Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Ghost Trick is one of those few games that tries something completely new, with spectacular results. In it, you play as the recently deceased Sissel. Unable to remember anything, Sissel's spirit embarks on a quest to find out who he was. He has to hurry though, because soon after death he is informed that come sunrise, his spirit will dissappear. To make things worse, people are dying left and right that night, and most of them are people that Sissel needs alive. Thankfully, in this game, death isn't much of a problem.
      

As a ghost, Sissel has access to the titular "Ghost Tricks", which are used to solve the games numerous problems. Sissel can possess various objects, most of which can be manipulated in one way or another. By possessing and manipulating things around the game world, Sissel can move from one point to another, and accomplish everything from finding things to saving lives. These mechanics work astoundingly well, and as soon as you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself jumping from object to object to solve the games many brilliant scenarios. 
      Still, Sissel has one more power for you to use. Whenever you come across a dead body (and believe me, you'll find plenty of them), you can possess that body, and rewind time to four minutes to before that persons death. If you manage to save their lives in the past, you will change fate and the person will be alive in the present again. These parts can be very tense, as you often have to use specific events to your advantage, and missing them can cause you to fail. The game is, however, generous with checkpoints, and failure is not infuriating, as it often gives you close as to what you can do. Before the game was released, many people worried that th e game would be all trial and error. Thankfully, there is little of it here, and figuring out what to do is often logical, and provides many "eureka" moments.

   While the gameplay is great, the art style manages to be just as good. The environments are rich with color, and are nicely designed. The characters themselves are all also rather pleasant to look at, and the animation on everything has a nice smoothness to it. Very few games on the DS, or even on most systems can stand up to the animation here. Of course, the soundtrack backs it all up, offering up a nice assortment of music, a few pieces of which are certain to get stuck in your head.
    Despite the praise I give it for everything else, the story in this game is easily the strongest point. Filled with more twists and turns than most mysteries, it'll keep you playing the game if only to make you find out what happens next. The writing in this game is superb, and each character (even many of the minor ones) have enough quirks and personality to make them all unique. From a dancing detective, to a man with an affinity for pigeons, and even to a hyperactive dog, the entire game is chock full of memorable faces. If you love the stories in your games, this one should be a must buy.
      The only real flaw in this game is the lack of replayability. After you finish the story (Which should take well over ten hours), you may want to play it again, if only for all the small things you may have missed, or didn't notice, but the overall story and puzzles will remain the same. Despite this, however, I gave this game Five stars because no other game for a long time has been quite as much fun as this one. From is unique gameplay, to its astounding graphics and soundtrack, and of course it's gripping, compelling, and often humorous story and characters, this game is a must have for any DS owner.