Spooky Strategy Classic Ghost Master Returns From The Grave
- Ghost Master: Resurrection remakes the 2003 cult classic with modern graphics, mechanics, and restored content.
- Now in Early Access, it adds new ghosts, levels, and Unreal Engine 5 upgrades ahead of a March 2026 full release.
- Reception is mixed due to AI-generated assets, but many players see strong potential.
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Ghouls Galore
Ghost Master, the 2003 strategy classic that has players command a growing roster of spectral troops, has been given the remake treatment with Ghost Master: Resurrection. Originally developed by Sick Puppies, the new version is being handled by Mechano Story Studio (Painkiler remake) and original publisher Strategy First (Flatout, Space Empires).
The remake completely overhauls the base game with new graphics, improved mechanics, and even brand new content, but keeps the core idea intact. Ghost Master: Resurrection presents players with various scenarios that typically involve scaring humans away from a location, or unleashing a terrifying entity.
“Take control of a mischievous army of specters, banshees, and ghouls to strike fear into the hearts of the living in the eerie town of Gravenville,” Strategy First said in a press release. “Solve puzzles, reveal dark secrets, and master the art of spectral strategy in this unique blend of supernatural tactics and offbeat humor.”
A Classic From Beyond The Grave
The original Ghost Master entered a gaming industry in 2003 that was used to strategy titles, but these were typical RTS style games, such as Command & Conquer: Generals, Praetorians, and Warcraft III. There was the occasional outlier such as Impossible Creatures by Relic, which had players create mutants by splicing various animals together to defeat a mad scientist, but they were few and far between.
Plus, while games that mixed up the strategy format may have been critically well-received, they failed commercially. This was the fate of Impossible Creatures, and it was the fate of Ghost Master. However, while Relic continued after Impossible Creatures’ failure, the original development studio behind Ghost Master, Sick Puppies, was shut down by its parent company Empire Interactive (which was responsible for over 300 games before it also shut down).
While the original is still available on PC, there’s always the chance that it won’t run properly on modern machines (unless it gets added to the GOG Preservation Program). The new version, however, has been made in Unreal Engine 5 and, while it captures the retro look of the original, is improved overall for modern tech and gamers.
Old School Spooks With New Looks
Mechano Story Studio and Strategy First have filled Ghost Master: Resurrection not just with the original ghosts and levels, but a wealth of new content too – much of it cut from the original game. This includes new levels like a motel, and new spooks like a ghost pirate.
Main levels include a cabin in the woods, sorority house, and ocean liner, with ghost powers ranging from possession through to making surroundings ooze blood. It’s out now in Early Access on Steam and GOG, but has come under fire for using AI assets.
“I launch the game and find myself greeted by an ai generated main menu background. I thought that was weird because I didn’t see an AI disclosure when I looked at the store page earlier in the day. So I check again and see the disclosure is there now AND I discovered that it was only added a few hours before,” reads a recent negative review.
“This feels like an especially bad approach to the matter when the usage of AI generation is restricted to creating assets that stick out horribly due to not fitting the game’s style, have no impact on gameplay, and would have looked more endearing if the developers had commissioned some low effort graphic designer to slap something together for a low rate,” added another recent negative review.
Even so, many players note that despite a number of bugs and lack of polish common to Early Access titles, Ghost Master: Resurrection is a worthwhile attempt at updating a forgotten classic. It’s slated for a full release in March 2026, and aside from digital versions for PC, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, it’ll also be available as physical editions for PS5 and Switch.
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