Demons, bikes and Italo-disco collide in this open-world adventure

Developer Messhof

Publisher Annapurna Interactive

Format PC, PS5, Xbox Series

Origin US

Release TBA

Leaving behind delightfully silly sidescrolling sword battles for the unruly wilds of open-world 3D hasn’t been the easiest pivot for Nidhogg studio Messhof. “We started this game wanting it to be a more narrative-focused, slightly more serious game, and that’s just not the style we are comfortable making, gameplay-wise,” explains co-founder and creative director Mark Essen. “As the years have gone on, we’ve iterated on the story and now it’s much happier, light-hearted and goofier, which I think plays to our strengths.” That’s reflected, perhaps, in the name change: first revealed as Ghost Bike, the studio’s cycling odyssey will now launch under a fresh moniker. The story’s stakes remain high – as Kat, you’re bound to an immortal bike daemon whose parts have been stolen, plunging the world into peril – but it’s hard to worry too much as you encounter fast-travel Portaloos and citizens such as Ramp Man and Component Dave. A dedicated bell button, meanwhile, means you can make always a nuisance of yourself, scaring off bypassers even as you race to your next objective.