What you need to know
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is an action-RPG from DON’T NOD that released on February 12, 2024.
- Today, a free demo for the game was announced for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.
- The game has received very positive reviews from critics and players alike.
- You’ll be able to bring your demo save into the full adventure if you purchase the game.
Celebrated developer DON’T NOD and publisher Focus Entertainment released Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden onto PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 back in February 12, 2024. This action-RPG set in 1695 about two lovers who are ghost hunters received positive reviews from critics and players alike, but largely flew under the radar due to the release of the insanely popular Palworld and Helldivers 2 at the start of the year.
Now, you have a chance to check out this well-reviewed title with a free demo that is available on Xbox, PC, and PS5. Your demo file can also be transferred to the full game if you purchase it. If interested, you should check out our Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Xbox review, in which we gave this game an elusive 5 out of 5 Stars.
I personally have been interested in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden since it was announced, but I completely missed that it had released back in February because my focus at the time was on other unexpected games that exploded into popularity. Then in March, I realized Banishers had already come out and had also received positive reviews. At that point, I immediately threw it on my ever-growing backlog of games. But now that a free demo for DON’T NOD’s game is out, I’ll definitely be playing it this week.
Why I’m interested in this game
So what is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden about anyway? The game takes place in Colonial New England in 1695 and focuses on two lovers who are Banishers (ghost hunters) that have been asked to rid the village of New Eden of a particularly nasty curse. From what I’ve been able to read without diving into spoilers, this is an engaging single-player adventure that requires players to defeat challenging enemies and interact with a sinister and atmospheric world. You take turns playing as both protagonists: Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith.
Knowing this is a game from DON’T NOD (developers of Life is Strange, VAMPYR, Twin Mirror), it’s not surprising at all to learn that Banishers puts difficult decisions before players with choices that can significantly alter the story. Of course, that usually makes me excited because it means a game has plenty of replay value to keep me coming back for more. In any case, I’m excited and will definitely be checking this free demo out tonight after work on my ROG Ally.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden FAQ
I know I’ve been curious about Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden since it came out. As such, I’ve answered some of the biggest questions I had for the game below.
Is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden open world?
No. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is more of a semi-open-world game. The story takes players to specific areas, but these locations are usually rather large and encourage you to explore. Whether or not you find anything of value in a given area is a different story.
Is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden co-op?
No. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a single-player adventure where you can play as both of the main protagonists, but there is no multiplayer co-op.
Is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden a souls like?
No. The art style and combat might seem somewhat reminiscent of Souls like games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls, but DON’T NOD’s action-RPG is not a Soulslike. Still, if you like challenging battles then you might like playing the game on its Very Hard difficulty mode.
Is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden scary?
While it isn’t an outright horror game, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden definitely has a creepy vibe thanks to its heavy atmosphere and sometimes terrifying enemies. The game centers around ghost hunting, after all, so we’re bound to see some scary things during the course of the story.
How long is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden?
Typically, an average playthough for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is about 21 hours or so, but you can spend dozens of hours more if you want to 100% complete the action-RPG.
Is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden on Game Pass?
No. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is currently not on Xbox Game Pass. However, other DON’T NOD games have made their way onto the game subscription service, so it’s possible the game could make its way to Game Pass down the line sometime.
Do choices matter in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden?
Yes. As with many other DON’T NOD games, the decisions you make in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden can bear significant consequences to the story. This adds to the game’s replay value.
What platforms is Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden on?
When does the free Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden demo end?
The free Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden demo is available for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5 from
Can I pay Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden on gaming handhelds like Steam Deck and ROG Ally?
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is marked as Steam Deck playable on Steam, with the site clarifying that “some in-game text will be small and may be difficult to read.” However, the game has controller support and the graphics settings play well on Steam Deck. As such, it seems like it should be good to play on Steam Deck and it likely plays well on ROG Ally as well.
