just became Dungeons & Dragon's biggest rival You need to play 2024’s best hidden-gem action game on PS Plus and Game Pass Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Sign in to your Polygon.com account 2024 was a great year for games. Astro Bot , Balatro , Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth , the list goes on. However, when it came to action-adventures reminiscent of games from older generations but with the polish of the modern era, one game stood head and shoulders above the rest, and it was criminally underrated: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden .
Developed by Don't Nod, the studio behind story-focused games such as Life is Strange and Vampyr , Banishers is a tale of love, loss, and desperation. (But no wombats, if you know, you know,) You play as a pair of lovebirds: Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith. However, alongside their romantic relationship, they also have a professional one, and during the game's first chapter, a devastating event changes the course of their companionship for good.
From here, the pair must fight countless ghosts and spirits with both melee and ranged combat mechanics, while exploring a community known as New Eden. Along the way, they encounter various settlements full of people, each with their own woes and dilemmas. These quests all result in tough moral decisions, each of which can influence the game's many endings.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a deeply emotional game, and throughout its 30- to 60-hour runtime (depending on how much of a completionist you are), you'll undoubtedly shed a few tears. Our review described it as having "superb writing, excellent performances, a clever central mechanic, and thoughtful engaging stories," including "themes of slavery, denied queer love, spousal abuse, and the patriarchy."
Unfortunately, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden "performed well below expectations" according to a Don't Nod fiscal report . However, it's not too late to get in on the action: it was added to PS Plus and Game Pass in 2025, and since games on the platform typically stick around for either one or two years, time is likely running out to try it for yourself.
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