Ghost Master Resurrection entered Early Access on November 14, 2024. Now the full version of the remake of this tongue-in-cheek horror strategy game is out—and publisher Strategy First seemingly has a whole pile of DLC waiting in the wings.

Honestly, I should probably do the Solid Snake thing and hide under a giant cardboard box—out of pure shame. Because somehow I managed to hear absolutely nothing about Ghost Master Resurrection until today. Which is wild, because the original Ghost Master from 2003 was an absolute riot. At least if scaring mortals is your idea of a good time. Mine too (just ask my wife). 😁

Like I said, Ghost Master Resurrection is, according to publisher Strategy First, a remake: a game rebuilt from the ground up in the spirit of the original. It was made in Unreal Engine 5, which sounds like it should look incredible, but in this case it looks more like 2014. Then again, "2014" doesn’t have to look bad—and here, it doesn’t.

That said, the new version has more going for it anyway, including previously unreleased content, new levels, an extra story act, and both free and paid DLC. Here’s the full rundown.

What’s new in Ghost Master Resurrection?

Depending on platform, the remake costs around 20 bucks on PC and up to 40 on Switch. Why the Switch version suddenly costs twice as much as the PC one is anyone’s guess, but maybe the answer is just "Nintendo." Here’s what you’re actually getting for your money:

• Act 4 with 3 new levels and 4 new missions
• 11 fully redesigned locations
• 6 ghost types cut from the original: Thorne, Smokin' Joe, Azrael, Ghost With No Name, Alfred Hunchcork, Forest Spirit
• Free DLC: Until Dawn
• Free DLC: Ghosts Adrift
• Reworked mechanics
• Various quality-of-life improvements

The new Act 4 levels are:

1. Dead and Breakfast: "Mortals looking for a little rest and relaxation are going to be sorely disappointed with their stay."
2. Carnival of Horror: "Thrills turn to chills as Gravenville's Carnival becomes the mortals worst nightmare..."
3. Night of the Screen: "A popular Gravenville visit for horror movie lovers, but they never expected to be the stars of the show."

A scary number of DLCs on the way?

The free Until Dawn DLC adds a new mode of the same name with one special rule: every Gravenville citizen has to soil themselves before sunrise. This "speed mode" takes place on the new Elm Street map. Sound familiar? Well, who knows—maybe Freddy drops by when you get to two.

DLC number two, Ghosts Adrift, is also free and adds a new level and mode to the game: Neibolt Street and Random Play. That means randomized ghost line-ups, citizens, and locations.

So far, so good. But the separately sold Season Pass, priced at around 40 dollars, strongly suggests that plenty more paid DLC is on the way. They kept fairly quiet about that around launch, but as of today, two paid DLC packs are also available for 5 dollars each. So the DLC list will probably grow to at least seven or eight packs over time, which means this new version effectively costs 60 dollars.

Ghost Master Resurrection has a future

So one thing’s clear: Strategy First isn’t planning to release Ghost Master Resurrection and then pretend it never happened. Anyway, according to the release announcement, the team isn’t just planning to follow up with more paid DLC. Developer Mechano Story Studio also has the following on its to-do list:

• Polish voice-over for new levels
• Quality-of-life improvements
• More bug fixes
• Mod support
• Steam Deck verification
• GOG and Epic Games Store release

By the way: right now, Ghost Master Resurrection still isn’t available on Nintendo’s eShop. At the time of writing, research hasn’t turned up any official explanation for that. It’s possible the Switch version has simply been delayed, though.