Berlin (dpa) -- Terror reigns in the communities of New Eden: ghosts plague the villages in 17th century America and make everyday life impossible for the residents, who are already faced with hunger and poverty.

Time for Scottish ghost hunter Red and his partner Antea to put an end to the haunting in "Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden." The action adventure from the developer studio Don't Nod Entertainment focuses primarily on the duo's investigative work.

Together they listen to people's suffering and go in search of clues and evidence. To do this, many witnesses are questioned and traces are sought until the ghost can be found and summoned by ritual.

But the ghosts have their own view of things. In some cases there are valid reasons for their actions and it is up to the player to decide who is really to blame.

In the final confrontation of all those involved, you go from detective to judge: the ghost can be given peace, it can be banished for all eternity or the living can take the blame. If the latter happens, the accuser is sentenced to death -- an often quite tricky decision.

Things take another turn when Antea herself ends up dead and becomes a ghost. The afterlife awaits her but the love between the two protagonists creates a moral dilemma and a momentous decision that must be made early in the game.

Sometimes you talk, sometimes you fight

While you wander through the gloomy towns and forests of New Eden, you will also encounter all kinds of ghosts and evil forces that are not so talkative. Without the possibility of a conflict-resolving dialogue, there is only one option: a fight to the death.

There are a number of weapons to choose from, from swords to rifles. You can also switch between Red and Antea at will in the game. Both have their own special attacks and abilities, and with the right combination, you don't have to worry about survival. There's also a skill tree but even in normal difficulty mode, most enemies prove to be beatable.

Visually, "Banishers" has a lot to offer. The locations and characters are realistically detailed and the game achieves a balanced mix with the imaginative elements of the world, which makes the ghost hunting a real experience.

However, the open-world aspect of the action adventure leaves something to be desired in some places. Some obstacles simply can't be overcome and at other times the gameplay feels repetitive. Even so, these weaknesses are made up for by the gripping story with its realistic characters and some surprising twists.

"Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden" is available for €50/$50 for the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series and PC.