Originally announced at E3 2019, Ghostwire: Tokyo has kept its specter-filled narrative rather mysterious, but a recent trailer at PlayStation's September 2021 Showcase gave a closer look at its skull-faced villain. Ghostwire: Tokyo is set to be a supernatural, first-person thriller set in the streets of the eponymous Japanese city. The game is in development at Tango Gameworks, and is being published by Bethesda - joining recently released Deathloop is an Xbox-owned IP releasing (at least initially) as a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, seemingly leaving Xbox owners to wait for their turn at taking on the game's demon-headed antagonist.
This frightening visage belongs to Hannya, the person - or entity - responsible for the mass disappearance and supernatural invasion in Ghostwire's ultramodern rendition of Tokyo. The trailers for Ghostwire: Tokyo have so far depicted the anomalous, inciting events with little explanation. A large portion of Tokyo's population seemingly disappears in an instant, with a myriad of supernatural occurrences following, including an invasion of ghosts and encroaching mists which similarly pluck pedestrians out of existence.
Bethesda's website notes that players will explore "the cityscape of skyscrapers, traditional shrines, narrow alleyways, massive crossings and neon-lit shops" as they seek to uncover the mysteries behind Hannya's machinations. Part of Hannya's plan involves flooding the streets with supernatural enemies called Visitors, which the player will have to fight using a variety of apparently magical abilities. Bethesda's press release following the most recent Ghostwire: Tokyo trailer suggests not all of the Visitors are hostile, and making allies - "both conventional and supernatural" - will be important in stopping Hannya.
Hannya Confronts Ghostwire: Tokyo's Protagonist
In one of the more striking scenes from the PlayStation Showcase trailer, Hannya is shown standing at the side of a hospital bed, occupied by a young woman in a completely white, otherwise nearly empty environment. The main character rushes toward the bed, shouting the name "Mari," clearly distressed at Hannya's presence. Hannya ominously tells the protagonist, "Still your fear. I will be her salvation." It's unclear what Hannya wants with Mari, but Hannya's dialog during the scene matches the tone of their larger goal.
No specifics on what Ghostwire: Tokyo's Hannya story is or what they're hoping to accomplish have been revealed, but the sweeping generalities of their lines in the trailer point to Hannya viewing themself as some sort of herald. Hannya claims "the world rests on the precipice of transformation," after which "a new age will dawn." The instantaneous disappearance of a significant portion of Tokyo's population, with the subsequent appearance of ghosts feels like a combination of Thanos' snap from Infinity War and the results of the cataclysm prior to Death Stranding. Bethesda ends its commentary on the new trailer with, "It's up to you to learn the secrets behind Tokyo's mass disappearance, fend off the invading Visitors, and save the city from Hannya's dangerous machinations," so it wouldn't be surprising to see Ghostwire: Tokyo divulge only small story details leading up to its delayed launch date in an attempt to keep the mystery intact.
Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch on PS5 and PC in spring 2022.
Source: Bethesda