I can’t stop thinking about this beautiful, haunting twin-stick shooter that follows a ghost in search of answers.

As I cross a bridge in Hauntii, the camera pulls back to show the impressive hand-drawn two-tone view surrounding me as I move forward. Swirls decorate the landscape, with hourglasses and falling grains always counting something. The ethereal musical score begins to swell, as does my heart; I have to take a moment to really appreciate how beautiful Moonloop Games’ adventure is. But this is far from the first time I’ve felt this way. Hauntii is full of levels and eye-catching moments that keep me wanting to discover more and more. Set in the mysterious world of Eternity, I play the role of a little ghost who no longer remembers who he was before, or how he got here. When I encounter an angelic figure known as Eterian – who serves as a guide to lost souls like me – I set out to try to piece together my past and ultimately ascend to a higher place.

But to do so, I must solve a variety of creative environmental puzzles and use my ghostly powers, which highlights the game’s most unique feature: Hauntii puts its own twist on the twin-stick shooter action .

Written in the stars

As a ghost, the dual stick shot item fuels your spiritual powers. On the PS5 controller, one analog stick lets you aim, while the other can be used to fire ghostly essence against enemies wondering about eternity, or to smash obstacles. But this also comes into play when you use your haunt ability. Scattered throughout each level you can find all sorts of creatures and natural elements, which you can inhabit to take control of or interact with in various ways. Whether it’s haunting a tree to shake it, or taking control of a sprout-like being that sheds powerful seeds, you can even haunt a ladybug to climb trees or propel yourself towards another to proximity. This ability, in particular, constantly encourages me to play and experiment to see what I can do.