A mysterious agent, capable of becoming a digital ghost, sneaks aboard the Nakamura Space Station. This is where the fun begins: the station is well-protected with its heavy defences, never-ending arsenal of weapons, and mysterious artifacts. It will all have to be destroyed.
You control the protagonist, a "digital ghost" that can possess and control various robotic enemies and machines. The twin-stick shooter style controls are tight and responsive, allowing for fluid movement and precise aiming. You can dodge, jump, and even exit your robotic body to temporarily take control of enemy machines. The combat is fast-paced and satisfying, with a wide variety of weapons and abilities to discover and experiment with. Weapons automatically recharge after use, so you don't have to constantly manage ammunition. Mastering the different weapon types and learning when to use them effectively is a key part of the gameplay.
The game's interconnected, multi-zoned environment encourages extensive exploration. You'll need to make use of new abilities and upgrades, such as double jumps or possession abilities, to access previously blocked-off areas and progress the story. Scattered throughout the space station are hidden "secrets" that are revealed by completing specific actions in each room. Finding these secrets rewards you with permanent stat boosts and other upgrades to make the protagonist more powerful.
In addition to the platforming and combat, the game features a deep RPG-style progression system. You can earn skill points to invest in five different skill trees, granting passive upgrades and new abilities for the protagonist's robotic chassis, hacking skills, and ghostly form. This customization, combined with the wide variety of weapons and gadgets to find and purchase, allows you to tailor your preferred playstyle, from stealthy possession-focused builds to aggressive, heavily-armed approaches.
The game offers two distinct modes that alter the gameplay loop: Classic Mode is a more traditional metroidvania experience where you retain all permanent upgrades but lose currency upon death. Survival Mode is a more fast-paced, roguelike-inspired mode where you gain and lose abilities and resources more rapidly, but also lose everything upon death. These different modes provide significant replayability and allow you to engage with the core systems in distinct ways.