Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Lore & Background

The story is set in 1695 and revolves around two banishers—itinerant warrior mystics who banish hauntings—Ruaidhrigh 'Red' mac Raith, a former soldier from Scotland, and his mentor-lover Antea Duarte, a Cuban-born mystic and scholar. They arrive in the New English settlement of New Eden at the invitation of their friend Reverend Charles Davenport, only to find the town plagued by a malevolent spirit. Davenport dies of a heart attack after confronting the spirit, and during their first night, Antea is killed by an extremely powerful ghost called a Nightmare, while Red is hurled into cliffs below. Red awakens in a cave tended by a young woman named Seeker, who serves a witch called Siridean. Red then encounters Antea's haunting spirit, and together they commit to returning to New Eden to recover her body. The game's direction is decided by the player: they can commit to resurrecting Antea through a necromantic ritual called Lesser Palingenesis, which requires a sizable sacrifice of people, or allow Antea to peacefully ascend to her afterlife. Throughout the game, the protagonists encounter various characters from the prologue and learn about their complicity in the trial and execution of a young woman named Deborah Comenius, whose haunted spirit has evolved into a pervasive force across the colonial peninsula. Minor storylines involve themes of betrayal, guilt, and supernatural consequences. Depending on player choices, the ultimate confrontation can result in one of five endings, including outcomes where Red resurrects Antea, allows her to ascend, or becomes trapped in a time loop with Seeker revealed as a younger version of Siridean.

Reader's Guide

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was developed as a spiritual successor to Don't Nod's earlier game Vampyr, following a development deal between Focus Entertainment and Don't Nod launched in 2019 after Vampyr's success. The game was revealed at The Game Awards in December 2022 and originally scheduled for release on 7 November 2023, but was delayed to 13 February 2024 to avoid an 'intense' release window. Upon release, it received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, with 79% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. It was nominated for outstanding Narrative Excellence at the 2025 Pégases Awards. Despite positive critical reception, Don't Nod stated in September 2024 that the game's sales had performed well below their expectations, marking it as a commercial disappointment. The game was added to PlayStation Plus Extra in July 2025, coinciding with an update improving performance and visuals on PlayStation 5 Pro. Its significance lies in its narrative-driven design, branching endings, and thematic exploration of guilt and sacrifice, though its commercial underperformance highlighted challenges in the action RPG market.

Did You Know?

• The game was delayed from November 2023 to February 2024 to avoid an 'intense' release window.
• Don't Nod described the game as a 'spiritual successor' to their earlier title Vampyr.